The most common burglary in an apartment building is not a thief kneeling in your hallway with a crowbar. It is someone lifting an unanchored safe onto a hand truck, wheeling it to their vehicle, and opening it later with more time and better tools than you had. That single fact changes how you shop. Steel gauge still matters, fire rating still matters, but in a rental the decisive specs are weight, mounting hardware, and whether the thing can be moved by one person at 2am without tools.
We spent the last several weeks comparing twelve handgun safes against the constraints that actually show up in apartments: footprint that fits a nightstand or closet, a mounting method your lease tolerates, quiet enough for thin walls, and access speed when you are half awake. This guide covers the best gun safes for apartments in 2026, including the anchoring, landlord, delivery, and fire questions that generic handgun safe roundups never touch.
If you are shopping by lock type first, our biometric gun safe roundup covers fingerprint scanners in depth. For larger storage needs, see our picks for the best gun safes for home.
Top 3 Best Gun Safes for Apartments in 2026
Amazon Basics Slim Desk…
- Slim 4.4 inch profile
- Keypad plus backup key
- Pre-drilled holes for drawer mounting
ONNAIS Iron SE Biometric Safe
- Fingerprint
- PIN and key
- 4.4 lb
- security cable and screws included
BILLCONCH Biometric Pistol…
- Holds two full-size pistols
- Carbon steel
- Interior LED
- fingerprint and PIN
The editor’s pick is the Amazon Basics drawer safe because it does the one job apartment dwellers ask for most: it disappears into a desk drawer while staying bolted to it. The ONNAIS Iron SE wins on value if you want real biometric speed at a weight you can still reposition. The BILLCONCH holds two full-size pistols in a low, flat footprint, which matters if your closet shelf is the only real storage you have.
All 12 Gun Safes for Apartments, Compared in October
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Basics Slim Desk Drawer Safe |
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| ONNAIS Iron SE Biometric Gun Safe |
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| BILLCONCH Biometric Fingerprint Pistol Safe |
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 RPNB Wall Mounted Handgun Safe |
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 LANGGER V Biometric Slider Safe |
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 Grimtron 23LB Biometric Safe for 4 Pistols |
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 BILLCONCH Smart Safe for Multiple Pistols |
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 RPNB Biometric Bedside Handgun Safe |
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 HOLEWOR Drop Down Biometric Safe |
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 AIRMuch Biometric Safe for 2-3 Handguns |
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 KornerBatl Quick Access Biometric Bedside Safe |
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 PINEWORLD Biometric Sliding Door Safe |
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One row in that table deserves an immediate note. Every unit here is a handgun safe, and not one of them carries a stated fire rating. If you live in a multi-unit building, treat fire as a separate question covered further down rather than a feature you can tick off from a spec list.
How We Picked Gun Safes for Apartments
Most handgun safe roundups rank on speed and steel. We used five criteria chosen for rental living instead, and each product below is judged against all five.
Steal resistance at a weight you can carry. In an apartment the realistic attack is grab-and-carry, not prying. What matters is whether one person can lift the safe and walk out with it, and whether your mounting stops them.
Mountability. Pre-drilled rear and base holes, a mounting bracket, and included lag bolts or a rated security cable. A safe you cannot anchor in a rental is a lockbox, not storage.
Footprint. External dimensions that fit a desk drawer, a nightstand shelf, or a bedroom closet in a unit under 700 square feet.
Noise. Drop-down and drawer safes can be loud on thin apartment walls. Silent mode or a quieter opening mechanism scored better than a spec sheet implies.
Access speed with a backup. How fast it opens in the dark, and whether the fallback method is a keypad, a key, or a key stored inside the safe.
We also cross-checked owner reviews, because a few recurring complaints turned out to be deal breakers rather than niggles: fingerprint sensors that fail on worn or cold fingers, batteries mounted inside the box, and plastic mounting hardware that lets a unit lift off the wall. Where a complaint showed up repeatedly, we named it as the deal breaker rather than burying it.
1. Amazon Basics Slim Desk Drawer Safe: Best Overall for Apartments
Amazon Basics Small Slim Desk Drawer Security Safe with Programmable Electronic Keypad, Secure Quick Access, 0.1 Cubic Feet, Black, 11.8″W x 8.6″D x 4.4″H
11.8 x 8.6 x 4.4 inch exterior
11.7 x 8.5 x 1.7 inch interior
5.12 kg
Electronic keypad plus backup key
Pros
- Slim 4.4 inch profile fits inside a desk drawer
- Pre-drilled holes and hardware allow mounting to the drawer itself
- Programmable keypad with emergency backup key
- 2 live-door bolts and pry-resistant concealed hinges
- Enormous review base of 48039 ratings
Cons
- Interior depth of only 1.7 inches
- so it takes slim valuables rather than full-size firearms
- Unlined interior can scratch contents
- Built as a document safe rather than a dedicated firearm safe
I have one of these in a desk drawer in my own place. The whole appeal is dimensional: at 11.8 inches wide by 8.6 deep by 4.4 high, it clears the opening of a standard desk drawer with room to spare, and the 1.7 inch interior depth is enough for a slim pistol, a magazine, a passport, and a charging cable. Buyers treat it as a document and valuables safe rather than a gun safe, and that is exactly why it works well in an apartment, where a steel box that announces what it is invites attention it does not need.
The security hardware is better than the category average. Two live-door bolts retract only when the door is fully closed, and the hinges are concealed on the inside face, so a pry bar finds no exposed pin to lever against. Pre-drilled mounting holes and the included hardware let you bolt the unit to the drawer box itself, which is the difference between a safe and a heavy object sitting in furniture. Reviewers report 78 percent five-star ratings across 48039 ratings, and the recurring praise is for the keypad, the bolts, and how quietly it lives in a workspace.
Being honest about what it is: this is not a hardened safe, and at 5.12 kg it is light enough for one person to carry out. It deters the opportunistic grab and it defeats a casual pry, which covers the way apartments are actually burgled. It does not survive a determined attacker with an angle grinder. The unlined interior is the other small irritation, so a piece of foam or a lined pouch keeps a finish from getting scratched in storage.
