Biometric gun safes are extremely reliable when it comes to safety and security. The safes can also be used to store other valuable possessions along with the guns. There is the least chance that anyone other than the owner will be able to break open the biometric safes. So while we think that biometric gun safes are much safer than the standard safes, we still have a few elements that can improve the safety of your gun safe.
These five tips are very important to secure your gun safe. I like to recommend adding a note with these tips to your calendar, so you are reminded to do these checkups. If you remember to adhere to these guidelines, you are sure to get the most use out of your biometric gun safe and you will never be caught flat-footed or having to struggle to open your safe.
#1 Always Keep the Scanner Clean
As technology is continuously advancing, more and more techniques are being tried out to try and fake the fingerprint of a safe owner. Our bodies tend to leave a liquid oil trace behind on things we touch and our fingerprints may stick to the objects. Our fingerprints may also allow dirt to attach to the keypad and this may be an indication of the most used buttons.
If your safe does not have a timeout, it will allow intruders to guess your code. People will then have the ability only to apply pressure and this may fool the scanner into thinking that it is you. Sometimes you might be in a rush and then forget to ensure that the scanner is wiped.
To make sure that your safe cannot be fooled, it is very highly advised to keep a cloth near the safe and to wipe the scanner and the keypad every once in a while. I like to encourage users to add a cloth to a table next to the safe or anywhere close by. By seeing the cloth, you will always remember to wipe your fingerprints off the scanner.
#2 Keep Your Gun Safe Out of Fire & Water
While many people would not like to know this, but electronics are usually made of plastic and plastic is also the insulation method used to keep the wires correctly together. Unfortunately, plastic does not hold up to fire and even though the safe may be on lockdown, the fire can definitely cause a lot of damage to the biometric system.
Water, on the other hand, does not go well with electrics and if water penetrates, it may spell doom for your safe. We recommend finding a safe with steel covers that is insulated by water and still has the ability withstand heat. They may be more expensive, but they will level out the cost with the years you could use it.
#3 Have a Backup Opening System in a Secret Place
While many gun safes will offer you override keys, some may only give you the keypad. If you get into the habit of using the biometric system, it may be easy just to forget the code or even misplace the keys. I would encourage users always to have their keys on hand and this is especially vital in a dangerous situation when you may require speed to ensure you beat the situation.
#4 Full Scan of Your Gun Safe Very Often
Be sure to do a thorough checkup of your gun safe at least once every six months. This will notify you if everything is in order and if you need to change anything. The important note is that everything has a certain lifetime and should be checked just to make sure that you are never caught off guard when your life may be in danger.
#5 Check Your Batteries Often and Make Sure They are Charged
While some gun safes use rechargeable batteries, others rely on lithium-ion batteries that will require you to recharge them a few times a year. Having these always charged or at full strength will ensure that the technology part does not let you down. It has been proven time and time again that electronic locks are much harder to pry open with standard burglary tools.
Sometimes we rely too much on batteries and forget about them. This will spell a lot of trouble if you need to access your firearm quickly and it is extremely important always to make sure that your batteries are fully charged or that you have backup AA size batteries if your safe happens to use them. I like to encourage people to use the keypad every now and again as this will more likely give you signs if the batteries are weak or dying.
