Best Trigger Locks and Gun Locks (2026): 7 Picks, Plus the California Roster Check

Last updated October 25th 2026

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By Nick Hall, who wrote our how to store guns guide.

The best trigger lock for most people is the Master Lock 90DSPT. It’s steel and zinc, it has rubber pads so it won’t scratch your gun, and it fits many handguns, rifles and shotguns. If you’d rather not keep track of a key, get the 94DSPT combination version. And if you live in California, buy a lock that’s on the state’s approved roster, because the most popular Master Lock trigger locks are not.

Below are seven trigger locks, cable locks and one chamber lock, with specs from each maker’s page, live prices from our 200+ retailers checked on October 25, 2026, and three things the other “best trigger lock” lists leave out: the free locks you can get from your police department, the California roster check, and what Master Lock’s own instructions say about loaded guns.

Table of Contents

Best Trigger Locks and Gun Locks at a Glance

Lock	Type	Opens with	On CA roster?	Price
Master Lock 90DSPT	Trigger lock	Key	No	Live price
Master Lock 94DSPT	Trigger lock	3-dial combination	No	Live price
Master Lock 90TRISPT	3 trigger locks	One key for all three	No	Live price
FSDC TL3050RKD	Trigger lock	Key	Yes	Live price
Master Lock 99DSPT	Cable lock, 14 in.	Key	No	Live price
FSDC CL1725RCB	Cable lock, 14 in.	Combination	Yes	Live price
Black Rain Chamber Lock	Chamber lock, AR-15	Key	No	Live price

“On CA roster” means the exact model appears on the California DOJ’s retail roster of approved firearm safety devices, checked on October 25, 2026.

Trigger Lock, Cable Lock or Chamber Lock?

• Trigger lock: Two halves clamp together through the trigger guard so nobody can reach the trigger. It’s fast to fit and works on most handguns, rifles and shotguns with a full trigger guard.
• Cable lock: A steel cable runs through the open action, out through the magazine well or ejection port, so the gun can’t close on a round. It works on guns a trigger lock can’t fit.
• Chamber lock: A solid plug that locks into the chamber or action. It’s made for a specific platform, like the AR-15, and blocks the gun from chambering a round.

Any of them keeps a curious kid or a visitor from firing a gun. None of them stops a determined thief from walking off with it, which is where a small gun safe comes in.

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1. Master Lock 90DSPT: Best Trigger Lock Overall

• Type: Keyed trigger lock, keyed different
• Build: Steel and zinc body, 4-pin tumbler cylinder, rubber pads
• Fits: Many handguns, rifles and shotguns
• List price: $21.46 at Master Lock

Master Lock calls the 90DSPT “the world standard in trigger lock design.” The body is steel and zinc, the 4-pin tumbler cylinder resists picking, and rubber pads keep it from marring the finish on your gun. Master Lock lists it at $21.46 with a limited lifetime warranty, and our retailers sell it for less.

Two habits from Master Lock’s own instructions are worth copying: record the key number engraved on the key, so you can replace both keys if you lose them, and fit the front half “behind trigger if possible.” The 90DSPT is keyed different, so every lock has its own key.

Best For: One or two guns outside California.

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2. Master Lock 94DSPT: Best Combination Trigger Lock

• Type: Trigger lock with a set-your-own three-dial combination
• Build: Steel and zinc body, rubber pads, adjustable ratchet
• Weight: 0.55 lb without packaging
• List price: $24.99 at Master Lock

The 94DSPT is the same idea as the 90DSPT without the key. You set your own three-dial combination, and the steel and zinc body uses an adjustable ratchet so it clamps snugly on guns with different trigger guard sizes. It weighs 0.55 pounds and Master Lock lists it at $24.99.

Pick it if you keep a gun where a key would end up on the same hook as the car keys. Three dials give you 1,000 combinations, so pick one nobody in the house can guess.

Best For: Anyone who would rather remember a number than track a key.

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3. Master Lock 90TRISPT: Best Trigger Locks for Several Guns

• Type: Three keyed trigger locks, keyed alike
• Build: Steel and zinc bodies, 4-pin tumblers, rubber pads
• Key: The same key opens all three
• List price: $48.92 at Master Lock

Own a handful of guns and you’ll end up with a drawer full of trigger lock keys. The 90TRISPT fixes that: three of the same steel and zinc 90-series locks, keyed alike, so “same key opens all three locks.” Master Lock lists the pack at $48.92, and our retailers sell it for well under that.

Best For: Households with three or more guns that need locking.

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4. FSDC TL3050RKD: Best California-Approved Trigger Lock

• Type: Keyed trigger lock
• Maker: Firearm Safety Device Corporation (FSDC)
• California: On the DOJ retail roster of approved firearm safety devices
• Fits: Pistols, handguns, rifles and shotguns, per the retailer listing

If you’re in California, this is the trigger lock to buy. The FSDC TL3050RKD is on the state’s retail roster of approved safety devices, which the Master Lock 90 and 94 series are not. Palmetto State Armory sells it keyed different for under $10.

FSDC doesn’t publish much on its own site, so check the roster’s compatibility chart against your gun before you rely on it. The DOJ notes that aftermarket parts like “new grips or sights, may affect the fit and functionality of a firearms safety device.”

Best For: California gun owners, and anyone who wants a cheap trigger lock.

