For a quick-access rifle safe, I wanted a mechanical combination safe that would allow me to conveniently take my rifle out on a regular basis. I also needed the safe to be secure yet light enough to mount against a wall or behind a door.
The biggest feature I require from a quick-access gun safe is it must operate using a mechanical combination locking system. While many electronic gun safes are arguably faster and as reliable as a mechanical combination safes, I avoid relying on untested electronics for emergency access to my firearms. As stated in my Shotlock 200M review, I use electronic safes but only to secure ammunition.
When searching for quick-access long gun safes, I was surprised to find how few options fit my criteria. There were very few quick access safes meant for a single rifle, and many safes designed for shotguns were too narrow to store carbines loaded with a magazine.
I eventually took a chance on the V-Line 31242-SA Quick Access Keyless Gun Safe. A 16 gauge steel box designed to secure and fully enclose a carbine rifle, the V-Line 31242-SA uses a quick-access Simplex combination lock and a pair of tube key locks to secure its contents.
I value the V-Line 31252-SA for its straightforward and efficient design, and it currently secures my main rifle from unauthorized access. I was able to mount the safe inside my closet which adds another layer of security while being close in unlikely case of a home invasion.
Review
Overall, the V-Line 31242-SA fits my criteria very well: A dedicated main rifle safe with a Simplex combination locking mechanism.
It is great for ready access and storage, and it makes trips to the range faster and less of a hassle when assembling my range bag. My main concern is securing the rifle from guests and visiting family members (niece and nephews), and the V-Line 31242-SA does an excellent job of barring access and remaining discrete.
The V-Line 31242-SA fully encloses a rifle with a 16 gauge steel box using a hinged door. When shut and locked, items are inaccessible and it is impossible to pry the door open. It would be easier to rip the safe off the wall, but even then, its contents would still be inaccessible.
I keep the safe in mounted in my closet where I can keep the safe out of sight, and if needed, I can also lock the closet door. The V-Line 31242 SA can also be mounted behind a door, and it could theoretically be stored flat under a bed. Convenient, fast access is central to the V-Line 31242’s design and construction.
The locking system is simple and fast. The Simplex system takes a little bit of getting used to, but combinations are easy to remember and fast to deploy. With practice, the correct combination can be entered in the dark.
It takes me about two seconds to dial in my combination, turn the door knob, and open the door. I enjoy knowing the mechanical mechanism will work as long as I remember my code.
The V-Line 31242-SA isn’t sealed or fireproof so it cannot protect its contents during a fire or flood, and it isn’t designed for longterm cold storage. The V-Line 31242-SA is commercially registered as a safe and not as a firearm safety device. While it functions as an excellent rifle safe, it unfortunately does not qualify as a California DOJ-compliant firearm safety device.
What Can It Store?
The V-Line 31242-SA’s interior dimensions measure 40.5 x 11 x 3 inches (102.87 x 27.94 x 7.62 cm). With 40 inches in length, the safe can accommodate most carbine and full-length rifles. With 11 inches of width, the safe can also accommodate most rifles loaded even when loaded with a protruding magazine.
The V-Line 31242-SA is designed to store a rifle with a magazine, optic, and tactical light. The safe can secure one rifle with one or two spare magazines in both horizontal and vertical configurations. The safe includes an internal strap that prevents rifles from tipping out when opening the safe door.
This strap prevents uses dual velcro straps which simply release when pulling the rifle out from the safe. The safe also has enough “shelf space” for extra magazines to lay flat on the “floor” of the safe.
The interior is lined with foam padding against the entire back wall to protect the rifle and safe from scratching each other. While not designed to absorb shock or impact, the foam padding also prevents rifles from sliding around inside the safe.
The safe also ships with a moisture-absorbing desiccant pad that adheres to the inside of the door.
Since the V-Line 31242-SA is made entirely out of metal, magnetic hooks and anchors can be attached inside the door or inside any of the safe walls. This includes additional desiccant strips to replace the desiccant included with purchase of the safe.
Exterior Dimensions and Weight
The V-Line 31242-SA’s exterior dimensions measure 42 x 12 x 3.5 inches (106 x 49 x 16 cm); the safe weighs 10.91 lbs (4.95 kg) empty. Built using 16 gauge steel, the V-Line 31242-SA fully encloses stored guns behind a pry-resistant steel door.
The V-Line 31242-SA is relatively lightweight and lightly constructed when compared to a full-sized gun safe with the V-Line trading heft for the ability to mount the safe just about anywhere. It is often mounted inside closets and behind door and is slim enough to be obscured and hidden from view by a bundle of hanging pants or jackets.
The back wall of the safe contains pre-punched mounting holes. There are 1/4″ anchor holes which can be slot-hooked onto a pair of level screws, and there are additional holes for securing the safe to a wall stud.
The safe door uses a turnkey latch. When unlocked, the latch can be turned clockwise, and the door-mounted latching mechanism will release a set of tabs that lock into the housing. To lock the safe, simply switch the turnkey latch counterclockwise while the door is shut.
Tube key locks are located at the top and bottom of the door; these locks can be secured with a tube key for extra security. Because the door is relatively long/tall, the corner locks prevent any chance of prying the door from the corners.
The process of forcing one’s way into the safe would require a considerable amount of brute force even when using tools such as a crowbar or a prybar. To gain access to its contents, the entire unit would have to be demolished which would be loud, time-consuming, and would potentially damage/destroy the safe contents.
Combination Locking Mechanism
The Simplex lock is entirely mechanical with no need for batteries or power of any kind. It does not utilize a key backup, so if the combination is lost or forgotten, the contents of the safe will not be accessible without a customer service call to V-Line. V-Line includes a serial number along with product-registration instructions to gain access to a specific safe without a combination.
The Simplex locking mechanism is a 5-button combination lock built into the door which accepts a programmed combination code. The locking mechanism itself secures the door to the housing with locking tabs, and combinations can be set when the door is open. Using the Simplex lock system, up to 1081 possible combinations can be set. Combination sequences use both single and multiple button presses (IE 1, or 1+2).
The combination buttons are large and tactile enough to operate in the dark. The buttons themselves are a little mushy but they register with a crisp “break” point when they are fully depressed. I can dial-in a combination and open the safe in roughly 1 second.
The turnkey latch is also generates a crisp “break” point when the latch is engaged and disengaged. If the wrong combination is partly entered, turn the latch counter-clockwise to reset the sequence and try again.
Pros
| + Fully mechanical, no batteries required. |
| + Flanged pry-resistant lid. |
| + Tube key locks to secure door. |
| + 16 gauge steel construction with durable, anti-scratch, and anti-corrosion finish. |
| + Strap to secure muzzle to prevent firearm from tipping out when the safe door is opened. |
| + Pre-punched mounting holes for slot hooks and screws. |
| + Adhesive desiccant strip is included. |
Cons
| + Unsealed design: Not waterproof or fireproof, not designed for long-term storage. |
| + Registered as a safe and not a firearm safety device: Not California DOJ compliant. |
Where to Buy and Pricing
I purchased the V-Line 31242-SA for $349.99 from Amazon, and the same item is currently listed for the same price.
The V-Line 31242-SA can be purchased from Amazon here.
The V-Line 31242-SA works great for a single rifle, built for quick, convenient, secure access and storage. The combination system is easy and fast to use while the safe will bar unauthorized access to your rifle. It works well as a companion to a larger, free-standing safe. In addition to its quick-access design, the V-Line 31242-SA has the benefit of being mounted where a freestanding safe can’t be placed.
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