One thing to check before you buy is whether your handgun will physically fit. At 1.7 inches of interior depth, a full-size service pistol with a grip will not lay flat inside, and optics-equipped guns will not fit at all. For a slim carry pistol, a compact revolver, or a stack of documents, this is the most apartment-friendly box we tested. It is also worth pairing with a wall-mounted unit in a larger home, which we cover in our in-wall safe roundup.
When this is the right apartment pick
Choose this if your lease forbids wall drilling but you own a desk, nightstand, or dresser you can bolt through. The mounting holes are the point. A safe screwed to the inside of a drawer travels with the furniture, and a thief who tries to carry it out carries the drawer with it.
It also suits a first-time owner storing a pistol plus the paperwork that matters: a trust document, a permit, a will, a backup drive. Buyers on r/CAguns apartment threads frequently point out that a lockbox is a legitimate choice when the real goal is secure storage for a small footprint, not hardened security against a team with tools.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Skip it if you own full-size pistols with optics or lights, or if you need a long-term storage solution that resists a determined pry. The 1.7 inch interior depth is a hard physical limit, not a preference.
Also think twice if you plan to move frequently. The unit is easy to relocate, which is a plus on move-out, but a bolted drawer does need to be unbolted and the holes patched. Budget for that in your deposit timeline rather than assuming it disappears.
2. ONNAIS Iron SE Biometric Gun Safe: Best Value for Small Units
ONNAIS Iron SE Biometric Gun Safe for Handgun with Fingerprint Keypad Lock
3.07 x 9.17 x 11.49 inch
4.4 lb alloy steel
Fingerprint, keypad and key
Includes cable, 4 screws and key
Pros
- Three access methods: fingerprint
- keypad and mechanical key
- Battery powered so no wiring in a rental
- Security cable and pre-drilled mounting holes included
- 4.4 lb is light enough to reposition between rooms
- Compact enough for a nightstand
- car or drawer
Cons
- Chamber is only 6.69 inches wide
- limiting some accessories
- Not water resistant for car or damp storage
At 4.4 pounds and 11.49 inches tall, the ONNAIS Iron SE is the pick for a studio where every horizontal inch of shelf counts. It stands upright rather than lying flat, so it occupies a 3.07 by 9.17 inch footprint on a nightstand or a closet shelf, and it needs no power outlet, no wiring, and no landlord conversation beyond the anchoring question.
The access story is the strongest in the sub-10-pound group. You get a fingerprint reader, a backlit electronic keypad, and a mechanical key, which means a dead battery is an inconvenience rather than a lockout. The included security cable and four screws give you an anchoring path even in a rental where lag bolts into a stud are off the table. Owners cite reliable fingerprint scanning, fast access, and simple in-unit setup, with 80 percent five-star ratings across 8401 ratings.
The honest limitation is the 6.69 inch chamber width. A standard full-size pistol fits comfortably, but a pistol with a long optic, a light, or an extended magazine will not, and the listing does not claim otherwise. This is a good box for a compact carry gun, a revolver, or a slim pistol plus magazines.
Biometric reliability is worth a sentence. Fingerprint readers across this category are sensitive to dry, cold, wet, or worn fingers, and a forum thread on fingerprint safes at 3am with dry hands is a recurring pattern in the ownership communities. The fix is boring and effective: register the same finger from several slightly different positions, register a second finger, and keep the keypad as your actual primary method. Treat the fingerprint as the fast path, not the only path.
When this is the right apartment pick
This suits a renter in a small unit who wants quick access at the bedside without a wall anchor, and it works well for anyone who travels between a nightstand, a desk, and a vehicle. Our nightstand storage roundup covers the mounting options in more depth.
It is also a sensible second safe. Apartment dwellers frequently want one box for the bedside and a second, heavier unit in a closet for long-term storage, and this is light and cheap enough that buying two does not strain a budget the way a single large safe would.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
It is too light to stop a determined thief. At 4.4 pounds, one person can pick it up and walk. That is fine in a locked unit and useless in a unit where the door was forced, which is exactly the grab-and-carry scenario that motivates this whole guide.
It is also the wrong choice for optics-equipped pistols and for anyone storing in a damp location. If you want true anti-carry weight at a rental-friendly size, look at the Grimtron in position six rather than upping the count on a lighter box.
3. BILLCONCH Biometric Fingerprint Pistol Safe: Best for Two Handguns
BILLCONCH Gun Safe,Biometric Fingerprint Gun Safe for Handgun Pistol Safes
8.6 x 10 x 2.75 inch
6.4 lb carbon steel
Holds 2 standard pistols
LED, fingerprint, PIN and key
Pros
- Stores 2 standard size pistols plus jewelry
- Rated 4.7 with 84 percent five-star
- Carbon steel body with spring steel internals
- Built-in LED lights the contents on opening
- Foam-lined interior stops pistols sliding
- Three unlock methods including fingerprint
- PIN and key
Cons
- Chamber height of 2.75 inches means optics-equipped pistols may not stand upright
- Not water resistant
- so it belongs indoors
This is the pick for a couple or a household storing two pistols rather than one. At 8.6 inches deep by 10 wide by 2.75 high, the footprint is a flat slab that slides onto a closet shelf or under a bed without stealing usable height, and the interior holds two standard-size pistols plus jewelry and documents.
The 4.7 rating is among the highest in this group across 6291 ratings, with 84 percent five-star. The build is carbon steel with spring steel internals, which is a meaningful step up from the thin steel used in several cheaper cabinets, and the foam lining keeps frames from knocking together and getting scratched. The interior LED lights the contents the moment the lid opens, which matters more than it sounds when you are reaching for a slide release in a dark bedroom.
The 2.75 inch chamber height is the trade-off. A pistol with a red dot or a raised rear sight will not sit upright in the foam, so if both of your guns carry optics you will need to lay one on its side or step up to a taller unit. That is the deal breaker to check before anything else, because it is a fitment problem you cannot fix later.
Battery life is described by the manufacturer as long, and the unit runs on a standard cell rather than a proprietary pack, which means you can swap in a fresh one without ordering anything. Register more than one fingerprint and one alternate PIN during setup, and the fingerprint, PIN, and key combination means you always have two working ways in.
When this is the right apartment pick
Choose it when you store two standard pistols and want one low, quiet, self-contained unit on a closet shelf. At 6.4 pounds it is still light enough to relocate at move-out without a hand truck, which most apartment residents will appreciate.
