would you/do you trust biometric technology?

(BH) · June 4, 2009, 10:28 PM

i need a safe that is easy and quick to access for my bedroom . im considering the biometric safes, particularly a small on for a drawer. however, im a bit concerned about their reliability.

i mean, it seems to me that technology of that sort has alot of room for error. i have this image in my head of me trying to get to my firearm in an emergency and the fingerprint sensor not recognizing my print. what if your hand is shaking? how perfected is this technology? would you trust it with your life?

if you have owned/currently own a biometric entry safe please let me know your experience and opinions. im just trying to figure out if they are trustworthy in an emergency situation.

johnwilliamson062 · June 5, 2009, 08:28 AM

I wouldn't trust myself to work a key or remember a combination either.

hogdogs · June 5, 2009, 08:36 AM

I am with John!
No lasers, lights or other gizmos for me either... They can fail and murphy are well aquainted but we ain't buddies!

I am barely convinced that semi auto pistols are suitable for SD.

Brent

grymster2007 · June 5, 2009, 08:49 AM

It's getting better, but I certainly wouldn't trust my life to the technology at this point. I'm with John on this also and that's why I don't store my HD weapons in lock boxes. Of course I have no young children about.... just me, the missus and the intruder.

Dingoboyx · June 5, 2009, 08:56 AM

Thats wot they fixed up Steve Austin with, wasn't it?

IMO, just stick with a normal safe...... if you think you will need your gun urgently, leave it on the nightstand, & carry around the house.

I have heard of folks with thumb print safes/locks getting their thumb cut off by BG to open the safe/lock (yup, been watchin' too many movies.... again)

If you need to get at your gun, 'right now' you haven't got tome to get to and open ANY safe..... may as well be a cheap one, nuttin' fancy

a7mmnut · June 5, 2009, 10:07 AM

IMO, an armed stranger standing in your room at dark-thirty in the a.m just ain't the time for me to be testing technology.

-7-

Bond007 · June 5, 2009, 10:37 AM

Buy a quality biometric safe, test it, get comfortable with it and relax, but have a back-up plan.

The biometric scanner on my laptop works very well. I'd say 9/10 on the first try and another 9/10 on the second try.

I have several GunVault safes, and currently my first biometric one on order. A friend of mine claims his biometric safe has performed flawlessly, and each of my electronic ones has as well, so I'm willing to believe it.

The biometric scanner provides extremely fast access to a secured weapon. If it fails, you can use the back-up electronic key pad for very fast access. If you both of those fail or you jumble them, you can use the back-up key for reasonably fast access, assuming you have that available.

Given the speed of biometric and electronic key pad, I'm betting that 99% of the time or better you'll have near immediate access.

hogdogs · June 5, 2009, 10:56 AM

Bond, Not as fast as my loaded gun propped up beside my bed

...
Brent

orangello · June 5, 2009, 04:04 PM

Pass, I watched some lady at Burger King swipe her finger on her register for like 10 minutes the other day; by the time she got it open, i could've dragged myself to tacobell on my lips.

Skans · June 5, 2009, 04:20 PM

I trust S&G combination mechanical dials. For guns that I want to make sure I have access to in any condition, I want a pure mechanical lock.

You never know when Terrorists will destroy the power grid and the Zombies will eat up the batteries needed to make electronic toys work.

BillCA · June 5, 2009, 04:45 PM

Biometrics are about 98% reliable, depending on the application. But remember what we're talking about here. A gun safe. You lock up your gun when you're not around to prevent unauthorized access.

When you go to sleep at night, where should the gun be? Out of the safe and somewhere that you can acquire it rapidly without getting completely out of bed. On the nightstand or in the drawer. In a holster alongside the bed; in a headboard cubby, etc. In the morning, your "ritual" includes locking up the gun.
Hint: Take gun out of safe, put car keys or wallet in safe to remind you to lock up the gun in the a.m.

Worried about it not recognizing your thumb/fingerprint? Code your stronghand thumb and weakhand index finger. Odds of injuring/damaging both at the same time are low. You can code up to 50 prints in most of 'em.

Tip: For daily use, I'd suggest replacing the batteries twice a year - say New Year's day and July 4th along with smoke detector batteries (or Thanksgiving and Memorial day).

Quote:

Pass, I watched some lady at Burger King swipe her finger on her register for like 10 minutes the other day; by the time she got it open, i could've dragged myself to tacobell on my lips.

