In our experience, the cheaper budget-friendly metal gun cabinets are the best way to maximize the storage of your firearms for the least amount of money.
There are a lot of options out there and finding the best one can be overwhelming without an expert to lend good advice.
With affordable firearm storage solutions in mind, our gun storage gurus have rounded up the best bang-for-your-buck options they could find without compromising too much on the things that matter most.
To learn all of the criteria we use to rank gun safes, see: How We Test Gun Safes
At the end of this article, we’ll dive further into the pros and cons of metal gun lockers for storing your rifles, handguns, ammo, and other accessories.
For those looking for our top 7 recommendations, we’ll cut right to the chase and give you our picks for 2024:
7 Most Affordable Metal Gun Cabinets in 2024
Gun cabinets made out of thin gauged steel are the most economical option for storing small, medium, or large firearm collections.
We handpicked the most well-regarded models of 2024 to fill out our list of popular brands to fit every budget and size requirement.
*Expert advice: You can save some money if you opt for cheapest metal gun cabinets that require some assembly (we’ll let you know which ones do or don’t need assembly).
#1 Atripark Gun Cabinet
(Some Assembly Required)
The Atripark gets lots of rave reviews and is relatively easy to assemble if you’ve got the know-how, a minimal amount of tools, and a little patience.
Huge Capacity
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The cabinet is pretty solid. It arrived ahead of schedule and was very well packed. I was able to put it together by myself in under an hour. The instructions aren’t that great, but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly.
Mike
You get quite a bit more space with its design characteristics compared to actual rifle safes with thicker double-walled construction and dense doors.
#2 Sanfnz Gun Cabinet
(Some Assembly Required)
The Sanfnz is like the poor man’s SecureIt with its modular rear panel implementation (which is a good thing), though it is a bit smaller than the first option.
Assemble & Save
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Purchased this cabinet as a low cost option to store my firearms knowing full well it is not a “safe” by any means. It does the job needed for our household and was pretty sturdy once assembly was completed.
Amazon Customer
It also comes with an electronic lock, which is a nice upgrade over the combination lock of the first cabinet.
It assembles much like the Atripark and can hold a decent-sized firearm collection. If you have a smaller arsenal you’d like to keep out of reach, the Sanfnz shouldn’t disappoint!
#3 BBRKIN 6-Gun Cabinet
The BBRKIN is a spacious 5-6 mixed firearm cabinet that is pre-built and ready to use out of the box. It features a programable keypad for quick entry and a backup key should the battery die.
All Accessories Included
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I bought this Gun safe to hold a my AR, shotgun, handgun and ammo. The interior space is a good size, I use the upper compartment to store ammo, and the shelf for some magazines and a handgun. The safe is sturdy, opens and closes easily by using the key pad, and it’s exactly what I was looking for.
Kimberley
It has a lot of modularity and can be configured to suit your needs. The electronic lock is easy to reprogram and can be relied upon for quick access to the guns in your cabinet.
The lockable storage compartment up top, a handgun shelf with a pistol rack, and the felt-lined door for sticking on velcro accessories are a nice bonus.
#4 SecureIt Gun Cabinet
(Some Assembly Required)
The SecureIt Model 52 Pro is every gun owner’s dream when it comes to a premium metal gun cabinet. It may be priced on the high side, but with this much customization don’t come cheap!
Most Modular Option
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Assembly was very easy, I did it by myself within 35 minutes. The agile 52 pro comes with an assortment of bins, shelves, gun clips, etc which allows you to organize your safe how you want it. It’s very stylish, protected by an electronic keypad, and is a great alternative to your typical bulky, unorganized gun safes. Definitely recommend this product, especially the pro series.
Brian H.
*Check out the option below for the Model 40 if you’d prefer the smaller version for less money:
Something to keep in mind; if you purchase the base model, you’ll need to purchase the necessary accessories that come with the 52 Pro to get the most use out of it (I’d recommend getting the Pro to save yourself the hassle of buying accessories later).
#5 INTERGREAT Electronic Gun Cabinet
Intergreat brings us another affordable metal gun cabinet, fully assembled, for those with smaller gun collections. It is highly regarded by a lot of owners and many report being satisfied with the features and value for the money.
Fully Accessorized
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This is a decent safe for what it costs. It’s more like a gun cabinet as it’s not fireproof and the metal is thin, but it’s fairly sturdy. Was very protected during delivery and very little assembly required. Easily holds 4 rifles, maybe 5 depending on the sizes.
Plus 2 pistols on the door and extra space on the shelf. Don’t expect a $1000 400lb Liberty Safe, but this is decent.
