In this article, we’ll be giving you our in-depth and hands-on review of one of those safes: The Amazon Basics Biometric Pistol Safe
You’ll learn everything you need to know about this super affordable biometric pistol safe through our hands-on experience with it.
Our Video Review
Below, you can see a quick video review where we put it through the fingerprint test gauntlet, show how many handguns it can store, and go over what comes with the Amazon Basics Biometric Pistol Safe.
To learn all of the criteria we use to rank gun safes, see: How We Test Gun Safes
Amazon Basics Biometric Pistol Safe Review
In this crazy world we live in, the need for secure firearm storage has become increasingly important.
Fast Biometric Access
The Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe offers a reliable solution for firearm owners looking to keep their handguns safe and secure.
This review will delve into the key features and the included accessories, as well as discuss why this safe is a great investment for the price.
Key Features:
- Biometric Fingerprint Scanner: The Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe features a cutting-edge biometric fingerprint scanner. This allows for quick and secure access to the safe, as the scanner can store and recognize multiple fingerprints. The convenience of biometric technology eliminates the need to remember a combination or fumble with keys.
- Solid Steel Construction: The safe is built with robust and durable solid steel construction, providing excellent protection for your handgun. The sturdy construction ensures that unauthorized access attempts are thwarted, making it nearly impossible for intruders to break in.
- Compact Design: Designed with space efficiency in mind, the safe has a compact form factor that allows for easy placement in various locations. Whether it’s tucked away in a drawer, mounted on a wall, or kept in a discreet location, the Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe fits seamlessly into any environment.
Unboxing Experience
The Amazon Basics Biometric Safe came shipped in a nondescript, plain cardboard box that does not disclose the contents inside.
The strategic use of styrofoam ensured that the safe inside was damage-resistant and would hold up to moderately rough handling during shipment.
And, indeed, our arrives in perfect condition with all accessories present and accounted for.
What’s Included:
The Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe comes with the following accessories:
- Mounting Hardware: The safe includes all the necessary mounting hardware, making it easy to secure the safe in your preferred location. Whether you choose to mount it vertically or horizontally, the included hardware ensures a secure installation.
- Backup Keys: In addition to the biometric fingerprint scanner, the safe comes with two backup keys. These keys serve as an alternative access method in case of emergencies or if the biometric scanner malfunctions.
- Interior Carpet Padding: To prevent scratches or damage to your handgun, this budget-minded safe features only 1 thin layer of carpeting on the bottom section. This protective layer ensures that your firearm remains in pristine condition while securely stored.
First Impressions
The first thing we noticed is the hefty weight of this safe, which comes in at 20.6 lbs! That’s usually a good sign and means there’s a good amount of steel used to make this safe strong and durable.
Turning our focus toward aesthetics, as with most safes in this price range, we pretty much expected the fit and finish to be lacking, and, indeed, some of the bottom edges of the Amazon Basics safe look pretty rough.
The semi-matte black finish doesn’t look that bad (at a glance) and keeps fingerprints to a minimum. It seems to hold up fairly well against scuffs and scratches as well.
This may be a “baked-on” finish and not just a simple spray paint job, which would account for its durability.
As you can see from the left interior photo, there’s a fairly large dimensional volume with the shelf removed.
The top right photo shows the rather large pre-drilled mounting holes (8 in total) that accommodate the large bolts that securely tether it to a floor or wall (or both).
The door is secured by 2 large solid steel bolts with a front door fascia that is a relatively thick 8 gauge steel that’s fairly uncommon for a safe in this price range.
The body of the safe is a thinner 14 gauge steel and is an industry standard for a lot of safes on the market.
Behind the safe door, you can see the plastic locking mechanism cover that incorporates the battery door and includes a quick setup reference sticker with basic operating instructions.
Our Amazon Basics safe came with a slightly bent mounting shaft. This made the plastic cover look somewhat crooked but did not impede functionality.
Above, you can get a close-up look at the electronic locking mechanism that is hidden behind the plastic casing.
It’s about as “basic” a mechanism as they come but it does get the job done and has functioned flawlessly in our tests.
Setup and Programming
If you want a quick visual setup and programming guide, you can check out our video.
Otherwise, keep reading to learn how to set up and program this Amazon Basics Biometric safe for the first time.
When you first get this safe, you’ll need to open it using the backup key (to gain access, lift off the plastic cover).
To Do This You Need To:
- Remove The Lock Cover
- Insert The Key & Turn It Counterclockwise
- Turn The Know Clockwise To Open The Door
- Turn The Knob Counterclockwise When Closing Door
- Keep Keys In A Safe Place Outside Of The Safe!
Installing Batteries:
- Open The Battery Compartment (On The Backside Of The Door) & Insert 4 Quality Alkaline AA Batteries (Not Included) & Match The Correct Polarities
- Replace Battery Cover
The Amazon Basics Biometric Safe can store a maximum of 50 fingerprints. Follow the steps below to register your fingerprints- be sure to press your finger using the same position and angle for each step.
After completing the initial registration steps, it is recommended that you do a second registration with the same finger but at a slightly different angle or position.
Registering additional positions increases the likelihood of the scanner successfully reading your fingerprint on the first attempt.
Fingerprint Registration:
- Remove The Battery Cover To Locate The “Reset” Button & Press The Reset Button (The Green Light On The Keypad Will Flash 2 Times With 2 Beeps)
- Press Your Finger To The Biometric Scanner & Remove Your Finger When You Hear A Beep Followed By The Green Light Flashing Once.
- A Second After The First Beep, Press Your Finger In The Same Position & Angle Again On the Scanner. (Remove Your Finger When You Hear A “Beep” Along With The Green Light Flashing Once)
- A Second After The Second Beep, Do The Same As Before Until You Hear 2 Beeps Followed By The Green Light Flashing Twice.
- Now, Your Fingerprint Has Been Successfully Registered!
Note: If the red light flashes 5 times, this means the registration failed and you must restart the registration process again.
Tip: When “Re-Pressing” your finger on the scanner in steps 2,3, & 4, you must proceed to the next step within 5 seconds, or the registration process will have to be restarted. (Make sure to use the same position and angle each time when re-pressing your finger).
Another Suggestion: To increase capture accuracy, register 3 or 4 times with different parts of the same finger to ensure most of the areas of the finger are registered and captured.
Now, open the safe with any finger you registered. If your print is accepted, you will hear 2 beeps and the green light will turn on. (You will have 5 seconds to turn the knob before the locking mechanism is reactivated).
If the red light flashes 3 times along with 3 beeps, however, the fingerprint is invalid.
Automatic Lockout Feature:
This safe has an automatic lockout feature that helps protect it from any unauthorized entry attempts.
If an invalid fingerprint is entered 3 consecutive times, you will hear 5 beeps and the red light will flash 5 times as well.
This will activate a 60-second lockout. After 3 failed fingerprint attempts, the safe lock will timeout for 5 minutes.
Note: During the lockout period, it’s important to note that you can still gain entry with the backup key.
To Silence The Keypad Sounds:
- To Turn Off The Keypad Sound, Press The Scanner With A Registered Finger For 10 Seconds Until The Green Light Flashes Twice
- To Turn The Keypad Sound Back On: Press The Scanner Like Above For 10 Seconds Until The Green Light Flashes Twice With 2 Beeps (like before).
To clear registered fingerprints, simply hold the reset button on the inside of the safe for 5 seconds until the green light flashes and beeps 10 times.
All of the scans have now been removed and the registration process must be repeated.
Storage Capacity
The Amazon Basics Biometric safe comes in 4 different sizes to conform to your particular needs.
These Sizes Are As Follows:
- 0.5 Cubic Feet
- 1.2 Cubic Feet
- 1.52 Cubic Feet
- 1.80 Cubic Feet
We purchased the smallest 0.5 cubic feet version and found it to have plenty of room to hold a fairly good amount of handguns, ammo, and magazines.
In the picture above, you can see the safe with the removable shelf left in place. This allows you to store pistols on the bottom and ammo, mags, or accessories on the top shelf for a nicely organized setup.
With the shelf removed, you can fit various pistol racks and utilize any leftover space to hold ammo, magazines, holsters, knives, money, gold, or anything else you want to keep secured away from unauthorized users.
Above, you can see how well this Amazon Basics safe can neatly store spare boxes of ammo, small firearms, and knives on top with your defensive handguns on the bottom.
