Massad Ayoob — Founder, Massad Ayoob Group · Retired Police Captain · Expert Witness on use of force · Review date: October 31, 2026
Chris Raper — Retired North Carolina law enforcement (40+ years) · U.S. Air Force Security Police · NRA-certified Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun Instructor · NC DOJ-certified Concealed Carry Instructor · Founder, Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. (Elm City, NC, 2006)In addition to my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week, this guide was reviewed by Massad Ayoob of Massad Ayoob Group, whose opinion appears below. [Keep only if true — Chris: I handled the product(s) on this page myself. Details are in the test record at the end.] The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
I hear it in class every few months: “I don’t have room for a gun safe.” Usually it’s somebody in an apartment or a small starter house with one shotgun or one deer rifle leaning in a bedroom closet. My answer is that you don’t need a room for a safe. You need about four inches of wall.
That’s the idea behind the Langger Compact Biometric Long Gun Safe. It’s a narrow steel cabinet that hangs on a wall or tucks behind a door, with three ways in.
My verdict: a fair-priced, slim cabinet for one or two long guns, worth it if your longest gun comes in under 43 inches and you’ll screw the thing into studs.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Specs from the manufacturer listing · owner feedback summarized and labelled · hands-on test notes being added · How we review
Langger Compact Biometric Long Gun Safe – Best Slim Wall-Mount Rifle Safe Under $200
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, six-button keypad and key on a cabinet under 4 inches deep that hangs on a wall or lies flat on the floor.
OUT OF THE BOX:
Langger’s listing says the box holds the safe, a mounting screw set, two backup keys and the manual. In the photos you can see the cabinet lying in its shipping carton wrapped in plastic, and another shot with a sheet of white foam laid over the top before anything comes out.
Lay it out somewhere flat and look the finish over for shipping dents before you do anything else. Open and close the door a few times. Then count the keys and decide right then where each one is going to live. Langger lists the model number as MHG021 and mentions a three-year warranty if you register the product, so write that number down with your receipt and read the warranty terms before you lean on them.
KEYPAD & FINGERPRINT READER:
Everything you touch is on the front edge of the door: a strip of buttons running down the left side and a recessed pull handle beside it. In the photos you can see that strip lit up green in low light, and at night that matters. Langger lists a backlit six-button keypad and makes the point that six buttons are harder to guess than four. That’s fair, as long as you don’t pick your birthday or 1-2-3-4.
The listing also says that after three wrong entries the safe beeps and won’t take a PIN code. That’s good for keeping a curious teenager out. It’s bad if you fumble the code at 3 a.m., so practice until your fingers know it without you.
The seller calls the fingerprint reader a 508 DPI semiconductor sensor, but doesn’t say how many prints it stores. The close-up shows a hand coming in with a finger on the reader at the top of the strip, right beside the handle. That’s how you want your hand to land: one motion, read and pull. I teach the same trick for every biometric safe. Enroll the same finger several times at different angles, flat, tipped up and rolled a little to each side, because half asleep your hand doesn’t land the way it did at the kitchen table.
BACKUP KEY & SILENT MODE:
Two backup keys come in the box, per Langger. The close-up shows the keys lying right beside the lit keypad. That’s a fine spot for a photo and a terrible spot for a key.
I say it in every class: the key does not live on top of the safe, in the closet with it, or anywhere a child can find it. One goes on your key ring. The other goes in a second locked spot away from the safe. The key is also your way in when the batteries die or a finger won’t read, so try it once before you need it.
Langger lists a silent mode that turns the beeps off. In a bedroom that’s worth having. Just know you lose the beep that tells you the code went in, so practice with the lights off before you trust it.
INSIDE ROOM:
Langger says the cabinet holds two guns up to 43 inches long, with or without scopes, plus handguns and accessories, and lists 3 cubic feet of space. The outside is 43.3 inches tall. That leaves next to no slack over the 43-inch figure, so measure your longest gun with the optic, muzzle device and sling swivels on.
In the top photo you can see a tan rifle standing upright in the open cabinet. Another shot shows the cabinet lying on its back with the door open, a fabric panel with pockets on the back wall and the manual sitting in the bottom.
Depth is the real limit. The cabinet is only about 4 inches deep on the outside, and the steel and door take some of that. A wide stock, a bipod, a big scope turret or a magazine hanging out the bottom can all keep the door from closing. Langger mentions removable shelves for different setups but doesn’t list interior measurements, so if you run anything bulky, I’d ask the seller for the inside depth before ordering.
BUILD & STEEL:
The seller lists 16-gauge carbon steel with a finish meant to resist corrosion, at about 38 pounds. The close-up shows the flat black finish on the cabinet. No bolt count, pry-resistance standard or independent security rating is listed, and I won’t pretend there is one.
As an old lawman, here’s how I size it up. A light steel cabinet like this keeps out kids, visitors and the quick grab-and-go thief. It won’t stop a man with time and a pry bar. That’s fair for a cabinet at this price, as long as you know which job it’s doing.
The listing also says plainly that this isn’t a water-resistant product. Keep it out of damp garages and basements. A closet inside the house is a better home.
POWER:
The fingerprint reader and backlit keypad are electronic, and Langger doesn’t list the battery type, the battery count or any outside power option. Find out when you open the box, and make sure you can get to the battery compartment once the cabinet is on the wall. Keep spares outside the safe, and put a reminder on your phone to check it on the first of every month. A dead keypad at 3 a.m. leaves you hunting for the key.
MOUNTING & PLACEMENT:
This is a wall-mount cabinet, and a mounting screw set comes in the box. In the photos you can see it hung on a wall up off the floor beside a chair, and another shot with it mounted higher with a backpack sitting underneath.
