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)This guide draws on my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week. The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
When we get to the vehicle part of my carry class, I ask one question and let the room chew on it: where does your gun go when you have to leave it in the truck? Glove box and under the seat are the usual answers. Neither one locks against a child in the back seat or a thief with a rock.
A thin lockbox like the RPNB Portable Car Gun Safe is one of the cheaper fixes I walk students through. My verdict: it’s a slim keypad box for one small pistol, with two keys, a USB-C backup and a security cable for under fifty dollars. RPNB doesn’t publish the inside size, so measure before you buy.
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
RPNB Portable Car Gun Safe – Best Budget Keypad Car Gun Safe Under $50
HIGHLIGHT:
A backlit keypad that takes a 3 to 8 digit code, two backup keys and a USB-C emergency port, in a box under 2 inches tall.
OUT OF THE BOX:
In the photos you can see the safe arriving in a brown shipping box, wrapped in plastic with the RPNB instruction manual laid on top and a small orange box off to the side. A little black tray holds the keys.
RPNB lists backup keys, a button tool, a hardware mounting kit and a security cable in the package. The listing doesn’t say what the button tool is for. Read the manual before you set a code, and put that tool somewhere you’ll find it again in six months.
Another shot shows the lid up on the foam with a small packet lying inside, the keys out front and a coiled cable in its card beside the box. Pull out anything that shipped inside the box before a gun goes in.
KEYPAD & PASSCODE:
The front edge carries five numbered buttons, and the photos show them lit blue. RPNB says the keypad is backlit and takes a personal code of 3 to 8 digits. That’s a wider range than a lot of cheap boxes give you.
Here’s what I tell students about codes. Longer is harder to guess, but a code you can’t recall with your heart pounding is worse than a short one. Pick something you’ll remember that isn’t a birthday or a house number. Then practice it with your eyes shut. Five buttons in a row are easy to count by feel, and that’s how you’ll be using them in a dark parking lot.
The seller also lists a mute mode for quiet use and says the door opens on its own after a correct code. Quiet matters in a bedroom, and it matters in a parked car at night when you’d rather not announce what you’re doing.
BACKUP KEYS:
Two manual keys come with it, and the close-up shows the keyhole sitting just below the keypad. Keys are your answer when the electronics quit, so treat them as part of the safe.
As an old lawman, I’ll tell you plainly: a thief who finds a lockbox and its key in the same glove box will thank you for it. Never leave a key in the vehicle with the box. Keep one on your ring and the other locked up at home.
POWER:
RPNB doesn’t name the battery type or count in the listing. The close-up shows a snap-style battery clip on red and black wires inside the box, just behind the keypad. Check the manual before you order spares.
The feature that stands out is a USB Type-C port on the side. The seller says it’s for emergency power when the batteries are dead or the keys have gone missing, and it isn’t meant for long-term charging. A cable isn’t included, so buy a USB-C cable and keep it with your power bank. That gives you three layers: code, keys and emergency power.
A car is hard on batteries and electronics. A cab in an August heat wave or a January freeze is no place to find out your batteries are weak. I’d put a reminder on my phone to change them on a schedule instead of waiting for a warning.
INSIDE ROOM:
RPNB lists the outside at 11.02 inches deep, 7.01 inches wide and 1.91 inches tall. It does not give the inside numbers. Take off the steel walls and the foam, and the usable height is going to be well under that 1.91.
The seller says the high-density memory foam lining keeps the gun from getting scratched or dented. In the photos you can see foam on both the lid and the floor, which is what you want in a box that rides around in a vehicle.
One photo shows a pistol lying flat in the foam. Don’t take that as a promise for your gun. The listing calls it a small handgun safe. Measure your pistol’s length, height and thickest point, with any light or optic on it, and check those numbers against the box.
BUILD & STEEL:
The seller calls it sturdy steel with a corrosion-resistant black finish and lists the material as alloy steel. No gauge is listed, and there’s no fire rating, water rating or third-party certification. So I won’t pretend it’s a vault.
