Is It Worth Upgrading To Biometric Gun Safes?

We try our best. We strive to be hip and “in the know.” Sometimes, we even use slang we don’t understand and watch the world grow around us. No matter how hard we try, we always end up being our parents. I find this to be especially true as my father seems to have taken over my body and mouth. I have found myself saying the dreaded “I remember when” and “You kids.” No matter how much I try, it seems the transformation is inevitable. One specific curmudgeonly point recently arose when a discussion on biometric gun safes arose.

Having a safe is a must for safe and correct gun ownership, but is a biometric safe the answer? — (Photo by Fred Mastison)

Biometric Safes VS the Old Man

My friend’s new safe could be opened by using his fingerprint only. He was so proud, and I struggled to be happy for him. However, like in the movie Venom, my inner monster began to talk no matter how hard I tried to stop him. My off-the-cuff comment was, “How many times have you tried to open your phone with your fingerprint, and it didn’t work?”. This is the truth, and we have all experienced it. Maybe your hands were wet, perhaps the screen was dirty, or maybe your phone simply decided not to work at that moment.

My point is that with a phone, it is simply an inconvenience. With a gun safe, it can be a matter of life and death. If we are put in a situation where we need fast access to our safe, we cannot rely on technology that has not advanced to the point of super reliability. I could see the look of pain on his face, so I was compelled to offer a caveat.

There is, in my mind, a place for a biometric option for a gun safe. The main application would be if you needed to open the safe in front of others. You do not want them to see your key code, so a biometric device in tandem with a traditional keypad would be a great setup. You still can quickly and reliably open the safe with a keypad, but you have the privacy option with a biometric fingerprint reader. While this is a great way to manage access, there are few companies offering this option.

A keypad allows access to your guns instead of relying solely on a fingerprint. — (Photo by Fred Mastison)

A Solid Choice in Safes

My choice for safes in this arena comes from SecureIt. Like me, they see the challenge of biometrics for fast entry, and they have a solution. That solution is their new Agile 52 safe. The heart of the Agile 52 is the advanced six-button keypad featuring a biometric operation option.

The keypad is designed to give the user options. The keypad allows three different user codes, all programmed by the user. The biometric pad can hold up to 30 different fingerprints. SecureIt understands that some users may not prefer a biometric option. With that in mind, they have given you the ability to disable it.

Other options include the ability to turn the backlighting of the keys off and the sound. The Agile keypad system is one of the most advanced in the industry. They have worked hard to make the safe, secure, and user-friendly as possible. To help manage power for the safe, they have included a low battery alert light on the keypad. They have also designed the safe to be powered by an external battery connected to the USBC port on the bottom of the keypad. It really is the best of both worlds.

So yes, I get it. Opening something with your fingerprint has a very sci-fi modern feel to it. But like so much evolving technology, it simply isn’t ready for prime time. When you need to get into your safe in a hurry, you do not want to be trying multiple times, wiping off the scanner or licking your thumb to make things work. You want and need it now. So, while my inner voice may be a salty old man. He is a salty old man that is right. He just needs to work on his delivery.

The latest technology allows the easiest, and most advanced biometrics in the business qallowing quick access to your guns. — (Photo by Fred Mastison)

Future Gadget Tech

Biometric safes aren’t the only thing that is eyebrow-raising in the world of firearms storage. No matter the direction a firearms enthusiast chooses to look, he’s sure to spot some new-fangled tech that easily stirs up a controversy. Skillset decided to throw together a short list of our favorites to get the argument started the next time you are at the range.

Optics thermals, red dots, projection imagery, and solar charging. Guns are becoming more high-tech and more reliant on powered devices every day. When was the last time you went long-range shooting without a ballistics calculator? Now, take that and throw it all inside your optic. Pretty cool, huh?

Diagnostic ECM Just like your car, imagine your gun having an onboard computer. One capable of clocking shot counts, malfunctions, and so much more. Big tech has the ability to keep better maintenance logs than you, and with duty guns, this is an attractive feature. Departments will be able to analyze and use data for the good and potentially bad.

Smart Firearms As if biometric safes aren’t hot-topic enough, imagine the thought of needing your sidearm in a rainy shootout with a crazed criminal, and the fingerprint grips don’t recognize your digits. That’s right, biometric grips are been tinkered with too.