Hornady Rapid Safe, secured but accessible.

Hornady Rapid Safe, secured but accessible.

Keeping a handgun that you are proficient with at home is a great idea. Home is the one place you should always feel safe. With that said, as we all know there are responsibilities that are attached to firearm ownership. Just as any tool you need to know how to properly and safely use it and be sure that tool is not readily available to unauthorized people. That seems like a catch 22, with having a firearm readily available to you if it is needed but secured. Also according to Federal law, firearms must be safely secured and stored away from children. So, if you do own a handgun you must have some means of securing it.

reference,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The Youth Handgun Safety Act is (1) The misuse of handguns is a leading contributor to juvenile violence and fatalities. (2) Safely storing and securing firearms away from children will help prevent the unlawful possession of handguns by juveniles, stop accidents, and save lives. (3) Federal law prohibits, except in certain limited circumstances, anyone under 18 years of age from knowingly possessing a handgun, or any person from selling, delivering, or otherwise transferring a handgun to a person under 18. (4) A knowing violation of the prohibition against selling, delivering, or otherwise transferring a handgun to a person under the age of 18 is, under certain circumstances, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Ideal firearm security is a big ol’ Liberty safe bolted to the floor. For firearms you would not need at a moments notice that is fine but getting into a safe such as that takes a little time, what with the key lock, then combination lock, and a heavy door. There are smaller safes that can be installed close to your bed, but still require a key to be inserted into a lock and opened. This is not much of a challenge to someone of clear head but if you were wakened from a deep sleep in the dark, locating a key and finding the lock presents it’s own set of difficulties.

Hornady has a solid option for secure storage but quick access. The Rapid Safe, using  Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) the safe can be accessed very quickly using only gross motor skills. You have the option of a bracelet, key fob, or card that is waved over the sensor and the safe is sprung open using charged hatch struts, even with up to six pounds of weight on top of it as tested by me. The Rapid safe is shipped with three rubber bracelets of different sizes so if you choose that option you have choices on bracelet fit.

The safe can be programmed by these buttons to accept two different RFID devices at a given time. That way you can have the safe accessible to two different people easily.  You can always reprogram which devices you choose to use. You can also program in a numeric code activated by the large key pad at the front.

The safe can be accessed by a programmable and reprogrammable access code as well as a back up key.

Though the safe is powered by standard household outlet it also has a battery back up that can be used as primary power.

With the coated steel cable that attaches under the door you can move it about the house or even take it with you. I could see this as a good option for someone who travels being able to secure a handgun in a vehicle or even a motel room. Under the foam bottom there are holes drilled if you choose to secure the safe to a solid surface.

The Rapid Safe is built to exceed ASTM International performance standards for youth resistant firearms containers. I took a flat head screwdrive to it myself, the way the door is designed there really is not anything to pry against. I tried it in a few corners and along the side and I could not make it give.

I favor the bracelet myself, putting it on at bed time and having the safe close by makes your defensive handgun, while being secured, easily accessible.

Another aspect of this is unexpected company. As many gun owners I keep a loaded pistol on the table within arms reach. Personally, I do not have young children and if I did they would know gun safety and to leave guns alone. I have friends with children and I cannot assume their children are taught gun safety as I was. I am a popular guy and people just love to hang out with me, so I get company often. OK, most of that statement is true(ish).

If a friend drops by with a kid in tow, I can safely stow my handgun away while keeping it handy at the same time.

Once you open the Rapid Safe, your handgun is presented to you at such an angle it is easy to grab and clear the box. The box, attached to the lid, which presents your handgun is deeply padded keeping the gun in place and protected from scratches. Handguns up to a six inch barrel can be accommodated.

The safe easily holds a full size Government Model, even this Colt M45A1 with a Picatinny accessory rail.

It also holds this fullsize Glock 20, with a Streamlight TLR-1 HL attached.

Ruger GP 100 with 4″ barrel is easily accommodated.

There is also enough room for a spare magazine or two with the pistol stowed.

The inside of the door, plenty strong.

I spent the past few months with the safe in use and often opening and closing the door 100 times in a row to see if the motor would hold up to heavy usage. I have personally actuated the door well over a 1000 times which, for the average user opening the safe about twice a day would be just shy of two years of usage. The locking mechanism or electric motor is showing no sighs or play or wear. In short order the foam insert begins to form around the handgun you choose to store but in the event you swap guns around inside the same the foam will take to whatever you decided to use. Personally I would not use very small handguns such as the Ruger LCP unless you added some sort of shim in the back of the cradle to keep the small pistol from slipping. Those handguns are very small to begin with and they may be tough to retrieve in a hurry due to their small size if they were to slip deep into the foam. If you do not like the large “H” on the lid, it is a magnet that can be easily removed. That does take a bit of the flash off the strong box.

Specifications

Constructed of 16-gauge steel 1/4″ steel dual-lug locking system.                                                                                                                                    Exterior: 15½”x9″x3½”                                                                                                                                                                                                             Interior: 11″x8″x3″
Weight: 15.65 lbs                                                                                                                                                                                                                              MSRP $267.67