Hornady Armlock Box gun safe: Unboxing & Review (VIDEO)
Moving up one level in Hornady’s gun safe product line, I take a look at their “Armlock Box” gun safe.
While it shares the same sturdy construction of the Hornady Tripoint safe which I reviewed a few days ago, what’s nice about the Armlock Box is that it has a built-in arm instead of the flimsier cable.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the Armlock Box’s features:
- A patent-pending ArmLock system features a 1⁄8″ laser cut, steel shackle that adjusts to accommodate objects up to 3½” in diameter.
- Constructed of 16-gauge steel
- Dimensions:
Exterior: 10.25″x8″x3″Interior: 9.75″x7.5″x2.25″
- Designed to exceed ASTM standards for child resistance and protection from unauthorized access
- Both safes can travel with you and meet TSA requirements for handgun security in luggage
- Industry first, patent pending TriPoint® locking system features 3 points of contact
- Three, ½” wide steel locking lugs
- Padded interior
At an MSRP of $46.00, I think this is another great safe for the money. And a quick Amazon search reveals that it’s available for $29.99.
Chris Cheng is History Channel's Top Shot Season 4 champion and author of "Shoot to Win," a book for beginning shooters. A self-taught amateur turned pro through his Top Shot win, Cheng very much still considers himself an amateur who parachuted into this new career. He is a professional marksman for Bass Pro Shops who shares his thoughts and experiences from the perspective of a newbie to the shooting community. He resides in San Francisco, CA and works in Silicon Valley.www.TopShotChris.com.
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Marcus hit it on the nose. These so called safes, like many similar ones from many brands, are simply unsafe, unreliable garbage. I was going to mention that same video. TFB should post it as an educational service to its readers.
https://youtu.be/vIJFQO4DIxw
Oh for heaven's sake. More of the same old song. Tubular locks? Still? In 2015?
I know that the "home pistol safe" industry has a supreme hard-on for tubular locks, for reasons passing understanding, but Marcus (and I'm sure many other commenters to follow) is right on the money. It is utterly trivial to defeat almost all tubular locks.
Now, there's of course the outside chance that this unit features a genuine ACE II lock from Chicago Company (now CompX) but if that's the case I might just eat my boots. Dollars to doughnuts, this is a simple 7-pin tubular style lock with zero anti-pick features that costs about $3 on the wholesale distributor market. Protecting your carry piece.
As I've told people many times over, that doesn't mean this is a useless product, as long as *the customer understands what it really is* and what it is not. This is NOT a safe designed to actually secure your firearms from...
1. thieves
2. teenagers
3. houseguests
4. hotel maids
5. anyone who is actively trying to tamper with or steal your firearm
...this lock box (which is what it is... it's not a safe, it's a lock box) is designed exclusively to protect your firearms from...
1. toddlers
2. warrantless searches
3. TSA/FAA regulations
... to clarify, I'll explain each of the above points.
Toddlers - This lock box, and many other products like it, will do an adequate job of preventing tragedies in your home that could happen if a toddler gets access to your guns. Once your child (or visiting children) are about 9 or 10 years old, however, it's not doing a whole lot. Teach them that guns aren't toys, don't hide them or lock them away, and make sure they aren't seeking them out without you present.
Warrantless Searches - If you are pulled over in a state like NJ, an officer might see a range bag and "decide" that you look suspicious and check out your pistol, your ammo, etc. Finding hollowpoints, perhaps, you're now in a whole world of hot water, trying to prove in court that you never did consent to a search. (Good. luck. with. that.) If your firearm is in an actual container, however, odds are that no John Q. Above-the-Law is going to actually open it up illegally. If they have a warrant, however, this thing isn't delaying them one bit.
TSA/FAA - As many folk know from deviating.net/firearms/packing I document the process of flying with firearms a whole lot. A little box like this /will/ comply with the letter of the law, if you want to toss a pistol inside of a larger, soft-sided piece of luggage. I don't know if that's particularly wise, of course, but it will be legal under FAA regs. My preference is to use heavy hard sided luggage like Pelican cases, locked with proper padlocks (thus protecting not just my gun but also ALL my other possessions) but you do what's best for you. This lock box will comply in that instance.
Tubular picks are not that expensive...
redteamtools.com/lock-picks...
... try it out against any tubular lock you find on a firearm lock box and you'll see, they all fail miserably and quickly. Know the limits of what you buy, use it for its intended purpose, and you'll be fine.
Stay safe out there, people.