Barska Biometric Fingerprint Steel Wall Safe with Adjustable Shelves – DOJ Certified with Pry-Resistant Deadbolts, Mountable for Home, Office, and Business Use

I would recommend this hidden sturdy biometric wall safe for its ease of use and you don’t have to worry about lost or misplaced keys since all you need is your finger print. A great place to store pistols or Rx medications you need access to but want out of reach of children or others.To install you need 3 ½ inches of depth and 13 ¾ inches between the studs (16” on center of 2”x4” studs) to fit the safe in the wall. You will need at least 1 inch of space in front of the installed safe to accommodate the Biometric Lock.The outside dimensions of the flange area are 15 1/2 inch by 20 3/4 inch so you need something larger to hang in front of it, such as a painting. I attached (glued) two 1 ½” x 1 ½” wood strips to the back edge of the frame I hung in front of the safe. Completely hides the safe and gives the added depth you need for the protruding Biometric Lock.The Biometric lock is what makes this a safe the perfect choice. To operate you need to remove the plastic battery cover inside the safe carefully (be gentle no to break it). To program the lock you simply press the button behind the lock, wait for the beep and place your finger on the scanner until the safe beeps twice. Test the lock and make sure it opens with that finger print and test it another to make sure it doesn’t open with a non-programed finger print. Opening requires the press of a button and the touch of a finger, turn the bolt lock and pull that’s it. It opens fast and there is a silent mode without beeps which makes it ideal for weapon storage.There are three shelves in the unit, although the locking mechanism takes up some space. I was able to get a S&W 9mm pistol in a hard case on the bottom shelf.PROS:Biometeric lock is great, no lost or misplaced keysProgramming is simpleEmergency hidden lock with key (if batteries go dead or you sand off your finger print)Large flange in case you cut the wall too bigNice finish on the safeWell made and door swings open with easeInstructions were clearExternal battery pack will power unit to open with finger print so you don’t have to worry about the batteries dying.CONS:Only thing I can think of is that the door swings on top and bottom welded pins instead of a full hinge – the two locking bolts are on the other side – would have been great if they added two locking bolts on hinge side as well.I am very impressed with the quality and looks of this safe. I highly recommend this safe.

I've had it for a year now. It was easy to install. The quality is good. The case and door are thick, solid steel, but the battery compartment is made of poor-quality plastic. The biggest downside is the fingerprint reader. Heaven help me if I need to open it quickly in case of an intruder. I had to reset the reader twice, so I just keep the keep compartment open and the key nearby.

I guess I should be thankful. The first safe I ordered was a Paragon 7725. When it arrived in unusable condition I sent it back. When I learned it would take about 6 weeks to replace I canceled it. I am very glad I did !First the important stuff. You will need 3 1/2 inches of depth and 13 3/4 inches between the studs to accommodate this. And you will need at least 15/16 inch of back spacing to accommodate the Biometric Lock and the flange. If you meet those specifications you installation will be relatively easy. In my case I have a very old house and since my studs were only 2 1/2 inch I spent the better part of a morning getting it mounted properly in the wall. I had to fur out beneath the flange but luckily I had enough backspace to accommodate that.The outside dimensions of the flange are 15 1/2 inch by 20 3/4 inch.The Biometeric lock is what really makes this a wonderful choice. Removing the battery cover can be a test and since it is plastic you need to take care not to damage it. To program the lock to a particular finger you simply press the button behind the lock. It will beep and you place your finger on the scanner and leave it there until it beeps twice. You will need to test the lock and make sure it is the correct mode. In the Factory mode any finger will open the lock. It was not real clear how you switch between modes but since my was ok we moved on.Another great thing to know was that there is approximately two inches of clearance behind the lock. That give you a second shelf that can be useful (I was able to get two pistols and some other stuff in there).Liked :The Bio lock is sweet !Room behind the lock.Programming ease.Hidden Key Lock.Nice big (3/4 inch) flange that can cover a lot of mistakes.Did not like:Thought their welding was sub par.Funkey little plastic clips that locate shelves on their mounts.Very poor documentation.Not much information there.Changing mode procedure left a lot to be desired.Unit supplied with an external battery pack with no explanation of what it is for or how to use it.In short I am very pleased. I believe that a lot could be done in designing the internal shelves so that things don't roll of but it seems that every safe I have ever seen utilizes the same lame style of shelf. The biometrics lock works well and is easy to program. Opening requires the press of a button and the touch of a finger. It seems to work quite well. As for the supplied external battery pack, I am not sure if it is to retain the programing while changing batteries of if it is for opening the safe should the batteries expire. Over all I am very pleased with this unit. Note although the safe it made from metal and would not itself burn, in the event of a fire you could heat this up until the flammable material inside would ignite. I think this is typical of all wall safes of this design. That king of p[protection would only be available in much larger units.Better documentation or a web site with more information, and a little better craftsmanship would get you that last star.