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.
I tell my students that the best safe in the house won’t help you if it’s in the hall closet and you’re in the bedroom. Quick-access storage has to live where your hand already is. For a lot of folks that’s the side of the nightstand or the underside of a desk.
The RPNB Wall-Mounted Pistol Safe is a slim, vertical keypad box with a drop-down drawer, made to hang in exactly those spots. My verdict: a cheap, flexible way to mount one small handgun out of sight, but the listing leaves out the inside size, the battery and any backup key. Get those three answered before you order.
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 Wall-Mounted Pistol Safe – Best Budget Under-Desk Keypad Safe
HIGHLIGHT:
A slim vertical keypad safe with a drop-down drawer that mounts from the left, right or top.
OUT OF THE BOX:
In the photos you can see the plain black RPNB carton, and the safe stood up beside it with a small orange box and a black pouch on the floor.
The seller’s bullets don’t list what’s in the box, so check for mounting hardware the day it arrives. One more note on the listing: the long description on the page is cluttered with text from other products, including fireproof claims and a touch-screen fingerprint model. I go by the bullet points only, and nothing in the bullets claims a fire rating for this safe.
KEYPAD:
The way in is a programmable electronic keypad. RPNB says the buttons are PP plastic and that the keypad is made for one-handed use. In the photos you can see the keypad sitting on the end of the slim body, which is the end your hand finds first when the box is mounted.
On a box hung under a desk or off the side of a nightstand, you’re often reaching blind. So the code you pick matters more than any feature on the box. Pick one you can punch by feel with your heart going, keep it away from birthdays and house numbers, and share it only with the adults who should have it.
The listing doesn’t give the code length, what happens after a few wrong tries, or whether there’s a mute setting. Look for those in the manual.
BACKUP ACCESS:
Here’s the part that would keep me up at night. The listing text doesn’t describe a backup key or a manual override. With no backup, a dead battery means you wait to get in, and for a quick-access box that’s a bad trade.
Read the customer questions and the manual to see how a lost code or a flat battery gets handled before you buy. If you want a box with a documented key backup, the Hornady RAPiD Safe Night Guard lists three ways in.
THE DRAWER:
This drawer is the reason people pick this layout. RPNB describes a fast-activation drop-down drawer that presents the firearm in a ready position, so the gun comes to you grip-first instead of lying flat at the bottom of a box.
In the photos you can see the front swung down and open, and one shot looks straight down into the drawer at a pistol grip sitting butt-up. That’s the right way for a gun to meet your hand.
INSIDE ROOM:
This is the biggest gap in the listing. There are no inside measurements, no outside measurements and no weight. The title calls it a safe for small firearms, so I’d plan on a compact handgun and not count on a full-size pistol with a weapon light.
A vertical drawer holds less than a deep box. Plan on the gun and maybe a magazine or two, and keep your other valuables somewhere else. Find the real interior numbers in the listing images or the Q&A, measure your handgun with its accessories on, and leave room for the drawer to swing.
BUILD & STEEL:
The seller calls the build tough and rugged, with sturdy steel and a black finish said to resist corrosion. There’s no steel gauge, no hinge description and no pry-resistance claim with numbers behind it. I read those words as marketing until somebody publishes the details.
One photo shows the housing opened up with the latch hardware and wiring in view, and a close-up inside the top shows the latch up close.
Treat it as a way to keep a handgun away from a child exploring a shelf or a visitor poking around, not a barrier against a burglar with tools. The seller’s own bullet says that if young children are in the home, firearms need to be stored safely. I agree with that one all the way.
MOUNTING:
Mounting is what sets this one apart from a box on a shelf. The seller says the slim design stores well under a desk, beside a nightstand, on a bookshelf or in a vehicle, and that it can be mounted from the right, left or top side. The photos show the steel bracket on the side with its slotted holes, and the safe hanging at a computer desk.
