About four million households are robbed yearly in the US. While documents, cash, and jewelry are important, keeping the family safe is always the top priority.
A biometric rifle safe will enable fast and easy access to your weapons and keep them from getting into the wrong hands.
We’ve reviewed and compared the top biometric rifle safes on the market to help you find the right safe in your budget.
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Our Top Biometric Rifle Safe Reviews
Here are the top three biometric rifle safes you can rely on for your gun safety needs:
Best Overall Biometric Rifle Safe: Vaultek RS800i
The Vaultek RS800i is the most spacious and customizable option on this list. It’s large enough to store up to eight rifles, but you can also put away a few handguns and accessories away in this safe.
The biometric rifle safe offers an impressive set of features. Besides the fingerprint scanner, you can also use the number pad to open the safe with a combination.
Further, the safe comes with backup keys that your family can use in case they don’t have the combination to the safe. But the most useful opening method is undoubtedly the Nano key, which gives instant access to the safe in one button press.
The large 14″ L X 7.5″ W X 50” H safe comes with several accessories such as mounting hardware, a front door mount, shelves, barrel mounts, a pistol/mag holder, a twin pistol rack, and more.
You can install any combination of these accessories to customize the safe to meet your gun safety needs. The safe’s body is constructed out of rugged steel, and the anti-pry design ensures your weapons are safe when you step out of the house.
Features
The RS800i boasts an advanced control panel featuring an LCD screen that displays critical information about the safe. In addition, the biometric scanner and LED number pad are located at the control panel.
The safe makes keeping your weapons safe convenient in many other ways. For instance, when you unlock the safe, the door opens for you automatically.
Additionally, the LEDs that come built-in on the interior switch on when the door opens, illuminating the entirety of the safe. You won’t be caught fumbling when you need your weapon in the dead of night.
You can monitor the rifle safe from your phone regardless of where you are. If you connect the app to the safe, you will receive notifications about the safe’s humidity, temperature, power level, and all activity. You can also manage the safe via the online dashboard using any browser.
The RS800i comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can last up to four months on a single charge. It can charge fully in a matter of hours, and since you will receive notifications about its power level, you don’t have to worry about it running out of battery when it’s most needed.
If you need more from your biometric rifle safe, you can choose to buy the Vaultek RS800i PLUS. It’s the same base product; however, it comes with numerous additional accessories.
Besides the extra barrel mounts, adapters, handgun and mag racks, the PLUS variant comes with a full-width accessory shelf and a spring-loaded AR mount. With the RS800i PLUS, you’ll always be prepared for anything.
The RS800i is the largest of Vaultek’s biometric rifle safes. Since it is 16” deep, you can store your handguns upright and put away your rifles with the magazines installed.
The extended depth also makes it possible for you to mount a weapon on the door – something you cannot do with most other biometric rifle safes in the market.
Pros
- The modular interior makes for personalized storage
- Four methods to access the safe
- It pairs with the app that notifies of activity
Cons
- No fire rating
- Heavy at 124 lbs
Best Biometric Rifle Safe for the Money: Vaultek RS500i
While the Vaultek RS500i is smaller than the RS800i at 54.00” H x 14.00” W x 11.70” D, it’s still large enough to store five rifles. The safe is also large enough to hold rifles with optics – all you’ll need to do is stack the weapons as needed.
To put the safe’s size in perspective, it’s about as big as a regular bookshelf, making it the perfect option if you want a biometric rifle safe for your bedroom.
It boasts the same 14-gauge carbon steel construction as its more expensive counterpart. But Vaultek makes good use of the quality material by using rugged metal forming techniques, making the safe much more durable.
Additionally, Vaultek ensures that the safe serves you for decades by giving it a corrosion-resistant powder finish.
Like the RS800i, the RS500i can be accessed in four ways: the fingerprint scanner, keypad, nano key, and backup keys. But since the safe is smaller, the scope for customization is also reduced. That said, features such as back peg storage and front door pegboard storage allow you to make the most of the storage.
Features
The RS500i safe keeps your guns protected with its four sleep-locking bolts, rugged interior hinges, and anti-pry bars. What’s more, if the safe detects an impact, it will notify you immediately so you can call 911 and get a handle on the situation.
An LCD screen is also included on the safe, offering critical information at a glance. The biometric scanner and number pad allow you to access the contents of the safe in a matter of seconds.
When it reads and accepts your fingerprint, the door will pop open, and the LED lights will turn on, just like they do in the RS800i.
The RS500i shares several other features with its larger counterpart. It is Wi-Fi enabled and connects with the Vaultek app, available for Android and iOS devices. You will receive alerts whenever there’s activity. You can also monitor the humidity and power levels and detect tampering from the app.
You can also monitor the safe using the online dashboard from anywhere.
One of the features that didn’t click with us is the battery life. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery is included with the safe, and charging is fast and easy. That being said, it offers the same battery life as the battery in RS800i, lasting up to four months on the low-power mode.
The RS500i is discernibly more compact than the RS800i, which leads us to expect a better battery life. Considering the high bar the company sets with the flagship product in the RS safe line-up, this is a reasonable ask, especially considering that the RS200i has a much better battery life.
