Barska Biometric Safe

I recently received this biometric safe from Amazon. I ordered it on 8/15/10 and received it on 8/21/10 via fed-ex ground. The outer box was crushed on top but the safe was in perfect condition thanks to some very good packaging. Any past packaging/shipping problems have been fixed.

I ordered this safe because I wanted quick access to a weapon in a part of my home that is far removed from my gun collection. I decided I can open a biometric safe when my heart is racing much faster than I can a combination lock. I have two teenage children who I do want to have access to the weapon. Shortly after installing the safe and registering my fingerprints and my wife's fingerprints (We did several angles of our right index fingers per others suggestions), my 15 year old son WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE SAFE in 10 seconds using a trick he learned on the "Myth Busters" television show. I quickly learned that you MUST wipe the glass clean after each use or techno savvy teens CAN open this safe. (The instructions do not tell you to do this). With the glass cleaned my son was NOT able to open the safe. We now keep a wash cloth next to the safe for this purpose.


My children have grown up with firearms and I take them to the shooting range MONTHLY. Firearms are not taboo or a mystery to them and they are safer around firearms than most adults I know. The purpose of the safe is really to keep their friends out and prevent any temptation to show the weapon. However, after watching my 15 year old open the safe (even knowing he could not repeat it with the glass clean), if my children were younger or were at all inexperienced with firearms, I would invest in a more expensive biometric safe to insure they could not gain access.

This safe would be easy to carry off if you don't bolt it to the wall or floor. Also it is relatively thin metal (about the same thickness as a typical high school locker but a far more substantial locking mechanism) and would probably only keep out a thief looking for a quick in and out. In my opinion a determined thief would open this safe with a heavy crowbar in just a few minutes. I have a 2 cu.ft. combination lock fire/flood safe from Sentry which I paid about $400 for. It is far, far more substantial and that is the type of safe I recommend for digital media and real valuables.