Oh, that's funny!

Waitone · June 7, 2009, 08:52 AM

I have to use biometrics for passage control and I give it about 80% success.

New does not equal good

Bartholomew Roberts · June 7, 2009, 09:36 AM

I have no experience with biometric safes; but I did work for a electronics security firm that sold various products, including biometric locks for doors.

Typically what would happen is the customer would buy the locks. The locks would then need to be reprogrammed/adjusted multiple times until they worked. Once they started working, they would work at about 98% - for a brief period of time. Usually, people couldn't resist the novelty of poking their grubby little fingers into the biometric reader as they passed by the door - and they almost never touched the metal bar to discharge any static electricity they had picked up walking around the carpeted offices. The result was most of the locks (which are very sensitive to that static electricity discharge) were dead within a couple of months. Rigorous adherence to plastic mats in front of the readers (insulate) and touching the metal bar before touching the screen (discharge static) would prolong the locks to a year or two of life; but enough people would still have the monkey urge to poke the reader screen that few lasted beyond two years.

No idea whether biometric safes have beat this; but given the amount of money these customers were spending on security systems, I'd be skeptical if a consumer safe that normal people could afford could beat these high-dollar systems. Of course my experience in also over four years old now, which in terms of consumer-electronics time means I might as well be talking about which flint is better for hunting woolly mammoth.

Crankylove · June 7, 2009, 11:53 AM

I use a biometric timeclock at work each shift, and have enough issues with it that a biometric lock on a safe is not something I want or would trust. If my hands get too dry while at work, or I get a cut or blister on my fingertip, if you don't hold yourfingertip in the EXACT same position every time, if you have a band aid on, if you have lotion on that didn't get rubbed in enough, or if the sensor is 100% sqeaky clean........it dosent work. There are too many things that can go wrong with a biometric system........I would prefer to use older proven technology dealin with my firearms.

grymster2007 · June 7, 2009, 01:42 PM

Just Friday, I waited while a salesman tried to login to his notebook using the biometric reader feature.... and I waited and I waited. He finally got it and while the process didn't set us back more 'n about 45 seconds, that would be an unacceptable delay if one needed their firearm right now!

ronto · June 7, 2009, 03:29 PM

That's why I have a 12 ga. pump packed with 00 Buck in "rack n' go" condition for HD and a 357 wheelgun for a CCW (no laser sight either).

Drachenstein · June 7, 2009, 11:16 PM

EMP

I'll stick to the dial tumbler. The government also has the ability to fry/scramble electronics, mechanical they can't touch.

Immediate HD? That's what’s in the holster on the bedpost.

JackL · June 7, 2009, 11:33 PM

No way, no how.

I like my thumbs just fine for their intended purposes, thanks.

Aside from biometric technologies' potential vulnerability to electronic attack, there are way too many people out there who'd simply lop off whatever body part(s) would allow them to access it.

Hunley · June 7, 2009, 11:36 PM

Truly reliable biometrics systems are expensive as hell. Even then, they won't open on the first try half of the time. We have biometric systems on turnstyles to access our facility, and they are down half the time. Even when up, you may have to scan your hand twice.

Plus, if you're super cool like me, you''ll hurt your hand and thus render the scanner useless.

Tucker 1371 · June 7, 2009, 11:44 PM

Quote:

by the time she got it open, i could've dragged myself to tacobell on my lips.

Ow...

Well, with the youngest person in my family being 15 and no one else really having and interest in guns but he and I, I feel my gun is perfectly safe to leave in the corner on Condition 3.

riggins_83 · June 8, 2009, 12:58 AM

As previously stated if you have a physical injury on your hand, cut, scrape, etc... you're SOL.

I've seen notebook PCs sent back to HP because the person was injured and couldn't get a clean scan on the reader...

And lastly they're incredibly easy to bypass for those in the know.

I'd rather have to remember "13 right, 54 left, 29 right" etc than hope my skin isn't damaged any day.

skeeter · June 9, 2009, 02:15 AM

I know that my fingerprint card sometimes comes back as not being readable because my fingers get very dry and cracked here in AZ.
I wonder if this would be an issue with a biometric safe?
Bottom line I would NOT trust it in any case.

