Customer Reviews for SentrySafe Biometric Gun Safe for 1 Pistol with Fingerprint Lock and Interior Lights

When the safe works, it works great. However, the door strut fails after approximately 2 years and the door will not spring open. There is no manufacturer fix for this. Basically, you can add a longer spring to the strut on your own or buy a new safe.

Perfect for my nightstand. Holds one firearm and many extra rounds. My only frustration with it is the gas strut; when the safe first opens the strut is slow to open the door. In an emergency I could see this being a potential hazard. If the strut were quicker in action this would be 5 stars.

I like it very much. The build quality is generally very good except for a weirdly cheap plastic battery compartment. The fingerprint reader is pretty excellent, only misreads now and then. The security code and physical key ways of entry are also great and work flawlessly. Love the hydraulic arm that lifts the lid for you. The only thing it's missing is a light on the inside. Great product, you won't be disappointed.

Both me and my wife love the finger print option. She is happy with only having to use her finger print to open the safe and have access to its contents. I enjoy and feel safe assured that my wife can get to its contents with confidence when needed

My safe worked great for a year. After the year mark, I noticed the door to the safe wouldn’t lift as high when unlocking it. I changed the batteries and had the same results. Now at a little over 2 years, I unlock the safe and have to carefully lift the door from the side to get it open. After reading some of the reviews here, it looks like a pretty common issue with this product. It would be great but it’s expensive and not a investment if it stops being effective after a year.

My wife and I loved the ease of use of this safe, but in less than two years... the strut has failed as many others have mentioned. I'm sure there are longer lasting products on the market now. If I have to replace the strut on this every year, I would rather spend the money on something else that will last.

This was great at first, quick opening with biometrc unlock but after less than a year, the gas piston quit and I can't find another one to replace it. Makes it kind of unsafe when you're trying to fumble around in the middle of the night for your firearm and the safe doesn't open.

I own TWO of these biometric safes. I use one for keeping a firearm in it at home. Being a school teacher, I use the other one for locking up money, when collecting from students for various school-sponsored activities and field trips. Both safes have been great, until in approximately 1.5 to 2 years the GAS STRUTS on both of them stopped working. In other words, the finger scanner and/or push button code triggers the lock to unlatch, but then the safe has to be flipped upside down for the lid to open, or a flat head screwdriver has to be used to pry it open (see the attached image). This exact same defect happened in both safes, and considering that the safe that has been used for the gun safekeeping has only seen about 10 open/close cycles in a 2 –year period, the strut mechanism longevity is very poor. So if you need a safe with a well-functioning biometric electronics and the lock mechanism, but the poor quality strut for approximately a year and a half to two years, then buy it. After the above period, you will have to either pry the lid open with a screwdriver or turn the safe upside down to get your contents out. Hope this helps to make your purchase decision.

I own TWO of these biometric safes. I use one for keeping a firearm in it at home. Being a school teacher, I use the other one for locking up money, when collecting from students for various school-sponsored activities and field trips. Both safes have been great, until in approximately 1.5 to 2 years the GAS STRUTS on both of them stopped working. In other words, the finger scanner and/or push button code triggers the lock to unlatch, but then the safe has to be flipped upside down for the lid to open, or a flat head screwdriver has to be used to pry it open (see the attached image). This exact same defect happened in both safes, and considering that the safe that has been used for the gun safekeeping has only seen about 10 open/close cycles in a 2 –year period, the strut mechanism longevity is very poor. So if you need a safe with a well-functioning biometric electronics and the lock mechanism, but the poor quality strut for approximately a year and a half to two years, then buy it. After the above period, you will have to either pry the lid open with a screwdriver or turn the safe upside down to get your contents out. Hope this helps to make your purchase decision.

I’ve had other biometric pistol safes before, and this beats them hands down. The quick swipe finger pad is easy to see, impossible to miss even when you are in a hurry, and quick. I’ve had it a couple of years and yes, my strut started getting weak. For a few cents I got another spring like the one on the strut. Without disassembling anything, I just wound the spring on the strut, effectively increasing the opening force. Just like new. I’m guessing the spring will last me longer than a new strut.

This safe gives me peace of mind it secures my firearm , so easy to program and excellent quality for the price , love my sentry safe

One thing I couldn’t find is a reliable biometric safe. I custom-made a steel bracket and bolted it to the back side of the safe. Now it hangs on the side of my bed for easy reach. What I would like to see is the ability to tether it with a cable and an AC adapter if a commercial version of what I have done is ever made.

