The GoSafe Mobile Mag Lockable Glock Magazines

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Many shooters roll their eyes at the mere mention of a gun lock. That’s probably because many shooters don’t elect to use the cable gun locks that are provided with firearms, opting instead to keep their firearms on their person or secured in a lockbox or safe. But is there a benefit to being able to instantly lock your firearm so it can’t be operated? Some shooters think so, and one of them is GoSafe co-founder Mark “Oz” Geist, a U.S. Marine and member of the Annex security team that was involved in the Battle of Benghazi in 2012. In addition to serving as a marine and security consultant for law enforcement and military agencies, Geist is also a hunter education instructor and advocate for firearms safety. Geist and the team at GoSafe wanted to design a mobile firearms safe, but the unique feature of their design is that the locking mechanism is actually inside the magazine itself. By inserting the key that comes with the Go­Safe magazine, you can lock the gun by rotating the tab into a position where it blocks the trigger. There are two different GoSafe options: a Mobile Mag ($100), which is a functioning 10-round magazine that can be activated or deactivated with the included unique key; and a Mobile Safe ($80) that can be inserted into the magazine well just like a traditional magazine but doesn’t hold any ammunition.

Currently, GoSafe products are available for a variety of Glocks and some Glock clones, although the company says the brand will soon offer products for the SIG P320 and Smith & Wesson M&Ps. The key on both the Mobile Mag and Mobile Safe is inserted into an oversize base pad and rotated 90 degrees to lock or unlock the magazine. When the GoSafe magazine is locked, a small indicator on the rear of the base pad assembly extends, offering a visual and tactile indicator. When the magazine is unlocked, the tab drops flush with the base pad. When the Mobile Safe is locked, the magazine cannot be removed, the trigger is inoperable, and the slide cannot be retracted. With the Mobile Mag in place, the magazine can be retracted, but even with a cartridge in the chamber it will not fire because of the trigger lock. Since both the Mobile Mag and Mobile Safe are locked in position when they are in the Safe position, the handgun is effectively inoperable to anyone who does not have a key.

The company’s owl logo can be found on the Mobile Mag and Mobile Safe as well as just about every accessory that came with the test magazines. I asked Mike Vrooman, general manager at GoSafe, why that was. “Owls represent wisdom, but they also represent security,” said Vrooman. He says the idea of a smart way to secure your weapon is the driving force behind the development of GoSafe products. “We try to make people understand that this is not designed to be locked when you’re carrying your firearm in a holster or when it is locked in the bedside safe,” Vrooman says. “This is when you’re separated from your firearm.” The examples he gives are needing to go into a building that does not allow firearms. All too often people simply leave their firearm in their vehicle in an unlocked glove box or console or under the seat.

Not surprisingly, GoSafe is extremely popular with law enforcement and security professionals, particularly corrections officers who want to be able to lock their firearms during times when they are transporting prisoners and other similar circumstances. These mobile safes are also popular among student resource officers, and John McDonald, who founded the Council For School Safety Leadership, also works closely with GoSafe. GoSafe mobile mags would allow SROs and even trained, armed teachers to have access to a firearm that only they could operate. But what about non-professionals? According to a consumer survey, Vrooman says that 65 percent of “avid” gun owners saw the value of a locking mobile safe. That number increased to about 70 percent when the respondents were women or new gun owners. “We feel this is the bridge between security and accessibility,” says Vrooman. “It gives you peace of mind that your gun is inaccessible.” But, he says, you can make that gun accessible with the turn of a key. I received a GoSafe Mobile Mag and Mobile Safe that fit my Glock 17, and both fit securely in the gun without issues. It took me a moment to orient the barrel key in the correct position to unlock and lock the magazine, but what I found is that the extended “fin” portion of the key needs to be aligned with the mark on the base pad for the current condition of the firearm.

In other words, if the unit is in Fire mode the fin needs to face the word “Fire” on the base pad. From the Safe position, rotating the key 90 degrees clockwise locks the gun. From the Safe position, a 90-degree counterclockwise turn unlocks the firearm. With a bit of practice I was able to find the key, insert it and rotate to the other position in about five seconds. That’s not lightning fast, but then again when you want the gun to be accessible you leave it unlocked and the GoSafe operates just like any other mag save for the fact that capacity might be reduced. My Glock dropped from 17 to 10 rounds. Other than being able to lock the magazine, it operated just like any other 10-round magazine would in my Glock. It’s certainly heavier (six ounces for the Mobile Mag and 5.7 for the Mobile Safe versus 2.8 for the standard Glock mag) so it adds a few ounces. On the bright side, you never have to fear that the empty Mobile Mag won’t drop free if you need to reload.

The Mobile Mag extends about an inch beyond the base pad of a regular Glock mag, so concealed carry would be a challenge for those who like a full-size gun. But many of the people who will use Mobile Mags on a daily basis—especially the professionals I mentioned—aren’t worried about concealment. For those who carry all day long and keep their guns in a bedside vault at night, the GoSafe products don’t make sense, but how many people really do that? Most shooters realize their guns are not in their possession at all times, such as when entering a school or post office. In those cases I want my gun locked, not slid under a seat or in a glove box—even if it’s locked. If the idea of a gun that locks is out of the question for you then this won’t work. If, however, you see the value of making a gun inoperable, then you understand why the GoSafe makes sense in certain circumstances. I had a friend who had his gun stolen from his car (from a locked glove box), and it was later used in a crime. If he’d locked the magazine of his GoSafe, the gun would have been inoperable. Is the GoSafe for everyone? No. Some shooters aren’t keen on the possibility of ever being locked away from their guns. But for other shooters, these make great sense. What GoSafe offers everyone, though, is a mobile gun safe. Vrooman calls it a new product segment, and I agree.

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