It is a good bedside unit too, because the flat drop-down opening and interior light are quieter than a slamming drawer, and the low profile does not tip over when a cat or a child brushes the nightstand.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Pass if your pistols carry optics that will not clear a 2.75 inch chamber, or if you need more than two guns plus documents. It is also indoor-only, so a garage, a car, or a storage unit with humidity is not the environment.
At 6.4 pounds it will not stop a burglar who is willing to pick it up and carry it out. Anchor it to a closet stud frame or a wall, or accept it as a second layer behind a heavier unit rather than the primary barrier.
4. RPNB Wall Mounted Handgun Safe: Best for Desk and Nightstand Mounting
RPNB Gun Safe for Handgun,Wall Mounted Pistol Safe,Small Firearm Safes
7.48 x 3.15 x 14.76 inch
7.7 lb alloy steel
Auto-open drop-down drawer
4-digit PIN with audible alarm
Pros
- Drop-down auto-open drawer presents the firearm ready to grab
- Mounts under a desk or nightstand from side or top to free up surface space
- Foam padding keeps pistols snug and scratch-free
- Push-button unlock reported reliable over 6+ years
- Backup keys and mounting bracket included
Cons
- Fingerprint reader on some models reported at roughly 50 percent hit rate or below
- Plastic thumbscrew mount is awkward to install and can allow lift-off
- Batteries sit inside the safe
- which is difficult to reach once mounted
- Thin steel means a determined attacker with tools could pry it open
This is the unit to look at if your nightstand is already crowded and the surface space is the real constraint. Mounting it to the side of a nightstand, the underside of a desk, or the top of a cabinet means the safe occupies space that was not being used anyway, which is the single biggest practical problem apartment dwellers hit.
Long-term owners report the push-button unlock working for years, and the auto-open drop-down drawer presents the pistol grip-first rather than requiring you to reach in and fish around. That speed is the reason bedside safes like this one exist. At 7.7 pounds and 14.76 inches tall, it is a vertical slab that disappears against furniture.
Now the deal breaker, and it is a real one. The plastic thumbscrew mount is criticized by owners as awkward to install and, more importantly, capable of allowing the unit to lift off. In an apartment, where the whole threat model is an unanchored safe being carried out, a mount that can be defeated by pulling a plastic knob is a poor foundation. If you buy this, replace the supplied mount hardware with proper lag bolts into a stud or a closet frame, and treat that as part of the install rather than an upgrade.
The second issue is battery access. The cells sit inside the safe, so a routine swap means opening it and reaching into a mounted box in a dark corner. Plan a service schedule rather than waiting for a failed open at 3am. The thin steel is the third honest limitation and the reason this is not a hardened safe.
When this is the right apartment pick
It fits renters who have permission to screw into a wall stud and no surface space to spare. Long-term owners in r/WAGuns apartment threads commonly land on furniture-mounted units of this size, because a 7.7 pound vertical safe is something one person can carry up a flight of stairs at move-in.
It also works for anyone who wants a trigger-visible drawer presentation for home defense use, and the audible alarm gives a real deterrent in a thin-walled building where a drawer slam is itself a signal.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Skip it if you need a fingerprint-first workflow, since owners report the reader underperforming on this model. Also skip it if you intend to rely on the supplied plastic mount without modifying it, because in an apartment the anchor is the security feature that matters.
If you are after a biometric bedside unit with a real slide-out tray and a certification mark, the RPNB in position eight is a closer fit for that use case.
5. LANGGER V Biometric Slider Safe: Best for Silent Night Access
Biometric Slider Handgun Gun Safe for Nightstand, Desk, Bed Side, Truck
10.1 x 3.5 x 11.8 inch
12.4 lb, 16-gauge carbon steel
Silent mode
Slide-out drawer, three access methods
Pros
- Heavy build in its class at 12.4 lb in 16-gauge carbon steel
- Silent mode stops beeping at night
- Slide-out drawer presents the pistol without leaning in
- Fits handguns up to 9.5 inches plus a spare magazine
- Top
- side mounting or freestanding floor placement
- Thick dense foam interior
Cons
- One of the most expensive options in this roundup
- Fingerprint reader can struggle with rough or worn prints
- leaving the PIN as the practical fallback
Noise is an apartment problem that household roundups ignore. A drop-down drawer that clatters open in a bedroom at 3am in a building with thin walls is a real cost, and it is why silent mode belongs in the selection criteria. This model has a stealth mode that mutes the keypad beeps and a wrong-access alert, and the slide-out drawer is a smoother motion than a hinged drop-down.
It is also a heavier build than most boxes in its own weight range, in 16-gauge carbon steel with an anti-impact latch. At 12.4 pounds it takes more effort to pick up and carry than a typical bedside safe, and combined with a wall or stud anchor it moves the box out of the easy grab-and-carry category. The chamber is 9.5 inches wide by 10 deep by 11.8 high, which fits full-size handguns up to 9.5 inches long plus a spare magazine.
Reviewers report 77 percent five-star ratings across 2362 ratings, with praise concentrated on the substantial steel weight and fast sliding access. The recurring minority complaint is biometric read failure on rough or worn fingerprints, and the practical answer is the same as everywhere else in this group: use the PIN as your primary and keep the fingerprint as a convenience.
It is also among the most expensive boxes we covered, and that is worth weighing against what the extra money buys. You are paying for gauge steel and slide hardware, not for a certification mark or a fire rating. If your budget is tighter and you want something in the same weight class, the Grimtron in position six delivers more pounds and four-gun capacity for less, at the cost of the silent mode and the slide mechanism.
When this is the right apartment pick
Choose it when noise is a live concern, when you want a unit that will not tip or slam, and when you can anchor it to a wall stud or closet frame. Silent mode plus a 16-gauge body is the combination we would want in a bedroom we share with a partner or a child.
It suits a single full-size handgun plus a spare magazine stored long-term in a bedroom closet, where the heavier body resists a casual pry better than a thin steel cabinet.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Pass if you are furnishing a studio on a strict budget or need more than one handgun inside. Twelve pounds also adds up on a third-floor walkup with no elevator, so measure your stairwell and budget for a second person before you commit.