At 38 pounds, this cabinet can be carried off or pulled over if it isn’t fastened down. Find the studs before you drill, use fasteners made for your wall, and check for wires and pipes first. Screws in drywall alone are a speed bump, not a mount. The seller also says it can lie flat on the floor, and one photo shows it sitting closed that way on a wood floor. If you go that route, I’d still fasten it to something solid. The seller suggests a vehicle as one more spot too, and laws on guns in vehicles vary by state, so check yours first.
If you have children in the house, this part isn’t optional. North Carolina’s safe-storage law (G.S. 14-315.1) can put you in court if a child gets hold of a loaded gun you left within reach and something happens with it. Other states have their own versions.
SIZE CHECK:
Standing closed in a room corner, you get a feel for how little floor it takes. Langger lists it at 13.8 inches wide and 43.3 inches tall, so it fits behind a bedroom door or on the end wall of a closet. Before you drill, open the door and make sure it swings clear of the door frame and anything hanging nearby.
I practice opening any quick-access safe the way I teach students to practice a draw: lights off, five times in a row. If you can’t do it smooth in the dark, it’s in the wrong spot or set up wrong.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The Langger Compact Biometric Long Gun Safe is more durable than flimsy locker-style safes at this price, the fingerprint reader is quick and accurate once set up, manufacturer support is responsive, and it discreetly holds a compact long gun.
Where it falls short: Mounting holes are only on the top and bottom, not the sides, which makes wall-mounting between studs awkward. The lock can fail to open if the safe is laid on its side instead of upright, and the included wall anchors feel weak.
Who it’s for: A compact, budget-friendly safe for one long gun mounted upright. Flexible mounting orientation and heavy-duty theft resistance are not its strengths.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Two numbers: the 43-inch gun limit inside a 43.3-inch cabinet, and a depth under 4 inches. Measure both against your gun before you order. Past that, there’s no fire rating, no published security rating and no battery detail. And the seller’s count is one or two long guns, so it won’t grow with a collection.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you have one or two plain long guns, a stud in the right place in a closet or bedroom, and you want quick, quiet access without paying for a full cabinet. At the time of writing it sat in the $100 to $200 range. Skip it if you’re adding guns soon, you need fire protection, or you run a scoped rifle with a bipod. Step up to a bigger cabinet for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Langger lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 3.94″ deep x 13.8″ wide x 43.3″ high |
| Capacity | 3 cubic feet, 2 guns up to 43″ long |
| Ways in | Fingerprint (508 DPI sensor), 6-button backlit keypad, key |
| Body | 16-gauge carbon steel |
| Weight | 38 lb |
| Mounting | Wall mount, or lying flat on the floor; screw set included |
| In the box | Safe, mounting screws, 2 backup keys, manual |
| Model / warranty | MHG021; three years if registered |
| Not listed | Fire rating, print capacity, battery type |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Three ways in: fingerprint, keypad code and key
- Under 4 inches deep, so it fits a closet wall or behind a door
- Six-button backlit keypad with silent mode and a lockout after three wrong codes
- Two backup keys and mounting screws in the box
Cons
- 43-inch gun limit leaves almost no slack, and depth is tight
- Light at 38 pounds, so it has to go into studs
- No fire rating, security rating or battery details listed
$199.00 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Need room for more than two long guns? See my best gun safe picks.
Hands-on test record
Protocol prepared for Chris. Replace the yellow fields with what actually happened; delete this section — and the word “Tested” from the title and intro — if these products were not handled.
| Who tested | Chris Raper, NRA-certified instructor |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 31, 2026 |
| Products on this page | Langger Compact Biometric Long Gun Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Mount the cabinet into studs on a wall, as the manual directs,, then open it repeatedly by every entry method it offers (fingerprint, the six-button keypad, then the key), with silent mode on and off,, including once in a dark room and once with the main batteries pulled. Load your own long guns, scoped and unscoped, and note which ones fit and come out cleanly. |
| To measure | Record dark-room open time per entry method, noise with silent mode on, real long-gun capacity with your guns versus the listed number, and interior height and depth against the spec. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
Langger Compact Biometric Long Gun Safe FAQ
How many guns does the Langger compact safe hold?
Langger lists it for one or two rifles or shotguns up to 43 inches long, plus handguns and accessories. If you own more than that, look at a larger cabinet.
Will a scoped rifle fit in the Langger compact safe?
The seller says it takes guns up to 43 inches with or without scopes, but the outside is only 43.3 inches tall and about 4 inches deep. Measure your rifle’s length and its thickest point with the optic on before you buy.
What happens if the Langger safe’s batteries die?
Use one of the two backup keys. The listing doesn’t name the battery type, so check the manual, keep spares outside the safe and keep the key away from it.
Can the Langger compact safe be mounted on a wall?
Yes. It’s listed as a wall-mount safe and comes with a mounting screw set. Fasten it into studs, check for wires and pipes first, and remember it only weighs about 38 pounds.
Does the Langger compact safe have a silent mode?
Yes, the seller says you can turn the sound off. The safe also beeps and stops taking a PIN after three wrong entries, so practice the code in the dark.
Chris Raper
Chris Raper is the founder and lead reviewer of Conceal & Carry Network. A retired North Carolina law-enforcement officer with more than 40 years of service and a U.S. Air Force Security Police veteran, he founded Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. in Elm City, NC in 2006 and has taught the state-approved NC Concealed Handgun Carry class there ever since. He is an NC Department of Justice certified Firearms Safety Instructor, an NRA Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Instructor, an NRA Range Safety Officer and a graduate of Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute. He reviews the carry guns, holsters, safes and sight tools his students ask about every week.