GunVault or Alternatives for fingertip safes

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

So another break-in in our area and shots fired this time. Crime is off the hook in our neighborhood. Wife finally sees the need for her to have a gun available. I have a GunVault for my CCW, but it is a decade old.

Anyone have any insights on the current offerings? Do the fingertip readers work any better than the ones on iPads? Their unreliability versus my wife when she is home alone trying to finger bang a box from a dead sleep is an interesting conundrum. I use mine so often that if I try to think of the sequence, I have a hard time verbalizing it.

Just looking for a safe for a Lady Smith 38, though I am thinking that a larger one for electronics as a strong box is also another use.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Is this an in-car safe?

[RIDE]

I would stay far away from any biometric safes if they are going to hold a tool that you or your wife may need very quickly to save your lives.

I have a few 4 button gunVaults around the house. They have never failed and open every time.

Depending on whether or not you have kids around, if I were in your situation where very nearby there were multiple break-ins while people were home, I would consider keeping a gun on the nightstand. With a gunVault or safe to be used when your wife was leaving the home. (Truthfully, I'd set her up with a second gun in the car too).


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[fatmat27]

I prefer the mechanical safes. Just as easy to punch in the combo but no batteries to fail and tougher construction/design. I don't know if I'd ever trust a biometric to work every time.

I still have a couple electronic types only because I bought them before discovering these but I trust them to the EDC stuff (kept in the closet) whereas bedside guns are mechanical.

V-line is one example of what I'm using, there are others such as Fort Knox, AmSec, etc.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Is this an in-car safe?

House.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I prefer the mechanical safes. Just as easy to punch in the combo but no batteries to fail and tougher construction/design. I don't know if I'd ever trust a biometric to work every time.

I still have a couple electronic types only because I bought them before discovering these but I trust them to the EDC stuff (kept in the closet) whereas bedside guns are mechanical.

V-line is one example of what I'm using, there are others such as Fort Knox, AmSec, etc.

Do you have an example of a mechanical one?

Thanks

[fatmat27]

http://www.deansafe.com/handgun-safes-combination.html
also good for the car if secured, I would ignore the cheepo stack-on types on the page..

[fledge]

x2 night stand. Part of bedtime routine (if she doesn't carry holstered in the house): remove handgun from safe and place on nightstand. No need for a fast safe combo in that situation.

Your profile says Colorado. What region are these break-ins occurring? Stay safe!

[Auto-X Fil]

Between my family members, we have 6 Gun Vault electronic safes. All are the 4-button style - I've never been able to trust the fingerprint readers. I have major reliability issues with smartphone/computer readers due to hands that often have dirt, cuts, blisters, whatever.

I also have a Shot-Lock AR Solo Vault, which is mechanical. I am quite a bit faster and more reliable with the Gun Vault buttons - they are larger and wider-spaced, and that lets me get all four fingers on them at once, eliminating errors moving between small, closely-spaced buttons in the dark. To be sure, I'm also more familiar with them. When we picked out a safe to leave somewhere that doesn't have convenient power outlets and for someone who would probably forget to change batteries, I chose a mechanical Fort Knox safe. As far as I know it's still working well. The quality on it seemed good, and it was certainly tougher against un-authorized access.

The Gun Vault Deluxe has room for more guns, has a light, and comes with a power cable so the alkaline 9V is only a backup if the power goes out. For a while, my only Gun Vault had my HD setup on the top (XD-M 40, two extra mags, Sure-Fire G2x), and my CCW setups on the bottom (M&P 40c in paddle, LCP in pocket holster, 2x extra mags for both).

[Auto-X Fil]

x2 night stand. Part of bedtime routine (if she doesn't carry holstered in the house): remove handgun from safe and place on nightstand. No need for a fast safe combo in that situation.

No bueno with kids in the house, in my opinion. What if my son comes into my room and gropes around on my nightstand for his stuffed animal in the dark? I would only leave a gun unlocked if I lived in a house my myself or with my wife, and we kept the doors locked.