What it does well is keep a handgun away from a curious child, a passenger or a quick-glance thief. A slim box at this price won’t hold off a pry bar for long. That’s not the job it’s built for.
MOUNTING & CABLE:
RPNB lists it as floor mount, and the box ships with a hardware mounting kit and a security cable. That’s two ways to keep it from walking off: screw it down, or loop the cable around something solid. In a vehicle, a seat bracket under the seat is the common spot. At home, a drawer or a closet floor works.
The seller lists the box at 3.9 pounds, and a burglar can carry that off without breaking stride. Tie it down. One warning: don’t drill into a vehicle unless you know what’s behind the panel. Wiring and fuel lines don’t care how good your intentions were. Check your state’s rules for carrying a gun in a vehicle, too.
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:
Closed up, it’s a flat black slab with the keypad across one end and nothing else to catch the eye. That low profile is what lets it slide under a seat or into a desk drawer.
Wherever it ends up, practice opening it the way I teach students to practice a draw: in the dark, from where you’d actually be sitting, five times in a row. If you fumble it, move the box or rethink the setup.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The RPNB portable box is solidly built, compact enough for under a car seat or in a glovebox, has a digital keypad that works well, and is good value for travel or vehicle storage.
Where it falls short: The security cable can pop out while inserting or removing the gun unless it is reinforced with tape, the box is bigger and heavier than the word portable suggests, and programming a new passcode can be troublesome.
Who it’s for: A sturdy, compliant portable safe for car or travel storage. Skip it if you need something truly compact enough for a backpack or bag.
WHAT TO WATCH:
The missing inside size is the big one. After that: no steel gauge, no battery type and no USB-C cable in the box. The listing’s color row reads RP2019, which looks like a model code, so use it to make sure the listing you’re on is the one you mean to buy.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you carry a small pistol and want a cheap, cable-down box for the truck or a desk drawer, with more backup options than most boxes at this price. Skip it if you carry a full-size gun with a light or a tall optic, or if you want a box with published steel thickness. Spend more for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What RPNB lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 11.02″ deep x 7.01″ wide x 1.91″ high |
| Inside size | Not listed |
| Weight | 3.9 lb |
| Material | Alloy steel, corrosion-resistant black finish (no gauge listed) |
| Ways in | Backlit keypad (3 to 8 digit code), 2 backup keys, USB-C emergency power |
| Extras | Mute mode, memory foam lining |
| Mounting | Floor mount, hardware kit and security cable included |
| Not included | USB-C cable; battery type not stated |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Backlit keypad with a 3 to 8 digit code and a mute mode
- Two backup keys plus a USB-C emergency port
- Security cable and mounting kit in the box
- Under 2 inches tall, so it fits under a seat or in a drawer
Cons
- No inside measurements listed
- No steel gauge, battery type or certification listed
- USB-C cable not included
$49.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Comparing boxes for the truck? See my best car gun safe picks.
RPNB Portable Car Gun Safe FAQ
Will my pistol fit in the RPNB Portable Car Gun Safe?
RPNB lists the outside at about 11.02 by 7.01 by 1.91 inches but gives no inside size, and it’s described for small handguns. Measure your pistol at its longest, tallest and thickest points, light and optic included, and ask the seller for interior numbers if you’re close.
What batteries does it use?
The listing doesn’t name the battery type or count, so check the manual. The seller does describe a USB Type-C port on the side for emergency power when the batteries die. A cable isn’t included.
How do I open it if the keypad fails?
Use one of the two backup keys. If the batteries are dead and the keys are missing, the seller says the USB-C port can supply emergency power. It’s meant for emergencies only, not long-term charging.
Can I mount it in my car?
The listing says floor mount and includes a mounting kit and a security cable. Loop the cable around a seat bracket or another fixed point, and don’t drill into the vehicle unless you know what’s behind the panel.
Does it have a silent mode?
Yes. The seller lists a mute mode for quiet use. Check the manual for the steps to turn the sound off and back on.
All product photos on this page were taken by our team.
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.