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5. Master Lock 99DSPT: Best Cable Gun Lock

• Type: 14 in. braided steel cable with a padlock, keyed different
• Padlock: 1-5/16 in. laminated steel body, 4-pin tumbler, dead-locking anti-rap mechanism
• Finish: Vinyl covers on lock and cable
• List price: $12.54 at Master Lock

A cable lock is the better choice for many rifles and shotguns, and for guns a trigger lock won’t fit. The 99DSPT runs a 14 inch braided steel cable through the open action and closes it with a 1-5/16 inch laminated steel padlock. Master Lock gives the padlock a 4-pin tumbler and a dead-locking anti-rap mechanism, and puts vinyl covers on the lock and cable so they don’t scratch anything. It lists at $12.54.

Master Lock’s own instructions name the guns a trigger lock may not lock: “Some lever action rifles, firearms without trigger guard surrounding the triggers, guns with extra light or extra wide triggers or guns with trigger shoes or extensions.” A cable lock is the answer for most of those. California buyers should look at Master Lock’s 107DSPT cable lock instead, which is on the state roster.

Best For: Rifles, shotguns, lever guns and anything with an aftermarket trigger.

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6. FSDC CL1725RCB: Best Combination Cable Lock

• Type: 14 in. cable lock with a combination padlock
• California: On the DOJ retail roster as a cable lock
• Fits, per the DOJ: Any action that accepts a .24 inch diameter cable in a way that disables the gun
• Also listed as: Massachusetts State Police approved, per Sportsman’s Warehouse

The CL1725RCB is the cable lock on this list that California has approved, and it opens with a combination instead of a key. The DOJ’s entry says it fits auto-loading rifles and shotguns, pump and bolt actions, lever actions, revolvers, pistols and “any firearm action that will accommodate a .24 inch diameter cable in such a manner as to disable the firearm from firing.”

Sportsman’s Warehouse also lists it as Massachusetts State Police approved. It’s the cable lock to buy if you live in either state or just hate keys.

Best For: California and Massachusetts owners, and anyone who wants a keyless cable lock.

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7. Black Rain Ordnance Chamber Lock: Best Lock for an AR-15

• Type: Keyed chamber lock
• Versions: AR-15 and AR-10
• Build: Red anodized aluminum, made in the USA
• List price: $44.99 to $49.99 at Black Rain Ordnance

A cable lock works on an AR-15, but the Black Rain Chamber Lock is built for it. It locks into the open action so the rifle can’t chamber a round, and the red anodized finish tells anyone who picks up the rifle that it’s locked. Black Rain makes AR-15 and AR-10 versions in the USA and sells them for $44.99 to $49.99.

Best For: AR-15 and AR-10 owners who store rifles outside a safe.

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Get a Free Gun Lock First

Before you buy anything, check whether your local police department gives locks away. The NSSF’s Project ChildSafe says it has handed out more than 42 million free gun locks since 1998 and works with 15,000 law enforcement agency partners. Its site lets you pick your state and city to find a participating department.

You probably already own one, too. Federal law, 18 U.S.C. 922(z), makes it unlawful for a licensed dealer to sell or transfer a handgun “unless the transferee is provided with a secure gun storage or safety device.” Check the box your last handgun came in.

California’s Approved Gun Lock Roster

California is the state where the lock you buy matters most. Penal Code 23635 requires every firearm sold through a California dealer to include or be accompanied by “a firearm safety device that is listed on the Department of Justice’s roster of approved firearm safety devices.”

We checked the DOJ’s retail roster on October 25, 2026. It lists 2,416 approved devices, including 49 trigger locks and 166 cable locks. Here’s what we found for the locks on this page:

Lock	On the California retail roster?
Master Lock 90DSPT, 94DSPT, 90TRISPT, 99DSPT	No
Master Lock 107DSPT cable lock	Yes
FSDC TL3050RKD trigger lock	Yes
FSDC CL1725RCB cable lock	Yes
Black Rain Chamber Lock	No

Retailers know this too: Palmetto State Armory titles its 99DSPT listing “Non CA Approved.” Read your own state’s storage law as well. Our gun storage laws by state guide and California gun laws guide cover the details.

Never Put a Trigger Lock on a Loaded Gun

This is printed in capital letters on Master Lock’s own instructions: “DO NOT USE THIS LOCK ON A LOADED GUN! Attempts to use on a loaded gun may result in an accidental discharge.” A trigger lock clamps around the trigger, and Master Lock is clear that it belongs on an empty gun only.

• Unload first. Clear the chamber and remove the magazine before you fit any lock.
• Check the fit. On the unloaded gun, try to pull the trigger with the lock on. If it moves, the lock doesn’t fit that gun. Use a cable lock instead.
• Save the key number. Master Lock engraves it on each key so you can order replacements.
• Store ammo separately. The California DOJ puts it plainly: “All firearms should be stored unloaded and locked using an approved firearms safety device.”

Master Lock also says “NO GUN LOCK CAN OFFER COMPLETE PROTECTION AGAINST THE ACCIDENTAL OR INTENTIONAL MISUSE OF FIREARMS.” That’s why a lock is the minimum, not the whole plan. If you have kids at home, read our home defense with kids guide.

Trigger Lock or Gun Safe?

A trigger lock stops someone from firing a gun. A safe stops them from getting to it at all. For a home defense handgun you need fast, a lock box or biometric safe is the better tool, because you can’t fit or remove a trigger lock in a hurry. For long guns in a closet, a cable lock plus a gun cabinet is a solid setup, and our best gun safes covers the full-size options.

How I Picked These Locks

I looked at how each lock is built, what it fits, how it opens, whether California approves it, and what it costs. Specs come from each maker’s page and Master Lock’s printed instructions, the legal sections quote the federal statute and the California DOJ roster directly, and prices come from our live price check across 200+ retailers on October 25, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions