SnapSafe Trunk Safe Review

SnapSafe was acquired by Hornady from former owner Tom Delattre in December 2015. SnapSafe built a solid reputation for its modular safes designed to be delivered directly to your home and then assembled in minutes. Featuring 9-­gauge-­thick steel exterior walls and 3/4-­inch chrome steel locking bolts, SnapSafe advertised their products as having the security of a welded safe, but with the ease of mobility. Hornady has continued that business model and expanded their potential customer base.

SnapSafe currently offers a variety of safe sizes, organizers and gun racks. Today, they also offer lock boxes, vault doors and auxiliary safes such as those located under a bed, inside a wall or in the trunk of a vehicle.

The Trunk Safe was designed to offer storage for valuable belongings (not just guns), keeping them out of sight while offering easy access. The sample sent to Guns & Ammo for evaluation presented generous storage capacity for tools, firearms and equipment, and would be great for transporting sensitive documents and more. This is inherent theft protection for a car trunk, an SUV, under a back seat in a truck, in an RV or even your home. Heavy duty 14-­gauge steel makes the Trunk Safe’s exterior box shape complete with a 7-­gauge steel door. The safe door features internal hinges and gas shocks that provide smooth and safe operation.

This Trunk Safe also features a digital lock with a key backup. The digital lock was easily programmed, and you can use an access code ranging three to eight digits. A three digit code is faster to access, but the difference in adding additional security with an extra digit was measurable: .2 seconds on average for each digit. Once the access code is accepted or the backup key is turned, the user has to rotate a knob counterclockwise to open the lid.

The door is pry resistant meaning that unauthorized users are deterred from gaining access. This is not to say that someone determined to access your trunk and remove the safe wouldn’t be able to, but these features increase the time and difficulty that a would-­be thief might not have the time or patience for.

Included with the Trunk Safe is a 3-­foot, 1,500-­pound-­rated cable for added security when anchored to a stationary object. A nut secures the cable to the interior of the safe after threading the cable’s loop through an anchor point such as a trunk’s spare tire mount. For permanent installation in your vehicle or home, there are pre-­drilled bolt holes available for mounting at the bottom.

The Trunk Safe weighs 89 pounds, requiring most of us to find a partner to lift it into a trunk space. It’s weight is also a theft deterrent factor, as this weight doesn’t include an 8-­ to 10-­pound rifle plus ammunition and magazines. However, there are foam-­cushioned, spring-­loaded handles at the side to make lifting more comfortable. The springs minimize vibrations and noise during transport.

SnapSafe’s Trunk Safe is said to be sized to fit most vehicle trunks. Interestingly, we found that it perfectly fit inside the deep trunk well of a 1997-­2011 Ford Crown Victoria, which made us think that the safe was developed for similar police cruisers.

At the range, the Trunk Safe proved easy to access several times. Starting from the driver’s seat with both hands on the wheel, at the sound of a timer’s buzzer, I opened the trunk remotely, evacuated the vehicle using it as cover and accessed the safe. I made ready and fired one round on target, requiring 8 seconds. 

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SnapSafe Trunk Safe

• Materials: Steel
• Carry Type: Storage, secure
• Security Type: Digital locking; mechanical bolts; cable lock; keys
• MSRP: $320
• Firearm Fit: Up to a 40-in. overall length and 6.5-in. height.
• Accessory Accommodations: Yes
• Locations to Carry: Vehicle trunk, SUV cargo area or at home
• Average Time to Access: 3 sec.
• Convenience Rating: 5/5
• Weight (Empty): 89 lbs.
• Average Draw-to-Fire Time: 8 seconds*
• Manufacturer: SnapSafe, 877-214-4470, snapsafe.com

*Draw-to-fire time is the average of five shots from a closed car trunk starting from a sitting position in a driver’s seat that resulted in an A-zone hit on a stationary target positioned at 50 yards.