LockSAF gun safe

American Handgunner, July-August, 2009 by Dave Anderson

A home defense firearm needs to be accessible. At the same time it should be protected from theft and unauthorized access. The best system, in my view, is a safe which only authorized residents can open. The trick is getting it open. If you ever need your firearm the odds are it will be at night. You may be groggy, it will be dark, and turning on the lights may not be a good idea.

The PBS-001 case from LockSAF is one of the best solutions I've seen. The safe itself is very well made and finished, of heavy steel (9 gauge, weighs 22 pounds), with interior foam padding. The bottom has four pilot holes so the safe can be bolted to any flat surface. Opening the safe is via a fingerprint-recognition keypad. The system can be programmed to accept up to ten fingerprints, and instructions are simple and straightforward. Since there's no guaranty which hand will be available in an emergency it's a good idea to program index finger prints from right and left hands.

I've used the safe for several weeks, opened it some hundreds of times and have found it completely reliable. Even in total darkness opening is simple. Just find the button on the top-front by touch, and press it. The recessed fingerprint pad lights up a soft red, hold your fingertip on the pad for a second and the spring-loaded door pops open. It requires enough attention you need to be awake and reasonably alert, a feature I like. If you aren't alert enough to open the door you probably shouldn't have a gun in your hand. Placement of the fingertip on the pad is not critical, as the recessed location of the pad naturally channels the finger into position. Not once did the safe fail to open due to incorrect fingertip positioning, or any other reason for that matter.

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A 9V battery powers the electronics. Even if the battery is dead or removed, the safe can always be opened manually with supplied keys. This is a well-made, reliable useful product. It has been approved as a firearm storage device by the California Dept. of Justice. Current retail is $349.95. www.locksaf.com