Pick the side that gives your hand the best approach. A right-handed shooter and a left-handed one may want the drawer on different sides, and a desk underside may call for the top mount. Check what screws come in the box against what you’re fastening into. A desk underside, a cabinet side and a wall stud all hold differently, and thin particleboard holds worst of all.
Here’s a trick I give students: tape a piece of cardboard the size of the safe where you plan to put it, then practice reaching for it in the dark. If it’s awkward, move it before you drill. Holes in a nightstand are forever. For permanent installs inside the wall, see my in-wall gun safe guide.
PLACEMENT & SIZE CHECK:
In the photos you can see it tucked into the narrow gap beside a piece of furniture and hung at the side of a bed with the drawer open. Those are the kinds of spots a drawer safe can’t go.
Wherever you hang it, practice opening it from where you’ll actually be: lights off, lying down, five times in a row. If you have children in the house, mounting it 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.
POWER:
The keypad is electronic, so it needs power, but the bullets don’t say what battery it takes, how many, or whether there’s a low-battery warning. Put fresh batteries in at setup, write the date down, and test the code on a schedule. Keep spares somewhere that isn’t inside the safe.
Because the box hangs on a wall or under furniture, find out whether you can reach the battery compartment without taking it down. If the listing doesn’t make that clear, ask before you buy.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The RPNB wall-mounted safe is sturdy, compact and well made, with a quick fingerprint setup and a modern look that works mounted out of sight under a desk or nightstand.
Where it falls short: It will keep children and casual snoopers out, but a determined burglar could pry it open with a screwdriver, so treat it as a deterrent rather than a theft-resistant safe.
Who it’s for: A compact, wall-mountable pistol safe that keeps a gun out of reach of children and family. Skip it if you need protection against a determined break-in.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Three gaps: no stated size, no battery details and no described backup access. Add the cluttered product description, and this is a listing where you ask questions first and order second.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want a slim, mounted keypad box for one small handgun under a desk or beside the bed, and you want to stay under a hundred dollars. Skip it if you need confirmed measurements, a key backup, a fire rating or a case you can travel with. Spend a little more for a box that publishes those things.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What RPNB lists |
|---|---|
| Lock | Programmable electronic keypad, one-handed use |
| Buttons | PP plastic |
| Opening | Drop-down drawer that presents the gun in a ready position |
| Shape | Slim vertical design |
| Mounting | Right, left or top side |
| Build | Steel, black corrosion-resistant finish (no gauge listed) |
| Not listed | Dimensions, weight, battery type, backup key |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Slim vertical shape for under a desk, beside a nightstand or on a bookshelf
- Mounts from the left, right or top
- Drop-down drawer presents the gun grip-first
- Under $100 at the time of writing
Cons
- No inside or outside measurements listed
- Battery type and backup access not described
- No fire rating or certification listed
$69.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Want more ways to keep a gun out of sight? See my best hidden gun safe picks.
RPNB Wall-Mounted Pistol Safe FAQ
Can the RPNB wall-mounted pistol safe be mounted in different positions?
Yes. The seller says it can be mounted from the right, left or top side. Check what hardware comes in the box, follow the installation steps in the manual, and test your reach in the dark before you drill.
What size handgun fits the RPNB safe?
The listing gives no interior dimensions and calls it a safe for small firearms. Look for measurements in the product images or Q&A, then measure your handgun with its accessories on before you order.
What batteries does the RPNB safe use?
The bullets describe a programmable electronic keypad but don’t state the battery type, count or any low-battery warning. Check the manual, put fresh batteries in at setup and test the code regularly.
Is there a backup key if the keypad fails?
The listing text doesn’t describe a key or a manual override. Read the customer questions and the manual to see how a dead battery or lost code is handled, and pick another model if a documented backup matters to you.
Is the RPNB wall-mounted pistol safe fireproof?
No fire rating is stated in the seller’s bullets. The fireproof wording in the long description appears to belong to other products, so don’t rely on it. Keep important papers in a separately rated fire container.
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.