I bought a small biometric safe for my bedroom. Gunvault is the brand. So far so good. Put your index finger on the scanner and hit a button. Bam the safe swings open. I got the one with a shelf in it to store 2 pistols. Kinda wish I bought one years ago.

Are you getting many false reads on the finger reader?...was looking at one too but worried about that reader not working when SHTF

I ordered a Locksaf Digiswipe and had asked a similar question about biometrics. I will post a review as soon as I receive it and test. I also ordered a Fas1 simplex lock pistol box as well and will review that one as well.

I bought this one-

Barska AX11646 Multi-Access Biometric Keypad Safe

 

 

Got it on ebay (new) for $165 delivered. It will store 32 prints plus you get a keypad and an emergency key to open it. I programmed both index fingers and both thumbs with them placed in different ways. I have never had it fail to open with those fingers, and it never opens with any other finger.

I have the Gun Vault also. Honestly, so far so good. I only bought the single pistol flat one, which is cabled to the bed frame. Not that I open it every day, but I do try to make a practice of opening on a fairly steady basis, to ensure constant operation. Maybe, I had one false read, and that was probably more due to my error then anything else??

 

As far as securing your gun.. This really is only good for keeping the innocent from harms way. this will not deter a thief from truly breaking in with a good hammer and chisel. But what do you expect for a Bed Side safe...

 

Overall, I am happy with it.

I bought this one-

Barska AX11646 Multi-Access Biometric Keypad Safe

 

 

Got it on ebay (new) for $165 delivered. It will store 32 prints plus you get a keypad and an emergency key to open it. I programmed both index fingers and both thumbs with them placed in different ways. I have never had it fail to open with those fingers, and it never opens with any other finger.

Nice.. What are the dimnsions on that if you know offhand?

I have this one under my bed. I only programmed in my index finger and i played with it 100 times, it works, never opens for any other finger and opens about 99 out of 100 times for my index finger. The only time it doesn't open is if i am at an off angle to it.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Barska-AX11224-BARSKA-Biometric-Safe/dp/B002AQ0PFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1363615796&sr=1-1&keywords=barska

I have the same one as scohen2002.

 

Honestly - biometrics - don't be afraid to program in all of your fingers or even a toe or two. If your hands are dirty/full, you can hit the button and put a toe on the biometric pad to open the safe.

I went back to the regular ones with the finger grooves. I found the biometric OK when you had the time to do it properly but after trying to open the safe quickly like I would in a real situation, I found it unreliable and slow to reset so that I could try again. I can open my safe quicker by setting a combination of four key presses. I timed them and the push button was faster and more reliable. But then again I have the same problem with my laptop biometric reader. If I try to do it in a hurry it rarely reads it correctly. I think this is the problem with all biometric readers. Try to use one in a panic situation sometime to see what I mean.

Here is the page with the specs for the one I have: http://www.barska.com/Biometric_Safe-Standard_Biometric_Keypad_Safe_By_Barska.html

 

The specs are as follows: Dimensions 15"x12"x11.75", Inner Dimensions 14"x9.5"x11.25", Weight 35.5 lbs

 

I agree that any of these units are not truly what I would call "safes", they are more heavy duty locking cabinets. They will keep kids and causual thieves out, but anyone truly intent could probably get in with a big crowbar or good metal saw with a few blades and a little time. But that is not what I got it for, it is to keep accidents from happening and to prevent easy theft. I have mine sitting next to my dresser bolted to an 8 foot 2x4 which runs behind my dresser. The only way to move it would be to move the dresser first, then you would need a saw to cut the wood off. Sure a real determined person could get to it if they first got past my alarm system and then my two Siberian Huskies.

I also have a biometric safe. I made sure to enroll all of my fingers multiple times to minimize any issues. It's never failed to open.

Here is the page with the specs for the one I have: http://www.barska.com/Biometric_Safe-Standard_Biometric_Keypad_Safe_By_Barska.html

 

The specs are as follows: Dimensions 15"x12"x11.75", Inner Dimensions 14"x9.5"x11.25", Weight 35.5 lbs

 

I agree that any of these units are not truly what I would call "safes", they are more heavy duty locking cabinets. They will keep kids and causual thieves out, but anyone truly intent could probably get in with a big crowbar or good metal saw with a few blades and a little time. But that is not what I got it for, it is to keep accidents from happening and to prevent easy theft. I have mine sitting next to my dresser bolted to an 8 foot 2x4 which runs behind my dresser. The only way to move it would be to move the dresser first, then you would need a saw to cut the wood off. Sure a real determined person could get to it if they first got past my alarm system and then my two Siberian Huskies.

Thx for the info

Never trust your life to a battery. Always have a backup.

Never trust your life to a battery. Always have a backup.

 

Don't tell that to anybody that has a pacemaker!