View Poll Results: do you trust biometric entry safes?
yes, i trust biometric technology	5	8.93%
no, i do not trust biometric technology	35	62.50%
i trust biometric technology, but not in an emergency	16	28.57%
Voters: 56. You may not vote on this poll

June 4, 2009, 10:28 PM	#1
(BH) Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: East TN Posts: 638	would you/do you trust biometric technology? i need a safe that is easy and quick to access for my bedroom . im considering the biometric safes, particularly a small on for a drawer. however, im a bit concerned about their reliability. i mean, it seems to me that technology of that sort has alot of room for error. i have this image in my head of me trying to get to my firearm in an emergency and the fingerprint sensor not recognizing my print. what if your hand is shaking? how perfected is this technology? would you trust it with your life? if you have owned/currently own a biometric entry safe please let me know your experience and opinions. im just trying to figure out if they are trustworthy in an emergency situation.

June 5, 2009, 08:49 AM	#4
grymster2007 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: In the oak studded hills near Napa Posts: 2,203	It's getting better, but I certainly wouldn't trust my life to the technology at this point. I'm with John on this also and that's why I don't store my HD weapons in lock boxes. Of course I have no young children about.... just me, the missus and the intruder. __________________ grym

June 5, 2009, 08:56 AM	#5
Dingoboyx Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2009 Location: South East Queensland, Australia Posts: 1,513	Biometrics Thats wot they fixed up Steve Austin with, wasn't it? IMO, just stick with a normal safe...... if you think you will need your gun urgently, leave it on the nightstand, & carry around the house. I have heard of folks with thumb print safes/locks getting their thumb cut off by BG to open the safe/lock (yup, been watchin' too many movies.... again) If you need to get at your gun, 'right now' you haven't got tome to get to and open ANY safe..... may as well be a cheap one, nuttin' fancy __________________ Muzza If you cant blind them with brilliance, Baffle them with BS Be alert...... there is a shortage of LERTs

June 5, 2009, 10:56 AM	#8
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Bond, Not as fast as my loaded gun propped up beside my bed... Brent

June 5, 2009, 08:28 AM	#2
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	I wouldn't trust myself to work a key or remember a combination either.

June 5, 2009, 08:36 AM	#3
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	I am with John! No lasers, lights or other gizmos for me either... They can fail and murphy are well aquainted but we ain't buddies! I am barely convinced that semi auto pistols are suitable for SD. Brent

June 5, 2009, 10:07 AM	#6
a7mmnut Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2009 Location: NC Foothills Posts: 1,150	IMO, an armed stranger standing in your room at dark-thirty in the a.m just ain't the time for me to be testing technology. -7-

June 5, 2009, 10:37 AM	#7
Bond007 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2005 Location: San Francisco, Ca Posts: 317	Buy a quality biometric safe, test it, get comfortable with it and relax, but have a back-up plan. The biometric scanner on my laptop works very well. I'd say 9/10 on the first try and another 9/10 on the second try. I have several GunVault safes, and currently my first biometric one on order. A friend of mine claims his biometric safe has performed flawlessly, and each of my electronic ones has as well, so I'm willing to believe it. The biometric scanner provides extremely fast access to a secured weapon. If it fails, you can use the back-up electronic key pad for very fast access. If you both of those fail or you jumble them, you can use the back-up key for reasonably fast access, assuming you have that available. Given the speed of biometric and electronic key pad, I'm betting that 99% of the time or better you'll have near immediate access.

June 5, 2009, 04:04 PM	#9
orangello Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 566	Pass, I watched some lady at Burger King swipe her finger on her register for like 10 minutes the other day; by the time she got it open, i could've dragged myself to tacobell on my lips.

June 5, 2009, 04:20 PM	#10
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	I trust S&G combination mechanical dials. For guns that I want to make sure I have access to in any condition, I want a pure mechanical lock. You never know when Terrorists will destroy the power grid and the Zombies will eat up the batteries needed to make electronic toys work.

June 7, 2009, 08:52 AM	#12
Waitone Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2000 Posts: 2,904	I have to use biometrics for passage control and I give it about 80% success. New does not equal good __________________ "Given a choice between good intentions and human nature, I'll go with human nature every time."--Me, 2002. Last edited by Waitone; June 7, 2009 at 11:27 AM. Reason: Fix the wrong word

June 7, 2009, 09:36 AM	#13
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	I have no experience with biometric safes; but I did work for a electronics security firm that sold various products, including biometric locks for doors. Typically what would happen is the customer would buy the locks. The locks would then need to be reprogrammed/adjusted multiple times until they worked. Once they started working, they would work at about 98% - for a brief period of time. Usually, people couldn't resist the novelty of poking their grubby little fingers into the biometric reader as they passed by the door - and they almost never touched the metal bar to discharge any static electricity they had picked up walking around the carpeted offices. The result was most of the locks (which are very sensitive to that static electricity discharge) were dead within a couple of months. Rigorous adherence to plastic mats in front of the readers (insulate) and touching the metal bar before touching the screen (discharge static) would prolong the locks to a year or two of life; but enough people would still have the monkey urge to poke the reader screen that few lasted beyond two years. No idea whether biometric safes have beat this; but given the amount of money these customers were spending on security systems, I'd be skeptical if a consumer safe that normal people could afford could beat these high-dollar systems. Of course my experience in also over four years old now, which in terms of consumer-electronics time means I might as well be talking about which flint is better for hunting woolly mammoth.

June 7, 2009, 11:53 AM	#14
Crankylove Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2008 Location: 8B ID Posts: 1,753	I use a biometric timeclock at work each shift, and have enough issues with it that a biometric lock on a safe is not something I want or would trust. If my hands get too dry while at work, or I get a cut or blister on my fingertip, if you don't hold yourfingertip in the EXACT same position every time, if you have a band aid on, if you have lotion on that didn't get rubbed in enough, or if the sensor is 100% sqeaky clean........it dosent work. There are too many things that can go wrong with a biometric system........I would prefer to use older proven technology dealin with my firearms. __________________ The answer to 1984 is 1776

June 7, 2009, 01:42 PM	#15
grymster2007 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: In the oak studded hills near Napa Posts: 2,203	Just Friday, I waited while a salesman tried to login to his notebook using the biometric reader feature.... and I waited and I waited. He finally got it and while the process didn't set us back more 'n about 45 seconds, that would be an unacceptable delay if one needed their firearm right now! __________________ grym

June 7, 2009, 03:29 PM	#16
ronto Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2007 Location: Smack Dab in the Middle of Nowhere. Posts: 505	No Way... That's why I have a 12 ga. pump packed with 00 Buck in "rack n' go" condition for HD and a 357 wheelgun for a CCW (no laser sight either). __________________ "We will do this: we will hang together, we will keep our organization, our arms, our discipline, our hatred of oppression, until one universal shout goes up from an admiring age that this Missouri Cavalry Division preferred exile to submission, death to dishonor". General Joseph O. Shelby, CSA (1830-1897) The only Confederate General who refused to surrender himself or his 1,000+ "Iron Brigade".

June 7, 2009, 11:16 PM	#17
Drachenstein Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: Elizabethtown, KY Posts: 224	EMP I'll stick to the dial tumbler. The government also has the ability to fry/scramble electronics, mechanical they can't touch. Immediate HD? That's what’s in the holster on the bedpost.

June 7, 2009, 11:33 PM	#18
JackL Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2008 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 187	No way, no how. I like my thumbs just fine for their intended purposes, thanks. Aside from biometric technologies' potential vulnerability to electronic attack, there are way too many people out there who'd simply lop off whatever body part(s) would allow them to access it.

June 7, 2009, 11:36 PM	#19
Hunley Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2009 Location: Statesboro, GA Posts: 241	Truly reliable biometrics systems are expensive as hell. Even then, they won't open on the first try half of the time. We have biometric systems on turnstyles to access our facility, and they are down half the time. Even when up, you may have to scan your hand twice. Plus, if you're super cool like me, you''ll hurt your hand and thus render the scanner useless. __________________ "The best caliber and round for self defense are the ones in the gun closest to you" - My Grandfather

June 8, 2009, 12:58 AM	#21
riggins_83 Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Location: Wherever I may roam Posts: 1,506	As previously stated if you have a physical injury on your hand, cut, scrape, etc... you're SOL. I've seen notebook PCs sent back to HP because the person was injured and couldn't get a clean scan on the reader... And lastly they're incredibly easy to bypass for those in the know. I'd rather have to remember "13 right, 54 left, 29 right" etc than hope my skin isn't damaged any day.

June 9, 2009, 02:15 AM	#22
skeeter Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Posts: 883	I know that my fingerprint card sometimes comes back as not being readable because my fingers get very dry and cracked here in AZ. I wonder if this would be an issue with a biometric safe? Bottom line I would NOT trust it in any case.