This gun safe is amazing to me. I have searched the internet and several different stores for something that my family and I would be comfortable with. We have grand and great grandchildren around all of the time. Now we never have to worry about accidents with them anymore. We love the three access points for this safe. My wife's and my fingerprints....the key access....and the combos are really nice and versatile features. Easy, quick and quiet access is a plus. It has pre-drilled holes and bolts for securing it inside of motor vehicle or in the home.Heavy duty construction, nice color and very affordable. Lowest price? (HOME DEPOT)

I purchased a second unit after one month because I liked the first unit that much. It is really easy to set up and the finger print recognition works every time. You have three choices of getting into the safe and can set up two different individuals fingerprints on it . It is built well (I am sure that a crow bar and 15 minutes I could get it open) for it's purpose.

I actually saw a different model in Home Depot... with the security code buttons only, and did some further research and came across this model. HANDS DOWN... it is the strongest, easiest to program and use pistol safe ever!!! Extremely durable, the biometric fingerprint sensor works 100% of the time, even with dirt on my hands from work! Lightning fast response from fingerprint reader, code buttons absolutely silent, and lightning fast door opening make this product absolutely INVALUEABLE in storing a loaded pistol in your car or home. Tamper-proof and pry-resistant, this is a MUST HAVE item if you need access to a loaded pistol within seconds! I wall mounted the unit and stored a large caliber pistol and an additional clip with no problems. I'm VERY impressed with the construction, appearance, and functionality of this safe. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

It has been a very long discussion in my household about whether keeping firearms in the house would be acceptable. Not everyone is comfortable with having active guns in the house that anyone can get to. I decided to spring for this gun safe to try and alleviate the concerns. Out of the box the sturdy-ness of this item is very apparent. It's built well and the craftsmanship is high quality. I am not a big fan of fingerprint scanners, and would be a bit nervous to rely solely on the scanner to access the contents of the safe. However SentrySafe has a few ways to access the safe, fingerprint scanner, key-code, and finally a key set. I will mention the fingerprint scanner has worked with no issues each time I have used it, but I feel better knowing there is also the option of key-code. The safe is great, I use it to hold a pistol, and it has ample room for the gun and ammo. There are accommodations to bolt the safe down, which is also a nice feature. I would say the cost is a bit higher then some of the other pistol sized safes, however the fingerprint scanner and key-code are most likely where the added cost comes from. With the ability to access the safe so quickly, I think the added cost is worth it. I'm quite happy with it!

This is a great pistol safe that has all the features you could want. There are 3 different ways to open it. The fingerprint reader is the quickest. I found it very easy to program to my finger and very reliable for opening. Maybe 1 time out of 10 I swipe my finger wrong and it doesn't open. You have to hold your finger on the pad for a second to bring it out of standby mode before you swipe. You can also program it for 2 different fingers (2 people or both hands just in case). Next fastest are the buttons. No numbers, just 4 buttons. One on the end has a raised spot on it so you can feel it in the event that you can't see it. You can program a 4, 5, or 6 digit code. It only takes one code. You have to press any button to first bring it out of standby mode, then enter the code. The finger pad and the buttons light up when it "turns on." Slowest is using the key. Presumable this is only used in case the batteries running the other locks die, or if you forget the code, or can't find your finger. Whichever way you open it the internal piston automatically pops the lid all the way up so you can reach in. Its quiet, but not silent. You can just hear the latch release and the piston makes a little noise. The inside is well padded with a dense foam. Its almost completely padded except for back top cylindrical edge that houses the hinge. The inner dimensions are 9 5/8 by 6 3/8 inches. I was able to fit a full size 1911 and a compact pistol at the same time. Though it is small enough to take an put in the car, it is very heavy. It has good solid construction with no edges that could be used to pry it open. The plastic caps on the ends keep it from scratching surfaces and it has holes in the bottom for bolting down. Great safe. Couldn't ask for more.

