5 Of The Best Nightstand Gun Safe (Reviewed 2022)

In a sense, gun safes are like guns themselves. When used properly,  they work the way they are supposed to and are good. When used without safety precautions, they can be useless or even dangerous. The best gun safe then is the one that is used the right way. A bedroom gun safe is only as good as the owner.

Gun safes are designed to keep guns out of the hands of unauthorized users, or thieves. If you “advertise” the fact that you have a gun safe, by leaving it out in the open, you are inviting thieves. A dishonest repairman could notice your gun safe and get the idea to break in when you are not at home and steal it.

They are also small, which makes them easy to hide, and easy to put almost anywhere. The downside of that is, they are very portable and easy to steal. It is a good idea to mount your gun safe to a wall, to the floor, or to a piece of furniture. You may have your gun locked into a safe, but if the safe itself can be stolen, the safe will not do you any good.

It is also not a good idea to put all your valuables in one safe. It is better to have a few small gun safes mounted strategically in your house. You should have a different safe for your other valuables an important papers. Having them all in one place could cause a problem if thieves discover that one place.

A good gun safe, used properly will work to give you some protection. Your gun will stay out of the hands of kids and thieves. A gun safe not used properly will not work properly and is almost like not having one at all.

To use a safe properly:
– Keep it out of sight
– Mount it to something or install it properly
– Get a high-quality safe

A story in the Washington Post says most people believe guns should be locked away when not in use, but it also found that a lot of people do not actually use them as designed. 

The article cited stats from a study by Johns Hopkins University. Here are some of the statistics provided.

– 60 percent of Americans like the idea of laws requiring safe storage
– 54 percent of gun owners do not keep guns locked in a safe
– 37 percent of gun owners in Washington State keep guns in safes
– 27 states have laws that penalize parents for letting guns fall into the hands of children.

Where to hide your gun is almost the same question as to where to hide a gun safe. Most people who have a handgun, and who have one in a safe, have it for self-defense. 

If your home is broken into while you are home, it is likely going to be at night when you are asleep. In fact, most burglaries happen during the day when no one is at home. But if you are going to need a handgun for self-defense in your home it will likely be at night. A good place to hide the gun is the bedroom.

A closet is a good place because it is out of sight and it is easy to get to in an emergency situation. The closet is also a good place to mount and hide a gun safe. It will take only a couple more seconds to get the gun out of the safe.

Here are a few more creative places to hide a handgun:
– In an empty food box
– Inside a pottery container
– In a fake electrical outlet
– Under your couch
– Inside air vents
– Inside a book (old movie trick)
– Cabinets
– In a nightstand with gun safe

In general yes it is safe, and it is even more secure inside a nightstand gun safe. Having a gun at your bedside is for self-defense. If there is a thief in your house at night you could reach your gun and defend yourself. The greatest danger is that the gun will fall into the wrong hands and cause unintended damage or injury. 

Gun proponents are right when they say guns do not go off by themselves. Gun control advocates are right when they say guns are dangerous when they fall into the wrong hands. Owning a gun is a right, and with that right comes the responsibility to be safe.

Having a gun at your bedside is not in itself dangerous. But, if you leave it open on the nightstand gun all day long while you are at work, you are setting yourself up for problems. A curious child could get a hold of that gun, or a troubled teen could kill himself or herself with that gun. Most burglaries happen during the day when no one is at home. A thief would spot a gun left out on a nightstand gun and steal the gun.

If a gun is under your control, and if you are a responsible gun owner, the gun is as safe as anything else. This is why owning a gun safe is important. You will not be by your bedside at all times, and you will not have your gun on your person at all times. 

During those times when the gun is not in your immediate control, it is up to you to make sure it is safe. It is not safe beside your bed on a nightstand gun or even in a drawer when you are not in the room, or in the house. Inside a gun safe is much safer when you want to keep one by your bedside.

If a gun is not cocked and there is no pressure on the sping, it should not damage a gun to leave it loaded for a long time. There is some debate on this issue for self-defense handguns in nightstand gun safes. Several weeks, or even a few months, should not be a problem. 

It is important to not have the gun cocked while it is in storage space. Keeping pressure off the spring will allow you to leave it alone for years even, with no problems. As long as the guns are in a dry place the ammunition will last for years. The bullets will not leak or “wear out,” so in theory at least you could leave a gun loaded for years and then use it.

As long as no moisture gets into the gun and causes corrosion, nothing will change. Leaving loaded then should not make a difference. Even so, it is a good idea to get your gun out occasionally and use it to make sure it is still in good operating condition. As long as the spring does not wear out, the gun will work. Some people say leaving a slight amount of pressure on the spring is good. It will make the spring work smoother and shooting easier. 

There is also some debate on this question. It is your self-defense weapon you don’t have time to load it in an emergency, so it makes sense to keep it loaded in the safe. It can be a matter of safety. If you keep the magazine separate it only takes a second or two to slip it into the gun and you are ready to shoot. In some areas, it is the law to keep guns and ammunition locked separately. This does not mean they have to be at opposite ends of the house. You may have them locked separately in the same room, for instance.

People who keep a gun for self-defense, and in a nightstand gun safe by their bed, normally keep their gun loaded. They also keep it in the safe. If you are an experienced gun owner, this should not be a problem. Do not leave it cocked as this will put undue pressure on the spring and cause it to weaken. 

If the handgun is not primarily for self-defense, there is no real need to keep it loaded. If it is in a safe, inside a desk drawer, you may not need to keep it loaded. A lot depends on your level of comfort in having a loaded gun in your house. Many people who keep a gun by their bedside do keep it loaded in the gun safe.

In general no, it is not safe. A loaded gun could easily fire when you turn over in your sleep. This could kill you or a person sleeping in the bed with you. Handguns are great tools, but there is also great responsibility in owning a gun. 

Putting one under a pillow that you are sleeping on is reckless and dangerous. The important thing about guns is to always be in control of the gun. While you are asleep you are not in control of your movements, and thus not in control of the gun. Keeping one under your pillow is inviting disaster. It is not safe to sleep with a gun under your pillow, put it in a nightstand gun with a gun safe where it belongs.