 

 

BTW - the safe has a key for backup.

http://www.gunvault.com/multivault-biometric-gvb2000.html

 

I have the multivault from gunvault. My parents got it for me for my birthday last year, so I have had it for a little over a year now. At first it was great but now it wont even reconize my prints anymore. It is so frustrating that I just use the key now. I should just reset it and reprogram my prints to see if that'll work but I havent had the time.

http://www.gunvault....ic-gvb2000.html

 

I have the multivault from gunvault. My parents got it for me for my birthday last year, so I have had it for a little over a year now. At first it was great but now it wont even reconize my prints anymore. It is so frustrating that I just use the key now. I should just reset it and reprogram my prints to see if that'll work but I havent had the time.

.

 

Are those buttons on the other fingers that will let you open it that way too? I would try rescanning, I had one on my front door that acted up and reregistering the fingers solved that problem. Have you contacted them for support?

Works fine. It's really to keep my kids out

http://www.gunvault....ic-gvb2000.html

 

I have the multivault from gunvault. My parents got it for me for my birthday last year, so I have had it for a little over a year now. At first it was great but now it wont even reconize my prints anymore. It is so frustrating that I just use the key now. I should just reset it and reprogram my prints to see if that'll work but I havent had the time.

 

Same story here.. I have the mv500 from gunvault. Got it April 2011, stopped recognizing my print last fall. Some suggestions were to record my print like 50 times so that it will recognize every possible variation in my swipe. Too much effort, I just use my key now. One day I will play with it again, but im not really sold on the quality of the reader.

Dont let your life depend on batteries or electronics.... IMHO

 

http://www.fas1safe.com/main.sc

 

https://www.ftknox.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=59

Guess we should all toss our non hard wired smoke detectors hey?

 

Dont let your life depend on batteries or electronics.... IMHO

 

http://www.fas1safe.com/main.sc

 

https://www.ftknox.c...ategory&path=59

Guess we should all toss our non hard wired smoke detectors hey?

 

Good point.... but since there is no mechanical alternative..... I guess we will keep em...LOL

Safe still uses a key as a back up

Safe still uses a key as a back up

 

EXACTLY!

 

If you don't want a gun just sitting in a drawer you have to lock it up. If you lock it up you will get to it much faster in the dark of night with a biometric than with an old fashioned left-right-left tumbler type safe. Sure batteries can fail, just replace or recharge them on a regular basis - sort of like cleaning your weapon. Mine has keypad as backup, and when all else fails a mechanical key. I think I am good to go.

lol... Ahhh, biometrics are not bad depending on the brand. But mine also has a master key backup... So good to go. I've seen biometrics get better over the years. But button or fingerprint. I don't care who you are, you may fail in a panic situation and screw up either...

 

Good point.... but since there is no mechanical alternative..... I guess we will keep em...LOL

Guess we should all toss our non hard wired smoke detectors hey?

 

Yep. Mine are hard wired with a battery backup that gets changed every 6 months. However the problem with biometric readers is that the technology is not quite there yet. What some of these posters experienced is not uncommon. Even if it works, try using it under time and stress and see what happens. Try using it with blood on your fingers. Sure they have push buttons too but it is a waste of valuable time to try the biometric reader first and second (as most will try again) and then go to the push buttons. There have been studies done on these safes and while they may work with some people, they do not seem to work well if you are in a hurry to save your life. Odds are that you are not going to patiently stick your finger in there slowly and wait for it to be read. However I am a big believer is people doing what they feel is right for them so all I am doing is offering my experiences and what I have read in tests of these safes.

Old Dog, you have made some valid points. Here is my suggestion for the biometrics. Mine will hold 32 prints, so what I did was register both my thumbs and index fingers, that leaves me with 8 ways to program each finger. What I mean by that is first I programmed it with the finger nice and centered on the reader. Then I did it with the finger jambed in all the way to the top. Then I did it to the right side, then to the left side, and then just barely inserted. So, I have each finger recorded 5 different ways, could do three more for each. The bottom line is I don't need to worry how I insert that finger because no matter how I do it the safe will read it correctly.

 

Is it 100% totally fool proof -well no nothing is. But I am sure it will open faster than my trying to turn a tradition safe dial left-right-left in the near dark. I guess the choice is do you want the gun locked up or not, if the answer is you want it locked up then a biometric is probably the best way to go. We could talk all day if locked up or locked up is the right way to go, so let's not get into that here.

I have a GunVault GV2000s. It's a small pistol box I keep in the bedroom. At first I liked it but I found that the batteries die every month. Thinking of sending it back.

 

I have a sentry safe but they said it's not suitable for firearms, and I'm not about to store my emergency home defense weapon in the big gun safe in the closet.

 

I don't want the stack on crap from wal mart. I was told they can be opened easily without the key.

it's cool we talk about safes but you guys should not be revealing we're you have these safes, think about it....

it's cool we talk about safes but you guys should not be revealing we're you have these safes, think about it....

 

What was saying about under my bed... My safe is at the bottom of my septic tank... Come and get it ****

Go to the Asian market, buy a pint of pigs blood. Dip your fingers in it and see of your safe will open. Will opaque viscous liquids like your blood or the blood of a family member who is in peril prevent your electronic reader from reading.

 

I like my simplex lock.