Abstract: A secure firearm holder (10) includes an outwardly swinging hinged plate (14) that is hinged to a holder base (12) with a gun (44) mounted at a side of the plate in a ready-to-use orientation when the plate swings outwardly. In a preferred embodiment, a bore shaft (36) is mounted on the hinged plate, the bore shaft extending into the firearm. When the plate is in a first, closed, position, the holder base prevents the gun from being removed from the bore shaft, but when a motivating member (52) rotates the plate to a second position, the gun can be easily and quickly removed from the bore shaft from a ready-to-use orientation. The motivating member biases the lid toward the second position but is held closed in the first position by a latch (50), which latch is remotely releasable.