Skip it if the biometric read rate matters more to you than silence, and be realistic about fingerprints in winter. A padlock with a keypad and no scanner is a perfectly good nightly choice in a cold apartment.
6. Grimtron 23LB Biometric Safe: Best for Multi-Handgun Storage
Grimtron Gun Safe for Multiple Pistols with Fingerprint Lock, 3-8 Digit PIN
11.81 x 11.41 x 10.24 inch
23 lb, 3 mm steel door
Stores 4 handguns
30 fingerprints, Type-C backup
Pros
- Holds up to 4 handguns on two removable racks plus a shelf for documents
- 23 lb steel body with 3 mm door and 22 mm reinforced locking bolts
- Stores 30 fingerprints with recognition as fast as 0.3 seconds
- Silent mode
- backlit keypad and interior LED
- Type-C port provides emergency power when batteries die
Cons
- At 23 pounds it is one of the heavier boxes here and not convenient to relocate
- Bulkier footprint suits a closet or bedroom corner rather than a drawer or shelf
This is the pick when the goal is a real storage anchor rather than a bedside box. At 23 pounds with a 3 mm steel door and 22 mm reinforced locking bolts, it is the only unit in this roundup that starts to address the carry-away problem on its own, before you even add an anchor. For a unit where the floor cannot be drilled, that weight is doing the work that lag bolts would otherwise do in a house.
Capacity is the other draw: two removable pistol racks hold up to four handguns, with a shelf for documents and jewelry above. That makes it the only pick here that a household with several pistols can use as a single primary safe rather than buying two boxes. Access runs through fingerprint, a 3-8 digit PIN, and two emergency keys, with silent mode, a backlit keypad, and an interior LED.
The fingerprint capacity is 30 stored prints with claimed recognition as fast as 0.3 seconds, and the Type-C emergency power port is a genuinely thoughtful inclusion, because flat battery in a 23 pound box you cannot easily move is an annoying problem to have. Owners report 79 percent five-star ratings across 1277 ratings, valuing the multi-pistol capacity and heavy-gauge construction.
The trade-off is footprint and handling. At 11.81 by 11.41 by 10.24 inches, it is a cube, and a cube belongs on a closet floor or in a bedroom corner rather than on a nightstand shelf. It also weighs enough that a move-out with a third-floor walkup and no elevator needs two people and a plan, which is the practical objection renters raise most often.
When this is the right apartment pick
It fits a household storing three or four handguns who want one anchored unit instead of several small boxes, and it works well for a ground-floor unit or a building with a freight elevator where a heavy object is not a logistical problem.
It is also the right answer when your lease forbids drilling and weight is your only anchor. Buyers on r/FLGuns apartment threads describe the accepted compromise: pick a safe heavy enough to be awkward, and anchor it wherever the building allows.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Do not buy it for a studio with a narrow closet and a walkup on the fourth floor. The weight and the cube shape are correct for security and wrong for a small space you have to move out of on a deadline.
It is also not for a bedside role. If you need quick access at night, pair it with a lighter unit like the ONNAIS or the BILLCONCH and keep the Grimtron as the long-term store.
7. BILLCONCH Smart Safe for Multiple Pistols: Best for App Control
Billconch Smart Gun Safe for Multiple Pistols – Automatic Lock Safe Box
11.81 x 11.41 x 10.24 inch
Holds 4 pistols
Reviewers estimate 25-28 lb
Fingerprint, PIN, app and key
Pros
- Four unlock methods including fingerprint
- PIN
- key and a phone app
- LCD with voice guidance walks through setup and confirms entries
- Auto-lock means the safe secures itself once the door shuts
- Interior light
- silent mode and a hidden attached key cover
- Removable shelf and pistol brackets adapt to 4 handguns plus documents
Cons
- Door opening is narrower than the interior
- so wide items must enter front-to-back
- Pistols with red-dot sights do not fit upright and must be tilted
- Metal pistol brackets can mark a barrel crown over time
- Companion app is basic and offers limited remote management
- Not fireproof
- with thin side walls
The distinguishing feature here is the app and the entry log. This is one of only two units in the roundup with phone-based unlocking, which means a landlord, a partner, or a trusted person can be granted access and you can see when the safe was opened. In a shared apartment situation, that audit trail is genuinely useful rather than decorative.
Setup is guided by an LCD with voice prompts that walk you through enrollment and confirm entries, which matters for a safe with four unlock methods. The auto-lock-on-close option means you do not have to remember to press a lock button before you leave the room, and a hidden attached key cover keeps the mechanical key on the unit without advertising it. Reviewers report 81 percent five-star ratings across 1316 ratings.
The narrow door aperture is the flaw to plan around. The opening is smaller than the interior, so a wide item has to go in front-to-back, and a pistol fitted with a red dot will not stand upright in the brackets and has to be tilted. If your guns are optic-heavy, test the fit with the actual firearms before you commit, because a bracket arrangement that does not clear a sight leaves you with a safe that holds three and a half guns.
Two smaller points. The metal pistol brackets can leave a mark on a barrel crown over time, so a thin layer of protection between frame and bracket is a cheap fix. And the app is basic, with limited remote management, so set your expectations at convenience unlock rather than a full security dashboard.
When this is the right apartment pick
It suits a household storing several pistols where more than one person needs access, or where you want a record of when the safe was opened. The auto-lock behavior is also valuable if you are the forgetful type.
Choose it when you want the largest handgun capacity in a footprint that still fits a closet, and when you would rather not dig out a fingerprint pad in the dark every time.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Pass on the app entirely if you are wary of a phone as a credential. A phone-based unlock that depends on a companion application is one more thing that can fail to update, fail to connect, or get locked out.
It is also not fireproof, which is the most important thing to know in a multi-unit building, and the thin side walls reinforce that. If fire is part of your threat model, this does not answer it and you should read the fire section further down before buying anything else.
8. RPNB Biometric Bedside Handgun Safe: Best DOJ Certified Option
RPNB Bedside Gun Safe for Handgun,Biometric Handgun Safes,Small Pistol Safe
9.29 x 2.8 x 11.5 inch
10.6 lb alloy steel
500 DPI sensor
California DOJ certified
Pros
- California DOJ certified
- which matters where safe storage rules apply
- Tray slides fully out for a complete grip on the handgun
- Exterior battery compartment makes emergency changes easy
- Stores a full-size handgun up to 8.5 inches plus a spare magazine
- Interior lighting on unlock
- Silent mode
Cons
- Fingerprint scanner often needs 2-3 attempts and can lock out after failures
- Only holds handguns up to 8.5 inches with no optics or lights
- Visible set screw leaves a gap a hacksaw blade could exploit
- Included wood screws are unsuitable for particle or press board furniture
The California DOJ certification is the reason to look at this one first if you live in a state with specific handgun storage requirements. A certified device gives you documentation that it meets a defined standard, which matters when a landlord, a family member, or a lawyer asks whether the storage device is compliant.
The mechanical execution is better than most in the class. At 10.6 pounds and 2.8 inches wide, it is a slim vertical unit that stores a full-size handgun up to 8.5 inches plus a spare magazine, and the tray slides fully out so you get a complete grip on the frame rather than pinching a slide. The outside battery compartment means you can change cells without opening the safe or reaching into a mounted box, which is the single most commonly praised feature in the reviews.
The deal breaker is the fingerprint scanner. Owners report it frequently needing two or three attempts and locking out after failures, and the honest fix is to program the keypad as your primary with the fingerprint as a convenience. Reviewers at 75 percent five-star across 801 ratings frequently recommend exactly that.
Two details to handle at install. The included wood screws are unsuitable for particle or press board furniture, so use proper fasteners matched to your nightstand material. And the visible set screw is a real security gap that a determined person with a hacksaw could exploit, which is worth knowing if you are anchoring this to a place a guest can reach.
When this is the right apartment pick
It fits a renter in a state with safe storage rules, anyone who wants documented certification, and a household storing one full-size handgun at the bedside where a full-grip draw matters.
The exterior battery compartment and interior lighting are what separate it from cheaper bedside units, and both reduce the chance of a fumbled open in the dark. Our broader biometric roundup compares the sensor reliability picture across more models.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Skip it if your handgun is longer than 8.5 inches, or carries optics or a rail-mounted light, because it will not fit. Owners do report that a Glock 19 with a rail light and optic fits snugly, so fitment is genuinely model-dependent and worth verifying against your own gun.
Also weigh whether a slim 10.6 pound unit is enough mass to stop a determined thief. It is a good bedside safe. It is not a substitute for an anchored closet unit, and treating it as one is where people get disappointed.
9. HOLEWOR Drop Down Biometric Gun Safe: Best for Climate Readouts
Drop Down Biometric Gun Safe for Handgun Mounted for Bedside Desk
3 x 7.5 x 15 inch
9.5 lb alloy steel
Temperature, humidity and battery LCD
100 fingerprints, USB-C power
Pros
- LCD displays temperature
- humidity and battery level
- Drop-down door mounts from side or top so it disappears into a nightstand or bookcase
- Three access methods plus emergency USB-C power
- Interior LED stays on about 10 seconds after the lid opens
- Silent mode option
Cons
- Very tall and narrow form factor makes it awkward in a shallow drawer
- Smallest review volume in this roundup at 511 ratings
- so long-term track record is limited
The environmental display is the feature that separates this from the other tall drop-down units. An LCD showing temperature, humidity and battery level gives you an at-a-glance answer to the question every firearm owner actually asks about a closet: what is the climate like in there. For a unit in an unheated apartment hallway closet through a northern winter, that is worth more than another fingerprint slot.
The door mounts from the side or the top, so you can orient it to disappear into a nightstand, a bookcase, or a cabinet, and at 3 inches deep it sits flat against a wall. Fingerprint capacity is up to 100 prints with 10 passcodes, and the emergency USB-C power input is a backup rather than an assumption. The interior LED stays on for about ten seconds after the lid opens, which is long enough to identify a frame without the unit glowing all night.
Two honest limitations. The 15 inch height makes it awkward in a shallow drawer and it eats a full shelf of vertical space, which in a small apartment is a real cost. And at 511 ratings it has one of the smaller review bases in the biometric group, with 72 percent five-star, so there is less long-term evidence that the electronics keep working after a couple of years.
That second point is not fatal, but it changes how you should buy. Plan for battery changes on a schedule rather than waiting for a failure, and register the keypad and key immediately so you are not debugging a scanner at 3am. A unit with a Type-C port and two mechanical paths in is not a single point of failure, even with a modest history.
When this is the right apartment pick
It suits a renter whose building has variable heat and humidity and who wants to see that at a glance without opening the safe. It is a natural fit for a bedroom closet, a bookcase, or the side of a nightstand.
It is also a good fit for a shared apartment where several people need access, since 100 fingerprints covers a household, a partner, and a couple of trusted friends without turning everyone into the same print.
When a shallow shelf rules it out
It is not one for shallow shelving. The tall, narrow format is the whole point and also the whole limitation, and in a studio with a 12 inch shelf you should choose a flat-laying unit such as the BILLCONCH or the Amazon Basics drawer safe instead.
At 9.5 pounds it is light enough to move but not heavy enough to stop a determined thief on its own, so treat it as a mounted bedside unit rather than a standalone storage anchor.
10. AIRMuch Biometric Safe for 2-3 Handguns: Best for Portability
AIRMuch Biometric Gun Safe for Handguns, Pistol Safe Fits 2-3 Handguns
10.83 x 8.66 x 2.76 inch
2.6 lb
Holds 2-3 handguns
EVA lining, LED and stealth mode
Pros
- Lightest unit in this roundup at 2.6 lb
- easy to move between a drawer
- car or bag
- Fingerprint
- PIN and backup key give three redundant entry methods
- EVA-lined interior reduces scratches and stops contents shifting
- Interior LED and mutable keypad for silent night access
- Includes steel security cable
- USB cable
- 2 screws and key
Cons
- At 2.6 lb it is a portable diversion and theft-deterrent safe
- not a hardened safe
- Fingerprint registration can fail on worn or work-worn fingers
- Not water resistant for vehicle use
Two and a half pounds. That is the whole pitch, and in a studio apartment or a building with a walkup it is a genuinely serious advantage, because you can move the safe yourself at move-in and move-out without arranging help. It also holds two to three handguns in an EVA-lined interior, which is more capacity than its weight suggests.