JG
It comes with a quick-access electronic keypad for fast access to your firearms to boot. So long as you’re not expecting Fort Knox, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this modestly-priced metal gun locker.
#6 KAER Electronic Gun Cabinet
KAER hits another homerun with all of the built-in organization found on just about every square inch of this fully assembled metal gun cabinet.
Built-In Organization
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I’m very happy with this gun safe. It’s got plenty of room for the space it takes up and comes with the brackets to mount the guns. Easily fits 5 long guns and 7 pistols like a charm. The digital lock is also nice and easy to use when I want to grab my gear.
Matt
It has an electronic keypad that looks more modern than the price would suggest. We like the form factor and small footprint of this gun cabinet which gives you plenty of options and places to mount it.
#7 Fandon Electronic Gun Cabinet
Our final pick is this pre-assembled Fandon 4-5 gun cabinet which is great for storing a small collection of rifles and handguns. Three built-in holsters on the door are useful for quick access to your handguns.
Fully Decked Out
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I have to say this safe was absolutely the best value I’ve ever found. Not only is it built with heavy duty, sturdy construction, but was relatively easy to install by myself. I was also able to set up the electronic combination lock within the first two minutes. Extremely easy to install and use definitely recommend.
James
It’s got a lot of built-in storage too and also has adjustable shelves to allow you to store long hunting rifles and shotguns. You can set the shelf to be above or below for storing spare magazines, ammo, or accessories.
Pros and Cons of Metal Gun Cabinets
Pros of Cheap Metal Gun Cabinets:
- Security: Even cheap metal gun cabinets provide a reasonably high level of security by offering a sturdy and durable construction. They are resistant to forced entry and provide some level of protection against theft or unauthorized access to firearms.
- Cost: Designed to be much lighter than real safes with thinner sheet metal and less secure locking mechanisms, brings down the cost significantly while increasing the capacity compared to rifle safes of equal external dimensions.
- Organization and Storage: Many models have shelves or compartments that allow for efficient organization and storage of firearms and related accessories. This helps keep firearms neatly arranged and reduces the risk of accidental damage or misplacement.
- Durability: Some are built to withstand heavy use, making them a long-lasting storage solution for firearms.
- Customization: Those designed to store guns are often modular in design and allow you to add various accessories to meet your organizational needs.
- Weight and Portability: Lower-end options are designed to be lighter than their true safe counterparts. This makes them easier to move around so you can place them virtually anywhere with just a bit of assistance (depending on the size of the cabinet) while some are small and light enough (when empty) to easily move around yourself.
Cons of Cheap Metal Gun Cabinets:
- Security: They are not high-security storage solutions since they tend to employ simplistic locking mechanisms and utilize thinner sheet metal to keep the weight and cost down.
- Lack of Accessories: Many are very barebones with minimal shelving which means you’ll likely have to purchase some accessories separately to make the most out of all that space.
- Build Quality: Many cheaply-made options are often packaged poorly and arrive with dents, dings, and scratches out of the box. This can be avoided if you go with the more reputable brands, like the ones on this list.
With all that said, one of the best strategies to take advantage of weapons storage cabinets, and mitigate some of their weaknesses, is to mount them in a secure room (preferably behind a metal door or purpose-built vault door).
This will allow you to take advantage of their larger storage capacity and cost savings while not having to be concerned about their less-than-ideal security flaws.
Final Thoughts
What’s not to love about cheap metal gun cabinets? Do they serve their intended purpose? Absolutely! And what is that, exactly?
Well, they’re affordable for starters, and they accomplish the goal of keeping your firearms out of the hands of minors and nosey house guests!
Statistics show that the greatest threat is having unsecured firearms around the home- even when you think you’ve hidden them well- and that’s the primary purpose of owning an affordable gun cabinet.
They aren’t designed or intended to be fireproof or theft-resistant (that’s what insurance is for!) and their price is the best indicator of those lack of features.
They also don’t weigh a ton (like true safes) and are easy for one person to position and place in just about any location inside a house, apartment, or garage.
Need a quick-access firearm solution upstairs in a closet? Not a problem for an of these 7 lightweight metal gun cabinet options!
Worried about keeping those curious kids from gaining access to the guns hidden in a closet or drawer?
These gun storage cabinets are secure enough to do the job it was intended to do and will give you some much-needed peace of mind.
Many people buy these cheaper options because their state’s laws require it for all gun owners and these affordable models are a real wallet-saver for those on a tight budget.
Just remember, you can always upgrade to a bigger and better gun safe in the future- but, in the meantime, you know what you must do!