[dbain99]

Chose the option here that best fits your needs rest easy.

http://www.fas1safe.com/home.html


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[fledge]

No bueno with kids in the house, in my opinion. What if my son comes into my room and gropes around on my nightstand for his stuffed animal in the dark? I would only leave a gun unlocked if I lived in a house my myself or with my wife, and we kept the doors locked.

I've got kids too. If this is a risk, put a noisemaker (bells, etc) on the doorknob to your bedroom. You should want to know if they are roaming about in your room at night anyway.

In the event of a break in, I don't want to have to reply on my memory to unlock a safe nor waste precious seconds fiddling when I need to be engaging. Expect the unexpected and at a moment's notice when you wake from your deepest sleep and your head is foggiest.

Just my approach and mindset. You need to weight your own.

[punkey71]

+1 for the V-Line.

I have a couple V Line compacts and they will *just* fit a G19 with an RMR and Taran +3 basepad. You won't be getting anything else in the compact.

No batteries and a user selectable push button combo.

Not fancy or high tech, just very functional.

http://www.amazon.com/V-Line-Compact-Keyless-Storage-Security/dp/B001H3QGJS



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[jstalford]

Chose the option here that best fits your needs rest easy.

http://www.fas1safe.com/home.html


Sent via telegraph with the same fingers I use to sip whiskey.

This.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Thanks everyone for the input. On the mechanical ones, is it just the order of buttons (no repeats?) to open it?

[punkey71]

On the V Line, it's user settable. No repeats but you can set it to take a single button, multiple buttons in a sequence (up to all 5) or multiple buttons at the same time with or without singles added in.






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[dbain99]

On the V Line, it's user settable. No repeats but you can set it to take a single button, multiple buttons in a sequence (up to all 5) or multiple buttons at the same time with or without singles added in.






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Similar for Fas1 user settable 4 digit code.



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[FAS1]

On the V Line, it's user settable. No repeats but you can set it to take a single button, multiple buttons in a sequence (up to all 5) or multiple buttons at the same time with or without singles added in.

This is correct for all the ones that use the "Simplex" style mechanical push button lock. The FAS1 does take it a step further with the optional keyed lock. It has two functions:

Deadbolt the push button lock - Say you leave a HD gun in it all the time. It can't be opened even if the correct combination is entered. This is an exclusive function that no one else offers.

Backup entry - Keyed backup entry. This function can easily be disabled by the customer that does not want a key avail.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d8X3L04eD2E/Va-ZD1p8UKI/AAAAAAAAHXM/K5-w1zfKitU/w639-h480/IMG_3531.JPG

[Spurholder]

I've got one of these - and it's awesome.

Simple to operate, strong, etc.

http://www.ftknox.com/product/original-pistol-box/

[El Cid]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d8X3L04eD2E/Va-ZD1p8UKI/AAAAAAAAHXM/K5-w1zfKitU/w639-h480/IMG_3531.JPG

Looks nice! Are there holes on the bottom to bolt it to the floor or furniture?
Also, interior dimensions if you could please? My G17L is pretty big even without the optic. Thanks!

[jstalford]

Looks nice! Are there holes on the bottom to bolt it to the floor or furniture?
Also, interior dimensions if you could please? My G17L is pretty big even without the optic. Thanks!

All the info you could ever want:

http://www.fas1safe.com/


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[El Cid]

All the info you could ever want:

http://www.fas1safe.com/


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Perfect - thanks!

[sevenhelmet]

I got tired of worrying about dead batteries in my GunVault. My 4-button would fail to open on the first try if you didn't change the 6 AA batteries at least every 6 weeks. I definitely wouldn't trust my HD weapon to a biometric safe- my experiences with fingerprint readers has been horrible, and they're thrown off by the least bit of sweat, dust, grime, etc. on your finger.

Another vote for a mechanical simplex style lockbox (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T2C7Z0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00). The one I linked has a mounting plate, and virtually disappears under a shelf or in a cupboard. They're great for home or in-vehicle storage, and at least as secure as a GunVault, if not more so. Mine has never failed to open on the first proper combo entry.