Access runs through fingerprint, PIN and a backup key, with an interior LED and a mutable keypad for stealthy night access. The included steel security cable lets you tether it to furniture even in a rental. Reviewers report 81 percent five-star ratings across 484 ratings, and the recurring positives are fast fingerprint reads and easy portability.
I want to be blunt about what this is. At 2.6 pounds, anyone can pick it up and walk out. It is a theft deterrent and a secure container when the door of your unit holds, and it is a very good travel, vehicle-adjacent, or drawer-insert safe, but it is not a hardened safe and it is not a standalone anchor. Owners in r/Firearms apartment threads make this same distinction repeatedly, describing cheap biometric boxes as lockers rather than safes.
The second limitation is fingerprint enrollment on worn fingers. Buyers report registration failures with fingers roughened from manual work, which is exactly the population most likely to want a portable gun safe. Enroll two fingers plus your thumb, and keep the PIN as your primary.
When this is the right apartment pick
Choose it when you move often, live in a walkup, or want a second unit that lives in a drawer for a compact pistol. Buyers on r/FLGuns threads suggest adding weight such as a small quantity of ammunition as a stopgap measure, and pairing the cable with a furniture anchor to improve the odds.
It is also a sensible complement to a heavier primary safe, giving you a bedside unit you can carry and a closet unit you cannot.
When this is the wrong apartment pick
Do not make this your only storage. If your unit is ever forced open, a 2.6 pound box is a box that leaves with the burglar, and no lock setting changes that outcome.
It is also indoor-only, so a car trunk or a damp storage locker is the wrong environment, and a small review base means less long-term evidence on electronics than the heavier picks have.
11. KornerBatl Quick Access Biometric Bedside Safe: Best for Shelf Height
KornerBatl Quick Access Biometric Bedside Gun Safe for handgun
7.68 x 3.15 x 15.55 inch
8.2 lb alloy steel
Temperature and humidity LCD
100 prints, USB-C backup
Pros
- Three access methods with capacity for 100 fingerprints
- LCD tracks temperature and humidity
- Drop-down door mounts from side or top to tuck into a nightstand or closet
- USB-C emergency power backup and automatic interior LED
Cons
- Tall vertical format takes more shelf height than wide-format safes
- Smallest review base in this group at 308 ratings
This is a compact drop-down unit that shares the environmental display and mounting flexibility of the HOLEWOR without quite the same height, coming in at 15.55 inches. For a nightstand or a closet shelf with slightly more clearance, that difference is the deciding factor between the two.
The access package is the same shape as the rest of the group: fingerprint, a 4-8 digit passcode, and two backup keys, with up to 100 fingerprints stored. The LCD shows temperature, humidity and battery level, the interior LED comes on automatically, and there is a USB-C emergency power input. Owners report 76 percent five-star ratings and cite the environmental display, three-way access, and flexible mounting as the recurring positives.
At 308 ratings, this is the smallest review base in the group, which means the least public evidence about how the electronics perform after several years of daily use. That is a reason to buy with a plan: register the passcode and keys first, keep the fingerprint as a convenience, and swap batteries on a schedule rather than on failure.
It is also a tall vertical format, so it wants shelf height rather than shelf width. Measure the clearance above the surface you have in mind before ordering, and confirm the door orientation you plan to use actually fits the cavity you are mounting into.
When this is the right apartment pick
It suits a renter who wants temperature and humidity visibility plus flexible mounting in a nightstand or closet, and who does not want to depend on a fingerprint scanner as the only way in.
USB-C emergency power is a small feature that removes a real failure mode, and having it on a box this compact is worth noticing.
When the shelf height rules it out
It is not for shallow shelving. Like the HOLEWOR, the vertical format is the trade-off that makes the mounting options possible, and it costs shelf height in a space where height is scarce.
At 8.2 pounds it is a light-to-moderate unit, so treat it as a mounted bedside box rather than an anti-carry anchor. If carry-away resistance is your priority, move up in weight rather than in feature count.
12. PINEWORLD Biometric Sliding Door Safe: Best Hidden Design
PINEWORLD Biometric Figerprint Handgun Safe with Sliding Door&Keypad&Key
10.12 x 3.53 x 11.81 inch
1000N cable included
Auto-sliding door
50 prints, 50 passcodes, voice nav
Pros
- Auto-sliding door keeps the safe flush and hidden when mounted to a nightstand
- Rated 4.7 with 84 percent five-star
- Fits handguns up to 9.5 inches plus a spare magazine with dense foam padding
- Stores 50 fingerprints and 50 passcodes with voice-guided setup
- Self-locks for 3 minutes after 5 failed attempts plus a low battery warning
- Includes a 1000N steel security cable and mounting bracket
Cons
- Fingerprint enrollment requires eight slightly different positions and can be fiddly to program
- TYPE-C cable is not included for emergency power
- Only two administrators can be set
The sliding door is the reason to pick this one. Instead of swinging or dropping, the door slides, which means the unit sits flush against a nightstand or a shelf front and reads as a panel rather than a box with a handle. In an apartment, where a visible safe is an invitation to test it, that discretion is a genuine feature rather than a gimmick.
Specs are strong elsewhere. Carbon steel with dense foam padding, chamber space for handguns up to 9.5 inches long and 5.9 wide plus a spare magazine, 50 stored fingerprints and 50 passcodes, claimed fingerprint unlock under one second with a failure rate under 0.9 percent, and voice navigation with adjustable volume. The 3-minute self-lock after five failed attempts is a sensible anti-guessing measure. Reviewers report 84 percent five-star ratings and the strongest rating profile in the set.
Two practical notes. Fingerprint enrollment asks for eight slightly different positions of the same finger, which is genuinely fiddly the first time and is the most common thing owners mention. Budget five minutes and register two fingers plus a passcode, and it works. The TYPE-C emergency power cable is not included, so buy one with the safe rather than discovering the gap when the batteries die.
The weight is not stated by the manufacturer, so treat it as a light-to-moderate unit and anchor it rather than trusting mass alone. The included 1000N steel cable is a meaningful accessory, though a cable can be worked around by someone prepared, so a furniture or stud anchor is stronger where your lease allows it.
