Biometric Gun Safes: How to Judge a Fingerprint Lock

A biometric gun safe trades a code for a fingerprint

A biometric gun safe is a gun safe or handgun safe with a fingerprint reader as one of its locks. You enroll one or more fingers; the safe opens when the reader matches one of them. Listings use several names for the same thing: fingerprint gun safe, thumbprint gun safe, gun safe biometric, biometric gun vault.

The category spans every size:

• Fingerprint gun boxes and small gun safes with fingerprint readers, sized for one or two pistols
• Biometric mounted gun safes that bolt under a desk, inside a closet or to a wall
• Portable biometric gun safes meant to travel with a security cable
• Biometric rifle safes and biometric long gun safes, including biometric shotgun safes, with a reader on the door of a full-height safe
• Large biometric gun safes that pair a fingerprint reader with a keypad on a standard gun-safe door

Our table includes every gun safe and handgun safe we track with a fingerprint lock listed among its lock types. If you only want handgun-size models, the biometric handgun safes page narrows it down. Non-gun safes with fingerprint locks are on the biometric safes page.

Occasionally a listing mentions a voice activated gun safe or a "finger combination" lock. The second usually means a mechanical button sequence pressed with the fingers, not a fingerprint reader. Read the lock type, not the product name.

Who should buy a fingerprint gun safe, and who should skip it

A fingerprint lock suits people who want to open a safe quickly without remembering or entering a code, often in low light. It also suits households where several adults need access and each can enroll their own prints.

Skip it, or choose a different lock, if:

• You want the longest possible track record. Keypad and mechanical locks have their own failure modes, but biometric readers on gun safes have a recent, documented recall history (below). The keypad gun safes page covers the alternative.
• The safe will sit unused for months. Electronic locks depend on batteries. A safe you rarely open needs a reliable backup.
• Someone's prints won't enroll reliably. A person whose fingerprint the reader can't match depends on the backup key or code every time.

Children, firearms and fingerprint locks

This part is plain, because it matters. If children live in or visit the home, a gun safe should stay locked whenever the firearm is not in an adult's hands. A Department of Justice storage handout from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont recommends unloaded storage in a locked container, ammunition locked separately, and keys and combinations kept away from children.

A fingerprint reader is not a guarantee. In recent CPSC actions on biometric gun safes, the hazard was that the lock could be opened by people whose fingerprints were never enrolled. Two of those notices describe children gaining access. Storage laws vary by state; check your state's official government site. California publishes its gun safe standard on the Department of Justice site.

Biometric gun safe recalls: the public record since 2023

Several biometric gun safe recalls and warnings have been announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission since 2023. In each, the stated hazard was that the biometric lock could be opened by unauthorized users. From the CPSC notices:

• October 2023: about 61,000 biometric gun safes sold under the Fortress, Cabela's, Gettysburg and Legend Range & Field brands
• February 2024: about 60,000 Awesafe biometric gun safes, and about 33,500 Bulldog Cases biometric pistol vaults, among others
• June 2024: about 133,370 Sanctuary and Sports Afield biometric gun safes
• January 2025: a CPSC warning to stop using the biometric feature on about 183,000 Stack-On biometric gun safes, pistol vaults and lock boxes, after Stack-On did not agree to an acceptable recall
• July 2026: about 9,100 BBRKIN and MouTec biometric gun safes sold on Amazon

Remedies ranged from repair kits to replacements. Before buying any biometric model, search its brand and model number on the CPSC recalls site. If you already own one, register it with the manufacturer so a recall notice can reach you.

What to look for in a biometric gun safe: the reader and the backup

Biometric locks are great until your thumb has a bad day. The fingerprint reader gets the photo on the listing; the backup lock does the quiet work on every other day.

Fingerprint capacity and enrollment

Manufacturers state how many fingerprints a safe can store. More slots let you enroll two or three fingers per person, which helps when one finger reads poorly. Check also whether enrollment requires an administrator print or code; that controls who can add new users. Our table sorts by stated fingerprint capacity, highest first.

The backup: key, code and power

Every biometric gun safe should have a second way in. Check:

• Backup type: override key, keypad code, or both
• Battery access: from outside, or only with the safe open
• External power: a port to power the lock if the battery dies
• Key storage: the DOJ handout says keys and combinations should be stored separately from the safe

A backup key is also a lock someone else can use. Store it like the firearm it protects.

Mounting and where the safe will sit

A fingerprint gun box on a nightstand is easy to reach, and easy to pick up. Check for pre-drilled mounting holes and an included kit, or a security cable on portable models. The DOJ handout notes that, depending on size, a lock box can be stolen. A small biometric safe that isn't anchored protects against curious hands, not against someone who can carry it away.

Placement also affects the reader. A sensor that faces a wall or sits under a shelf is harder to use quickly and consistently. Before ordering, check the exterior dimensions and where the reader sits on the lid or door, then picture the spot where the safe will go. If the safe is for a vehicle, our car gun safes page covers models built for that.

Steel, ratings and the box around the reader

A fingerprint lock sits on a steel container, and the container still matters. Compare steel gauge (lower is thicker), mounting holes, and any independent rating. A UL Residential Security Container rating under UL 1037 tests the container against a timed attack with tools. It does not test how well a fingerprint reader rejects the wrong finger. UL 2058 is UL's outline for high-security electronic locks, but a listing would have to name it for that to apply. Our guide to UL safe ratings explains each label.

I haven't found a public, independent rating that measures how often a consumer gun-safe fingerprint reader accepts an unenrolled finger. Until one exists, the recall record is the clearest public evidence available.

How to read the biometric gun safe table

The table shows every biometric gun safe and biometric handgun safe we track. It's sorted by stated fingerprint capacity, highest first. Things to keep in mind:

• "—" means not confirmed. The manufacturer didn't state the value, or we couldn't verify it.
• Lock types lists every way in. Look for a second entry besides biometric: keypad, key or both.
• Type separates full-size gun safes from handgun safes. Filter by it if you need a biometric rifle safe with fingerprint lock rather than a pistol box.
• Steel gauge reads backwards: lower numbers are thicker.
• Fire rating shows duration, temperature and who tested it, when stated. Claimed and rated are labeled separately.

Use the table to shortlist on size and lock arrangement. Then check each shortlisted model number against the CPSC recall list and read the manual's sections on enrollment, battery replacement and the override key. A small gun safe with fingerprint lock and a full-size biometric long gun safe answer different needs; compare within the same type.

Choosing a fingerprint safe for guns

Decide the size first, then judge the lock as a system: reader, backup key or code, and power. Check the model against the CPSC recall list before you order. Register it when it arrives, enroll more than one finger, and store the backup key away from the safe. Then filter the table above by type and check the price on the models that pass.