Marcree 8-10 Gun Safe Review: An NRA Instructor’s Take On This Budget Long-Gun Cabinet — Reviewed by Massad Ayoob, Tested by Chris Raper

Expert-reviewed by

Massad Ayoob — Founder, Massad Ayoob Group · Retired Police Captain · Expert Witness on use of force · Review date: October 31, 2026

Written & tested by

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.

Forty-some years of police work taught me where folks keep long guns: behind the bedroom door, in the hall closet, under the bed in a soft case. None of those spots lock. When I bring that up in class, a few students always look at the floor.

The Marcree 8-10 Gun Safe is one of the budget cabinets I point those students toward. Marcree sells it for 8 to 10 rifles or shotguns plus four pistols, with a keypad, an alarm and an emergency battery box, and it sat in the $100 to $200 range at the time of writing.

Short version: it’s a fair-priced way to get a modest collection of plain long guns behind a locked door. Anchor it, and don’t buy it for fire protection.

FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

Marcree 8-10 Gun Safe – Best Budget Long Gun Cabinet Under $200

HIGHLIGHT:

About 52 inches tall, 17.7 wide and 15 deep, with a keypad, a 70 dB alarm, adjustable racks, a shelf, pistol pockets and LED lighting.

OUT OF THE BOX:

Marcree lists two keys, four expansion screws, an emergency battery box and a manual in the package. In the photos you can see the instruction manual and the bagged hardware laid out on the carpet next to the cabinet.

Before anything goes inside, count the keys, find the battery box and read the manual front to back. Then open and close the door a few times. A door that drags on day one won’t get better after you bolt it to the wall.

KEYPAD & ALARM:

The main way in is an electronic keypad on the front of the door, with a handle below it. The close-ups show both clearly.

Marcree says that after three wrong codes, or if someone goes at it violently, the cabinet sounds a 70 dB alarm. A mute mode is also listed, which matters if the cabinet stands in a bedroom or a hallway. You don’t want the whole house hearing beeps every time you open the gun cabinet.

Pick a code that isn’t a birthday, an anniversary or your house number. Then decide what that alarm means in your home. If a child or a guest sets it off, everybody should already know what happens next. I tell students the same about every alarm: one that nobody has a plan for is just noise.

DOOR & BOLTS:

The listing describes reinforced steel with three thickened solid locking bolts and an embedded door structure aimed at resisting forced entry. The specification field says carbon steel, while the seller text says reinforced alloy steel, so the material wording doesn’t match from one part of the page to the next. The close-up shows the top of the door with a red warning label.

No steel gauge is given, and no certification, fire rating or water rating either. The seller makes strong claims about premium materials and rigorous testing but doesn’t name a standard, so I won’t repeat them as facts. As an old lawman, my first thought on a budget cabinet is the thief with a pry bar and ten minutes. This one keeps kids and curious hands out and slows down a quick grab. It isn’t a vault, and I wouldn’t keep papers in it expecting them to survive a fire.

INSIDE ROOM:

Marcree says the cabinet holds 8 to 10 rifles or shotguns, four pistols, plus ammunition, magazines and accessories, and lists the capacity as 0.22 cubic meters. The outside is 17.71 inches wide by 14.96 inches deep, so the inside is a bit smaller than that. Interior dimensions aren’t listed.

In the photos you can see the empty cabinet with its notched barrel rack, and another shot with the shelf in place over the lower rack. A third, blurrier shot shows gear loaded on the top shelf.

Ten long guns in a cabinet this width means ten slim ones packed tight. Scoped rifles, fat stocks and tactical-style rifles take more room than a plain pump shotgun. I’d plan on the low end of that range, and ask the seller for the inside clear width and height before you order if you own anything with a scope.

RACKS, SHELF & PISTOL POCKETS:

Marcree lists adjustable gun racks, removable shelves, handgun pouches, ammo storage bags and LED lighting inside. With the door open you can see the shelf up top, the barrel rack below it, and pistol pockets on the inside of the door against a gray lining.

Set the racks for the guns you own, not the number on the box. Leave a little air between barrels and stocks so nothing scratches or leans, and so you can pull one gun without moving three others. With children in the house, I like ammunition locked up apart from the guns when you can manage it. If the ammo bags and shelf are your only option, at least it’s all behind one locked door.