When this is the right apartment pick
It fits anyone who wants a bedside unit that does not advertise itself, particularly in a shared apartment where guests or building staff pass through. The concealed design and the flush mount are the strongest here.
It is also a good fit if several people need access, since 50 fingerprints and 50 passcodes is more capacity than a small household needs. Note the two-administrator limit if you were planning finer role control.
When you cannot drill anything at all
The 1000N cable and the mounting bracket make it workable, because you can loop the cable through a fixed furniture frame rather than the wall. Just be honest that a cable slows an opportunistic theft and does not stop a prepared one.
If your real requirement is stopping a prepared thief, put your budget toward weight instead. The Grimtron in position six is the same concept executed in 23 pounds of steel, and our long gun safe picks cover what to step up to when you need real capacity.
How to Anchor a Gun Safe Without Drilling an Apartment Floor
In an apartment, the anchor usually matters more than the lock. Here is the order we would work through, strongest first.
1. Lag bolts into a wall stud. The best option available to a renter, and the reason to locate studs before you buy. Use the pre-drilled mounting holes and lag bolts sized to the stud, not drywall anchors, which are decoration. Ask permission first and photograph the wall before you start.
2. Bolted to closet framing or a headboard. Bedroom closet sidewalls and framing are real wood, and a safe screwed to a closet side panel is far harder to walk out with than one sitting loose on the shelf. This is the compromise most apartment owners land on.
3. Furniture anchoring through a supplied or purchased bolt kit. A nightstand with solid construction can be bolted through from above. Confirm the panel is solid wood or thick particle board, because the wood screws that ship with several safes are not adequate fasteners in press board.
4. A rated security cable looped through fixed furniture. The floor fallback when nothing can be drilled. It slows a casual grab and it deters opportunistic theft. It does not stop an attacker with the right tools and time, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you a cable.
5. Weight alone. Where nothing else is allowed, weight is your only layer. This is why the 23 pound Grimtron appears in this roundup, and why forum discussions on r/WAGuns and r/CAguns repeatedly conclude that the honest options in a small apartment are a smaller manageable unit bolted where possible, or a heavier one you accept you may not be able to move out alone.
What does not work is construction adhesive. A safe glued to a floor is a safe that can be kicked over, and a safe glued to drywall is a safe attached to paper.
How Heavy Is Too Heavy for an Apartment Floor?
Residential living-area floors are typically designed for a live load of roughly 40 pounds per square foot, which is a design figure for people and furniture, not a permission slip to concentrate several hundred pounds in one spot. A gun safe, unlike a sofa, concentrates its entire mass in a small footprint, so the question is really about structure, not arithmetic.
Residential floors are engineered around joists running between bearing walls. A heavy safe placed over a joist is a much better idea than one placed in the middle of a span, and placing a safe against or near a bearing wall is better still. In a concrete high-rise, the load path runs through the slab to columns, which is why the placement advice differs between a wood-framed low-rise and a concrete tower.
Practically, a 20 to 30 pound handgun safe in a closet or against a wall is not a structural concern in any normal residential building. A several-hundred-pound safe is a different conversation, and it is one to have with your building management rather than to assume. If you want our short version: weight up to about 30 pounds is a non-issue, beyond that you should be near a bearing wall, and beyond a few hundred pounds you should be asking questions in writing.
Never Drill a Post-Tension Concrete Slab
High-rise concrete floors are often post-tensioned, which means steel tendons are tensioned through the slab to hold it up. Drilling into one can release that tension and cause severe structural damage, and in the worst cases the consequences extend well beyond the unit you are in.
This is not a theoretical caution and it is not covered by your lease. Treat any post-tension slab as undrillable, and treat “can I drill into a concrete floor in a high rise” as a question for your building management or the structural drawings for the unit, not for a forum. Where you cannot confirm the slab type, do not drill. Mount to a wall, anchor to closet framing, or use weight and a cable instead.
Biometric, Keypad or Mechanical Lock: What Actually Works at 3am
Biometric scanners are the most requested feature in this category and the most common source of disappointment. The honest version: a fingerprint reader is fast and convenient when it works, and it fails more often than a keypad on cold, dry, wet, dirty, or callused fingers, which is a meaningful list of conditions at 3am in an apartment.
A digital keypad has its own failure mode, which is batteries. Every model here is battery powered with no plug-in option, so battery life is a maintenance schedule, not a set-and-forget. Several models in this roundup added a USB-C emergency power port for exactly this reason, and that is the feature to prioritize over a second unlock method.
A mechanical combination or barrel-key lock needs no power at all, which is why it still has a place in a bedroom unit. Its cost is speed and, in the dark, usability. If you pick a mechanical lock, test it in a dark room before you rely on it, and keep the code or key somewhere other than inside the safe.
Our practical rule: register two fingers and one passcode on any biometric unit, and treat the mechanical method as the guaranteed path rather than the emergency one. A backup key stored inside the safe is not a backup at all.
What Size Gun Safe Fits an Apartment, and Where to Put It
Size is a floor-space question before it is a product question. In a unit under about 700 square feet, the closet-first heuristic works well: put the long-term safe on a closet floor or a low shelf, and put a separate small quick-access unit at the bedside.
Measure the cavity, not the shelf. Check the depth from the front face, the height between shelves, and the clearance for the door or drawer to open, whether by dropping, sliding, or hinging. Then check the fitment of your actual handgun, including optics and light, before you commit to a model.
Two-gun versus single-gun is worth deciding early. If you own one pistol, a slim drawer or single-gun unit is the right size and buying extra capacity only adds weight you must move. If you are a couple or a household with several pistols, the four-gun units avoid stacking three small boxes on one shelf.
A good all-round starting footprint is a unit roughly 10 inches deep and under 3 inches tall for a shelf, or a vertical unit 3 to 4 inches wide and 12 to 15 inches tall for a nightstand. Both fit the vast majority of apartment furniture, and both are in this roundup.
Quiet Opening for Thin-Walled Apartments
Noise in a rental is a courtesy and a safety issue, because a clattering drawer at 3am tells a neighbour something is wrong and tells anyone listening exactly where to look. Two features help: silent or stealth mode on the keypad and lock alerts, and a smoother opening motion.
