The SecureIt HG-02 Pistol Case offers secure handgun storage which can be mounted in a variety of locations throughout the home to provide quick and reliable access. Available for $129 at the time of this writing, it presents a good value for the money.
Background
I have been searching for an American-made two-handgun lockbox for a while now. So when I ran across the SecureIt HG-02 Pistol Case, I was quite interested. I requested a sample from SecureIt for testing and evaluation, and they were kind enough to provide one. Before long, FedEx delivered a package to my doorstep.
First Impressions
The HG-02 was shipped in its product box with no additional packaging. The box was not sealed, and could be opened just by lifting a cardboard flap. The HG-02 was nestled securely in the box, with foam caps on both ends. By coincidence, the HG-02 has almost the exact same outside dimensions as the case for the Taurus TH9 that I was testing at the time. So when I returned the TH9 to Taurus, I was able to re-purpose the HG-02 product box in order to ship the TH9 in its case.
But back to the HG-02. After I removed it from the product box, I used the provided key to open the case. Inside I found a bag containing instructions and mounting screws. The simple instructions were printed on one side of a standard 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper.
The case operates on 4 AA batteries. Battery installation was simple, as was setting the five digit code for the keypad. The physical key offers an alternate method of accessing the case if an EMP event, dead batteries, or some other factor should interfere with using the keypad to open the case.
The case has an interior light that turns on when the case is opened. The light is set at a slightly more useful angle than is typical for the lights of many other small handgun lockboxes. I wonder if a red LED might be a better lighting option for the case than the white LED with which it comes equipped, since a red LED would not impair night vision as much as the white LED.
The 6.5 x 12 x 3 inch internal dimensions of the case provide adequate space to store two full-sized handguns along with a couple of extra magazines.
The pre-drilled holes in the case allow for it to be mounted securely in a variety of locations. This provides a great deal of flexibility in allowing handgun storage to be provided in the areas where a handgun is most likely to be needed in a critical situation.
Where Was It Made?
I was somehow under the impression that the HG-02 was manufactured in the United States. When it was delivered, I expected to find American flags and the words, “Made in USA” emblazoned on the product box and on the case. Instead, there was no clue as to place of manufacture on either the packaging or the case. I found this lack of information about the origin of the case to be ominous.
I sent a message to my contact at SecureIt asking them to confirm the place of manufacture. My suspicions were confirmed when they indicated that the cases are currently manufactured in mainland China. They did indicate that SecureIt is actively working to relocate the production of these cases elsewhere. When I inquired about to where they hoped to relocate their manufacturing, they were uncertain, and indicated that they would need to inquire with the operations team. Two months later, an answer was still not forthcoming. Perhaps the arrangements are at a critical phase, during which SecureIt is not at liberty to divulge the details of their plans. Perhaps their relocation hopes have been dashed, and they are too embarrassed to share the bad news. Perhaps they simply got busy and forgot about my inquiry. In any case, I still don’t know where this product will be manufactured in the long term.
Now I am wondering where I received the impression in the first place that this handgun lockbox is manufactured in the United States. There is nothing misleading in the description of the lockbox on the SecureIt website. It is possible that a third party vendor misrepresented the product online, and that I then requested a sample without doing sufficient research to verify the claims of the third-party vendor.
My quest for an American-made two-handgun-lockbox continues.
Testing
Over the course of two months of testing, I opened the HG-02 an average of more than once a day. I opened it in the morning when I first got up. I opened it in the evening when I was tired. I opened it in the middle of the night when I was half asleep. I opened it with dirty fingers. It functioned simply and effectively with monotonous consistency and 100% reliability.
I found the HG-02 to be useful for the safe storage of much more than just handguns. Our daughter invited a number of college friends and their families to come and visit. Since her house is smaller than ours, we traded houses for a week. There would be seven adults accompanied by seven children aged 8 years old and under staying at our house. I had a large revolver and a bolt action rifle on hand that would not fit in my gun safe. I wanted to secure those firearms safely so that no tragedy would take place while guests were staying in our home. I removed the cylinder from the revolver and the bolt from the rifle, and secured them in the HG-02. This safely incapacitated the two firearms without the need to lock up the remaining parts.
Children, Thieves, Fire and Water
Firearms safes, vaults, lockboxes, cases, and other secure storage solutions are designed to protect firearms from one or more of four primary threats: children, thieves, fire, and water.
I am primarily interested in the first of these four potential threats. I do not want my grandchildren or any other individuals who are not yet properly trained in safe firearm handling to tragically harm themselves or someone else through the misuse of a firearm in my home. Children are naturally inquisitive, and do not always fully understand the consequences of their actions. As a result, I seek to secure my firearms in a way that prevents children from gaining access to them.
Thieves are another potential threat related to our firearms. If a thief should enter my home, I don’t want to make it easy for him to make off with my firearms. Storage designed to hinder theft should make it difficult for the potential thief to open the storage container, or carry it away for opening at his leisure. A small and relatively light container like the HG-02 should be secured to a structural member with sturdy screws or a cable to prevent it from being carried off. Larger and heavier storage containers should also be secured to the structure, although they are more difficult to just carry off.
Many firearm storage containers are designed to protect their contents from fire. They often seek to achieve this end by placing layers of concrete or drywall between the outer shell and the inner liner of the container. This also helps to make the container heavier, making it more difficult for a thief to carry away.
This brings me to the last major threat against which storage containers are designed to protect. The problem with concrete and drywall layers to protect from fire is that these layers tend to attract moisture and release it into the inner compartment of the storage container. This was vividly illustrated to me 40 years ago when I bought a fireproof container to protect my valuable papers. I soon had a problem with my valuable papers becoming mildewed in the humidity of the container. I needed to add netting bags holding rice to the container in order to help absorb the moisture and prevent my papers from being ruined.
As a result of that experience, I completely abandoned fire protection as a goal for my firearms storage containers, and prioritized the other three goals.
SecureIt History
In 2001, SecureIt CEO Tom Kubiniec began providing organized and efficient weapon storage systems to the U.S. Army Special Forces Command. SecureIt eventually became the largest weapon storage supplier to the U.S. military.
Eventually, SecureIt began offering products on the civilian market as well, with a focus on systems for safely securing firearms while keeping them accessible where and when they are needed.
Conclusions
I found the SecureIt HG-02 to be a versatile and reliable handgun storage lockbox. It provides an effective and reasonably priced solution for someone who would like place secure handgun storage at a number of key locations throughout their home.
Disclaimer
SecureIt was kind enough to provide me with a sample of their HG-02 Pistol Case for testing and evaluation. I tried not to let their kindness interfere with the objectivity of my review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.