Having a good and quality solution for firearm storage is important. The Steelhead Outdoors Large HD Pistol Box is a secure safe that will fit the needs of many users.
About Steelhead
“Founded in 2016 by longtime friends Charlie Pehrson and Corey Meyer. Both of Steelhead’s founders are engineers and avid outdoor enthusiasts with a love of tinkering and creative problem solving,” Steelhead has posted on their webpage. “After searching for a gun safe that was made in America, adaptable and offered a respectable level of fire and theft protection they realized it wasn’t there. Since they couldn’t buy it they decided to build it.”
The Large HD Pistol Box
The Large HD Pistol Box is a robust container that’s big enough for two full size handguns. The box has several anti-theft design elements that make it ideal for keeping unauthorized users from accessing the contents. As far as quality firearm accessories go, the HD box is at home among other products we trust — and, it’s American made.
The box came on the market in 2023 and we’ve been using it for just over two years. While it won’t fit the needs of all customers, this is a box that rivals many others on the market. This is not a cheap or chintzy lock box to meet some draconian storage law or standard, it’s the real deal.
Construction
“Weighing in at over 11 pounds, it measures 8.5” wide x 11” long x 3” tall. Formed and welded from heavy duty 12-gauge steel makes the HD Lockbox 75-160% thicker than most competitors who manufacture overseas using 16–20-gauge steel,” Steelhead says in a press release. “The HD Lockbox features a high-end key lock with a unique multi-sidebar arrangement that makes picking with traditional tools all but impossible.”
The lock and key
The lock and key style combination that Steelhead uses on the Large HD is proprietary. Both sides of the key have cuts and biting. Raised sections of the key interfaces with the warding of the lock making it difficult to pick. Constructed of a hard drill-resistant body, the lock is not likely to be easily compromised from an unauthorized user. The key can only be removed from the unit when the box is locked.
Anti-pry design
The box has a heavy duty stitch welded internal flange. That flange makes it very difficult, if not completely impossible, to pry open the box. It’s not likely that someone will be able to get any type of device inserted between the lid top and bottom far enough to leverage the unit open.
Protected hinges
Hinges are all steel and protected from external threats. The pins are not exposed and this makes them less likely to succumb to attacks by someone trying to break into the box. The hinges are fully welded.
Mounting options
The Large HD box came with a heavy-duty nylon coated steel cable. The cable has a thimble on one end and swage on the other. This design feature allows the cable to be looped around something secure in a cow hitch style manner. The swage would be placed in a cutout on the box that accepts it and the unit would be securely fastened when the lid is closed and the box is locked.
The cable makes the Large HD box suitable for use in a vehicle or as a portable solution when traveling. While it’s not noted in the 2023 press release, the main product page says the box is TSA compliant for travel by air.
The box also has four mounting holes on the underside of the unit. This will allow users the ability to mount it to something stationary for longterm solutions.
Powder coating
A robust and aggressive powder coating protects the metal of this unit. It’s both handsome and resistant to chipping. We did not torture test the box by tossing it out a second-story window of a building, but it seems like it’ll go the distance and last for generations.
Our experiences
If you need a firearm storage solution, the Large HD box might be for you. We’ve used this as a secondary box for everyday carry arms for several years and found it to be more than satisfactory. It’s big enough to accommodate a Glock 43 in a Kydex holster as well as spare magazines and mag holders.
The unit is robust enough to be a primary option but also perfect as a travel box. Yes, the box is heavy as heck, so that’s something to keep in mind. But, that weight is part of what makes the unit so secure.
Is the Steelhead Outdoors Large HD box a good quick access option? Absolutely not. If you’re looking to store your firearm in a manner that will keep it handy for self-defense, we can’t recommend any keyed options that are on the market. However, if you’re looking for an option to store your carry firearm or have secondary or tertiary locations for staged guns, this could be what you’re looking for. Just don’t expect to get into it quickly.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Made in the United States of America. Super secure and robust design. Anti-pry design. Quality lock and key combination.
Minuses: A little expensive, clocking in at just under $200.00. Key entry only.
There are a lot of storage options on the market. The Steelhead Outdoors Large HD Pistol Box offers a high level of security. There’s no one-size-fits-all firearm storage solution, so having options like this available is paramount. Consumers seeking security and portability might find this lock box to be exactly what they’re looking for.