Along with the safe, you will receive mounting hardware, a front door mount, a 2/3 width shelf, a mag holder, a twin pistol rack, and a few mounts and adapters.
Like the RS800i, the RS500i has a PLUS variant that comes with additional accessories that ensure you’re prepared in a home invasion.
A pegboard comes pre-installed on the front door, and accessories such as the six-slot pistol mag rack, spring-loaded AR mount, and other racks, mounts, and adapters help you get the most out of the safe.
The 3/4 width EDC shelf in the PLUS variant is a nice touch and adds to its appeal as a rifle safe for the bedroom.
Pros
- Relatively lightweight at 93 lbs
- Spacious enough for a few rifles, mags, and accessories
- Quick and easy access
Cons
- Interior lights shut off too quickly after opening the door
- Not fireproof
Best Cheap Biometric Rifle Safe: Vaultek RS200i
If you’ve never bought a rifle safe before, have only a couple of weapons, or are on a low budget, the Vaultek RS200i is among the most impressive low-price options on the market.
You can store two AR-style rifles and up to five handguns in the safe. This also makes it the right safe to get if you’ve only recently bought your first rifle.
It has the dimensions 14″ L X 7.5″ W X 50” H and weighs only 45 lbs, which means it’s one of the lighter and more compact full-size biometric rifle safes in the market.
However, it features Vaultek’s impressive modular interior, ensuring that you store your weapons the way you like. The nice thing about the RS200i is that it is slim, so you can put it in virtually any room.
Further, it comes with an adjustable base plate, enabling you to place it on any surface without balance issues. It’s constructed from the same rugged 14-gauge carbon steel as the more expensive safes in the RS series. You can rest assured knowing that your weapons are safe and can be accessed in a matter of seconds.
Features
The anti-pry bars, four steel locking bolts, robust interior hinges, and impact detection features reliably protect it from break-ins. The oversized fingerprint scanner makes it convenient to open.
But since it comes with a number pad and backup keys, you and your family will always have some way of opening it when the time comes.
Like the other RS series products, the door pops open automatically when you unlock the safe. It connects with the Vaultek smartphone app and online dashboard, supplying you with useful insights and allowing you to monitor the safe when you’re on the move.
The RS200i stands out as the most compact and long-lasting safe in the series. The LCD screen conveniently supplies visual feedback, and a 2.5-hour charge will power the safe enough for six months of use.
The modular interior enables you to mount magnetic accessories anywhere inside the safe. The safe also comes with a universal twin holster and barrel mounts, expanding your customization options.
Its small size, rich array of features, and responsive LED lights make the RS200i seem like more of a “complete package” than other products in the series.
Pros
- Perfect for first-time buyers
- Large biometric scanner for easy access
- Impressively customizable considering its size
Cons
- Not spacious enough for a long-time gun owner
- No fire rating
Features to Consider for Biometric Rifle Safes
Besides the price, there are several factors to consider when purchasing a biometric rifle safe. Not all safes are built the same. Considering the aspects mentioned below will ensure you make the right purchase decision.
#1 Multiple Access Methods
Gun owners need to be able to access their weapons in more than one way. Having just a biometric scanner on a rifle safe is a bad idea: it might fail due to malfunction, or the safe may run out of battery.
For this reason, rifle safes have a key or a number pad as alternative access methods.
The RS series of biometric rifle safes feature four different access methods, ensuring that you always have some way to open the safe.
#2 Fingerprint Storage
Biometric authentication technology has gotten more and more reliable over the years. However, there’s still a chance that it’ll fail to recognize a stored fingerprint.
For this reason, it’s essential to purchase a biometric rifle safe that can store several fingerprints. If the safe doesn’t recognize one, you can use another, and you can also feed your family’s fingerprints into it if they ever need access.
The RS series of rifle safes can store 20 unique fingerprints.
#3 Access Time
Buying a safe that takes too long to open isn’t worth the money. Ideally, you should be able to open your rifle safe in under three seconds. Vaultek’s biometric rifle safes can recognize your fingerprint and unlock in under 2.5 seconds.
#4 Storage Capacity
Most gun owners recommend investing in a rifle safe for the long run. You may only have a rifle or two now, but you may end up buying more later down the road. Buying a second safe doesn’t always make sense, so it’s always better to buy a large rifle safe in the first place.
Ideally, you want to buy a rifle safe that can store at least four rifles. With this logic, buying the RS200i only makes sense if you need a secondary rifle safe somewhere in the house.
The RS500i can store five rifles, and the RS800i can store eight, and considering their features, they’re certainly worth spending the extra money on.
Conclusion
With a biometric rifle safe, you don’t have to worry about looking for the safe’s keys when there’s an intruder inside your home.
While the market for these kinds of safes has only recently expanded, the Vaultek rifle safes come equipped with cutting-edge technology and a reliable biometric system.
It’s hard not to recommend an RS series safe, but if you’re unsure which one’s right for you, the RS500i is your best option.