Slide and drawer-on-rail mechanisms are generally quieter than a hinged drop-down door with no damping. Among these picks, the LANGGER V slider has both silent mode and a slide-out drawer, and the PINEWORLD sliding door stays flush and quiet by design. The BILLCONCH flat-lay unit is also moderate, and the RPNB wall-mounted model is loud by comparison because of its auto-open drawer and audible alarm.
If you share walls, a unit with silent mode is worth more than a unit with a marginally better fingerprint reader. That trade is worth making every time in an apartment.
Fire, Sprinklers and Renters Insurance in an Apartment Building
Fire is the one threat model an apartment makes worse, not better. In a single-family house, a fire is your problem. In a multi-unit building, it starts somewhere else and reaches you, and sprinklers mean water arrives whether or not the room is fully involved. None of the twelve safes in this roundup carries a stated fire rating.
If fire protection is part of your decision, buy a safe with a UL-listed fire rating and a heat-activated seal, and keep documents in a separate fireproof pouch inside it. A firearm is replaceable insurance-wise; a passport, a birth certificate, and a will are not. Many owners in the ownership communities make the same point, and it is the right priority order.
On insurance, renters insurance policies commonly contain a firearm sub-limit, which is a per-firearm dollar cap far below the cost of replacing the firearm, and theft coverage generally requires the safe to be bolted down. Read your declarations page rather than assuming coverage, and ask your agent directly whether theft of a bolted firearm safe is covered and at what limit.
What to Ask Your Landlord in Writing
Most leases do not prohibit attaching things to walls, and landlords do often grant permission when asked in advance. The failure mode is not refusal, it is silence followed by a deposit deduction. So ask, in writing, before you buy anything.
Ask four things: permission to screw into wall studs or closet framing, whether anchor points may be used, what patching and repainting at move-out you will cover, and whether you need a certificate of insurance naming the property. Then offer to patch and paint the holes yourself at move-out, which removes the most common objection.
Keep the answer by email. When you drill, photograph the wall first and again after patching. A renter in r/AusProperty who asked in advance was granted permission, and the recurring theme in r/MDGuns discussions is that patch-and-paint is the accepted norm rather than a negotiation.
Getting the Safe Into the Unit and Back Out Again
Measure your path before you order, not after. For an elevator, the constraint that bites is usually the door width combined with the interior depth of the car, so check the narrowest turn on the route and its diagonal, not just the door opening.
For a walkup, count flights and turns and work out who is helping. Two people can move roughly anything below about 200 pounds with effort; past that a hand truck is needed, and past several hundred pounds you are looking at professional movers. Reserve a freight elevator if your building has one, and expect buildings to ask for a certificate of insurance and a move-in time window.
Protect the route. Cardboard and moving blankets on the threshold and along the hallway prevent the scratches that turn a delivery into a security deposit issue. On move-out, budget time for unbolting, patching, and repainting, because that is the cost people forget until the last week of the lease.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best gun safe for an apartment?
The best gun safe for an apartment is one that is heavy enough or well anchored that it cannot simply be carried out, small enough for a closet or nightstand, and quiet enough not to disturb thin walls. For most renters, that means a 10 to 25 pound handgun safe with pre-drilled mounting holes, bolted to a wall stud or closet framing. The Amazon Basics slim drawer safe suits bolt-to-furniture setups, while the Grimtron at 23 pounds covers renters who cannot drill at all.
Can you keep a gun safe in an apartment?
Yes, in most units a handgun safe is a normal, permitted item. What matters is the lease rather than the building rules, so check for restrictions on drilling or wall attachments and ask your landlord in writing before you anchor anything. Firearms must be stored locked and unloaded with ammunition stored separately, and some states have additional safe storage requirements you should confirm.
How do you secure a gun safe in an apartment without drilling the floor?
Work down a ladder of options. Lag bolts into a wall stud are best if you have permission, then bolting to bedroom closet framing or a solid nightstand panel, then a rated security cable looped through fixed furniture, and finally weight alone. Construction adhesive does not work as an anchor. Choose a heavier model in the 20 to 30 pound range if you cannot drill anything, since mass is your only remaining layer.
Will a gun safe be too heavy for an apartment floor?
A handgun safe in the 10 to 30 pound range is not a structural concern in a normal residential building, which is designed for a live load of roughly 40 pounds per square foot. Because a safe concentrates that mass in a small footprint, place it over a joist or against a bearing wall rather than in the middle of a span. For safes weighing several hundred pounds, ask building management before you order.
Can I drill into a concrete floor in a high rise?
Not without confirming what the slab is. Post-tensioned concrete floors contain tensioned steel tendons, and drilling one can release that tension and cause severe structural damage. Treat any post-tension slab as undrillable, confirm the construction with building management or the unit structural drawings, and mount to a wall, anchor to closet framing, or rely on weight and a cable instead.
Does renters insurance cover firearms in a safe?
Often only partially. Renters policies commonly include a firearm sub-limit that is a per-gun dollar cap well below replacement cost, and theft coverage usually requires the safe to be bolted down rather than sitting loose. Read the declarations page for the sub-limit and ask your agent whether theft of a bolted firearm safe is covered, and keep a separate inventory with serial numbers and receipts.
Final Thoughts on the Best Gun Safes for Apartments in 2026
If you want one answer, take the Amazon Basics slim drawer safe and bolt it to a desk, nightstand, or dresser. It is the most reviewed unit in this roundup at 48039 ratings, it disappears into furniture rather than advertising itself, and mounting it inside a drawer solves the carry-away problem that matters most in a rental.
For a slightly different set of constraints, the ONNAIS Iron SE is the value pick for a studio, the BILLCONCH stores two pistols on a low shelf, the RPNB bedside model is the one with a certification mark, and the Grimtron is the answer for anyone who cannot drill and needs weight instead. Quiet sleepers should look at the LANGGER V slider or the PINEWORLD sliding door.
Whatever you choose, the product is the smaller half of the decision. Ask your landlord in writing, anchor to a stud or closet frame, keep the mechanical backup outside the safe, and measure the stairwell before a 23 pound box arrives. Those four steps do more for your security than any specification on a product page, and they are the steps that let you sleep in an apartment with a gun in it.