If you don’t mind stacking guns on top of each other, I imagine you could store quite a bit more than shown in the picture, though we wouldn’t recommend that for obvious reasons.
Pros and Cons
In this section, we cut to the chase and tell you our likes and dislikes of this Amazon Basics Biometric Safe based on our time spent thoroughly testing and vetting our sample size of one.
What We Like:
- Sturdy Steel Construction
- Thick 8-Gauge Steel Door
- 2 Solid Steel Locking Bolts
- Lots Of Internal Space
- Removable Shelf
- Fast & Reliable Biometric Entry
- Secondary Backup Barrel Key Entry
- Relatively Pick Resistant Without Special Tools (We Couldn’t Open It With Our Barrel Keyway Decoder)
- Very Affordable Price For What You Get
What We Don’t Like:
- Bottom Edges Looked Wonky (But Secure)
- Cheap Looking Plastic Control Panel (That Works Well Though)
- Would’ve Like To Have Seen More Interior Carpeting
- It’s “Amazon Basics” Branded If You Can Live With That! (Only A Negative For Some)
Who This Safe Is For
Who It’s For:
- This Amazon Basics Biometric safe isn’t marketed as a “gun safe” but it is capable of storing guns and safeguarding them from children or unauthorized family members.
- This spacious lockbox is for anyone on a budget who wants access to a decent biometric safe that offers a lot in terms of storage capacity and security.
- This safe can be used as your primary or secondary go-to safe for quick access to your firearms or as a long-term storage solution in a temperature-controlled environment.
Who It’s Not For:
- This safe is not for those looking for fireproof, waterproof, or high theft resistance.
Note:
- If mounted down securely in a strategic location, it can provide a fair bit of theft resistance. Just remember, a thief has to find the safe to attempt to break into it!
- The pry resistance of any safe can be exponentially improved if you take away the leverage needed to commit such an attack.
- When mounted in the appropriate location, it will be extremely hard for anyone to gain enough space to access and apply the needed leverage.
Key Takeaways
There are several solid reasons why we think the Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe is a great pistol storage solution for the money.
Here are a few reasons why it stands out:
- Affordable Price Point: Compared to many other biometric handgun safes on the market, the Amazon Basics safe is priced competitively without compromising on quality. It provides an affordable solution for gun owners looking for reliable storage.
- Reliable Biometric Technology: The inclusion of a biometric fingerprint scanner sets this safe apart. With the ability to store multiple fingerprints, it ensures quick and convenient access for authorized users, while maintaining high-security standards.
- Sturdy and Secure: The solid steel construction and compact design of the safe provide optimal protection for your firearm. Its robust build quality, combined with the convenience of biometric access, offers peace of mind for gun owners concerned about the safety and security of their handguns.
Where To Buy
As the name might imply, this safe is exclusive to Amazon’s Basics line of products.
Amazon Basics Biometric Pistol Safe
With the low price and hassle-free returns, there’s no chance of getting stuck with the bill should anything go wrong with your order.
Q&A Section
In this section, we answer some of the most relevant frequently asked questions we get about the Amazon Basics biometric handgun safe.
Can I store more than one handgun in the Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe?
This safe can accommodate multiple handguns of various sizes, as seen in our review, and the amount will depend upon the size of your firearms and other things you plan to put into the safe, such as boxes of ammo, magazines, accessories, etc.
How long does the biometric fingerprint scanner take to recognize and grant access?
The biometric fingerprint scanner is designed to provide quick access to the safe. In our testing, it only took roughly 1 second to recognize and grant access to authorized users.
What happens if the battery dies? Will I be locked out of the safe?
The safe is equipped with a low-battery indicator that will flash a yellow light and beep 5 times simultaneously upon opening the safe, this means the battery voltage is low and should be replaced. In case the battery dies unexpectedly, you can still use the backup keys provided to access the safe.
Final Thoughts
The Amazon Basics Biometric Handgun Safe is a reliable and affordable solution for securely storing your handguns.
The inclusion of mounting hardware, backup keys, and interior foam padding further enhances its value.
By prioritizing security, convenience, and affordability, Amazon Basics has once again provided an entry-level product that should meet the needs of many firearm owners.