POWER & BACKUP KEYS:

The listing doesn’t give the keypad battery type or battery life. One close-up shows a battery holder with slots marked for AA cells, so check that against the manual when yours arrives. The LED light and the alarm draw power too, so frequent alarms or heavy light use may run the batteries down sooner.

If the batteries die, Marcree includes an emergency battery box and cable to power the keypad from outside, plus the two keys. Test that cable once with fresh batteries the day you set it up. Then put a reminder on your phone to check the batteries on the first of every month.

Now the keys. They don’t go inside the cabinet, they don’t go on top of it, and they never go where a child can find them. Keep one on your key ring and one in a second locked spot.

MOUNTING & PLACEMENT:

Marcree includes four expansion screws and says pre-drilled holes support wall or floor mounting. At nearly 52 inches tall, this is the kind of cabinet that tips, and a cabinet full of rifles coming down on a child is its own danger. Bolt it into a stud or concrete, and to the floor as well if you can.

In the photos you can see it standing in a corner, in a closet beside hanging clothes and on a mat in a garage. A closet is where most folks will put it. Check that the door has room to swing all the way open and that you can reach the keypad without moving boxes. Garages and outside-wall closets can run damp, and moisture is hard on guns, so keep an eye on it.

Anchor first, then load. Mark the studs, hold the cabinet level, drill your pilot holes, bolt it down, and only then set the code and put guns inside. 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.

WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:

Where it earns its keep: The Marcree 8-10 Gun Safe offers good value and a solid interior layout, with extra door pockets and a second lockbox inside. It ships well packaged, sets up easily, and suits 2-3 guns plus ammo boxes.

Where it falls short: The cabinet metal is fairly thin, pistol grips in the door pockets can block the door from closing, the lock can be forced with enough pressure, and control-panel or assembly issues occur on some units.

Who it’s for: An affordable cabinet for a small rifle and pistol collection with extra storage pockets. Not for thick, pry-resistant steel or guns with long or wide stocks.

WHAT TO WATCH:

The missing numbers are the big one. No interior dimensions, no steel gauge, no battery type and no fire or water rating. The capacity claim most likely assumes tight packing. The seller also claims over 30 percent more space than standard cabinets without saying what it’s compared against, so I’d rather have the inside measurements in hand than a percentage.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT:

Buy it if you have a modest collection of plain rifles and shotguns, you want a keypad with an alarm and a mute mode, and you’ll bolt the cabinet down. Skip it if you need fire protection, a documented steel gauge, fingerprint entry, or room for a rack of scoped rifles. Step up to a full gun safe for that.

SPECS AT A GLANCE:

PROS & CONS:

Pros

• Large stated capacity with adjustable racks, a shelf and pistol pockets
• Keypad with a 70 dB alarm and a mute mode
• Emergency battery box and two backup keys
• Mounting screws included, at a budget price

Cons

• No fire rating, steel gauge or interior dimensions listed
• Capacity claim likely assumes tight packing
• Tall and narrow, so it has to be anchored

$169.99 on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Need a bedside box for the handgun too? Read my Hornady RAPiD Safe Keypad Vault review.

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.

Marcree 8-10 Gun Safe FAQ

How many guns does the Marcree 8-10 hold?

Marcree says 8 to 10 rifles or shotguns plus 4 pistols, along with ammunition and accessories. Scopes and wide stocks bring that number down, so plan on the low end and ask for the interior width if you own scoped rifles.

How does the alarm work?

The seller says a 70 dB alarm sounds after three wrong codes or violent tampering. A mute mode is also listed. Try both settings after you install it so everyone in the home knows what to expect.

What if the keypad batteries die?

Use the emergency battery box and cable to power the keypad, or one of the two backup keys. The battery type isn’t listed, so check the manual and change the batteries on a schedule.

How do I mount the Marcree 8-10?

Marcree includes four expansion screws and says pre-drilled holes support wall or floor mounting. Use studs or concrete, because a tall, loaded cabinet can tip if it isn’t anchored.

Does the Marcree 8-10 have a fire rating?

No fire rating appears in the listing, and the seller’s quality claims don’t name a test standard. Treat it as locking storage and keep papers you can’t replace somewhere rated.

Founder & Lead Reviewer · NRA Certified Instructor · Retired NC Law Enforcement

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.

Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. · Instructor qualifications