This safe is perfect for keeping a firearm secure yet ready for home defense. I wanted something ultra-reliable because I would essentially be trusting my and my family's safety with it. For that reason, I was a little skeptical about the fingerprint reader. The ones I've used on laptops have been unreliable at best, and I don't want to worry if it will work right when I need to access a pistol immediately. Fortunately it's worked flawlessly every time I've swiped my finger across it. The four digit combination is a good backup in case the fingerprint reader fails for some reason. If I somehow simultaneously forget the combination and have both hands chopped off, the safe can still be opened with the backup key (or maybe I could just use it in the event the batteries go dead). Biometric Access: - Like I already mentioned, the biometric access feature of this safe is phenomenal. I've only had it fail to read once, and that was with my non-dominant hand at an awkward angle. - The safe can be brought out of standby mode by either pressing one of the buttons or placing a finger on the fingerprint scanner. After the safe lights up, a finger swipe will immediately open the safe (see video). - If a finger is swiped rapidly over and over again, the safe won't open until you stop. So remember to keep calm, and the safe will open with no problem. - A primary set of two fingerprints as well as secondary sets of fingerprints can be recorded for multiple users. 4 Key Combination: - It's mandatory that you set your own access combination, since the safe comes with the same default combination programmed into it. - The keys light up and are easy to press. With four possible keys and combinations ranging from 4-6 digits, that comes out to 5,376 distinct combinations if I did my math right. The safe locks out access for two minutes every time five incorrect combinations are entered consecutively. Assuming it takes 3 seconds on average to enter a code, it will take over 40 hours to go through all possible combinations. Any kid who can methodically go through that many combinations is old enough to know how to properly handle a firearm responsibly (provided they've been properly taught by their parents). Interior: - The interior has plenty of room for a big full size handgun and a spare magazine, and there's enough clearance to easily and quickly pick up the gun. Alternately, it's got enough space for a full size handgun and a pocket pistol, but they don't lie completely flat. - The safe also has a tough foam liner so your firearms won't get scratched. - The gas piston quickly pops the safe open. It's not completely silent, since the door clangs a little when opening (see video). - The safe has two holes for lag bolting it to a solid surface, and hardware is included. However, I'm not quite sure where to mount it, since It seems like a drawer would be the best option. Mounting it to a wall would make it awkward to access, and mounting it to the floor would just be odd. Exterior: - The lid is sloped in such a way that it appears to be pry resistant. - I searched all over the internet for security vulnerabilities for this particular safe model, but I couldn't find any. SentrySafe also seems to be absent from the lists of brands that offer unreliable or insecure products.

The gal I spoke with took great care of me and resolved my issue right away.

The safe works fine. The biometric sensor does not always recognize my fingerprint so I just use the combination. The gas strut leaked out so I ordered a new one. A year or two later that one had also leaked out. I replaced the weak spring with one that is heavier and longer so it opens without gas in the strut. Problem solved. It's better to replace that spring up front than to find out the hard way, when you really need the lid to pop open. To open with a failing gas strut, turn the box over. If the box is bolted down, you can probably pry with a knife. Don't snap the blade off because you might need that knife for self defense.

Like everyone, Mine didn’t work well from about a few months in. Gas strut barely opened it a half inch. Now about a year later won’t open it at all. Only opened it a 6-7 times in a year and never sprung open.

I purchased this safe to keep my firearm out of reach from my children. I left it in the box unopened for about a year, until I purchased my firearm. When I opened the box for the first time, the gas strut that opens the lid would not work. I contacted the company to see what the warranty of the safe is, and if it was out of warranty to check and see if I could purchase a new strut. I have not heard anything back from them.

Love the biometric feature but keep override key in failsafe place as the safe batteries do wear out!

Like many others, I experienced the issue of the bad strut. I have to lean my safe to the side to open the door because the strut doesn’t work at all. Given the numerous complaints about the issue, it’s clear that there should have been some type of recall. I definitely won’t be buying a Sentry Safe on my next purchase.

This has sat in the box for 4 years unopened. Opened it today and the piston to open the door is not working. The suggested repair is to use a magnet and pull the door up.

The safe is very sturdy but can use a better opening strut system. If I need to open this safe in an emergency it will unlock with no problem, the code or biometrics work flawlessly but the door doesn’t pop open as it should. This is a problem and it needs to be addressed, you should not have to jiggle, use a tool or turn the safe over to retrieve your handgun when it’s supposed to pop open. I don’t want to throw it out and buy something else because I think it’s a good product, but you have to fix these struts to work as designed. In an emergency, every second counts.

I bought this safe but when someone broke into my truck they easily broke into the safe as if it was butter and stole my gun.

I found this safe to be a good fit for my full sized 9mm and 2 clips. I don't think the lid ever sprung open when opening activated. Finally inquired about the problem and have a new gas cylinder being shipped. I'm hopeful this will solve everything.

I do like the safe. It fits my full size pistol with a light and optic and two magazines. I think I just need to become more familiar with the opening process. I keep getting thrown off by having to touch a button or tap the fingerprint scanner to wake up the unit before entering your code or using the fingerprint scanner.

Great for 1 hand gun! Strong Safe, very solid, easy to use and program.