Do you ever find yourself worrying that your kids might get a hold of your gun? Or that a burglar might use it on you? If you do, then you’d better get yourself a gun safe. And what’s better than a Barska gun safe?
Since all Barska gun safes have different sizes and features, we went on a mission to sort out the best of them. After vetting their security features, along with the convenience offered by their bells and whistles, we came up with the Barska Gun safe reviews.
Best Barska Safes:
1. Barska Quick and Easy Access Biometric Rifles
If you are in the market for a gun safe that will keep your rifles secure without sacrificing quick access, then the Barska Quick Access Biometric Rifle Safe might be the gun safe for you.
This gun safe is perfect for storing shotguns and rifles. It also has an extra top shelf where you can keep your small firearms and ammunition. The lower (main) compartment can accommodate two shotguns or three rifles without scopes with ease.
It is secured by a biometric system that can store up to 120 sets of fingerprints in terms of security. This is especially helpful in large households or business premises where many people need access to the safe. It also comes with an emergency key.
The tamper-proof door on this safe comes fitted with three solid-locking deadbolts at the side, top, and bottom, thus making it secure from any forced entry.
Pros
- It has a sturdy construction
- Fitted with a quick access feature
- Store up to 120 sets of fingerprints
- The safe has a pry-resistant door
- Supports both manual and electronic access
Cons
- The biometric scanner is a bit unreliable.
2. BARSKA Biometric Safe
If you own multiple pistols, you should check out this Biometric Safe. This safe can hold four full-frame pistols, making it among the most spacious mini-gun safes on the market.
It features a highly responsive DOJ-approved biometric lock system that makes accessing your guns quick and easy. The biometric system can store up to 120 sets of fingerprints, and if that’s not enough, it also comes with a set of emergency keys for convenient access.
This safe has a solid steel construction, two built-in pry-resistant deadlocks, and tamper-resistant edges in terms of security. It also comes fitted with pre-drilled mounting holes for effortless mounting and a protective floor mat for keeping your guns free of scratches.
One of the best features of this safe is the optimal silent mode feature that allows you to retrieve your firearms without alerting any intruders. Coupled with its biometric access system, which makes it among the safes for home and office use.
Pros
- It has a robust construction
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- The biometric system can hold up to 120 fingerprints.
- The optimal silent mode comes in handy when you want to open or close it discretely.
Cons
- Made from light-duty steel
- You might have a problem saving your prints on the biometric system.
3. BARSKA AX11556 Biometric Fingerprint Top Opening Security Drawer Safe Box 0.23 Cubic Ft
Apart from its obvious good looks, this safe comes loaded with a lot of cool features that make it secure and super convenient to use.
This top-opening safe comes equipped with a hydraulic system that pushes the door upwards when your fingerprint is accepted. It is constructed from heavy-duty steel, and like our previous pick, it features tamper-resistant edges and two built-in pry-resistant steel deadlocks.
The biometric system on this safe is DOJ-approved and can store 120 sets of fingerprints. If the biometric system fails to read your fingerprint for whatsoever reason, you can always use the set of emergency keys that come with it.
A sturdy construction wouldn’t help much if a burglar could make away with your safe. For that reason, this safe comes equipped with pre-drilled holes for quick and easy mounting and all mounting hardware.
Pros
- Solid construction
- Quick access
- Biometric lock system
- It possesses a protective floor mat
Cons
- The fingerprint recognition device is a bit unreliable.
- Safe is not water-resistant.
4. Barska AX13200 Floor Safe with Combination Lock 0.89 Cubic Ft
Invisibility. That is what you get with this Barska Safe. It has a compact design, and it is constructed to level the floor. With proper installation, nobody would even know it’s there.
Its sturdy construction, along with the three built-in pry-resistant deadlocks, is sure to deter anybody attempting to access it forcefully. Unlike our previous picks, this safe utilizes a combination lock.
Another cool feature of this gun safe is the integrated drop slot that allows you to deposit essential items without opening the safe. Its interior is also carpeted to protect your valuables from damage.
Pros
- Combination lock
- It is effortless to conceal
- Comes with a drop slot
- Carpeted interior
Cons
- The combination lock hinders quick accessibility
5. BARSKA Hidden Real Book Lock Box with Key Lock
What if we told you that you could hide your guns safely in plain view? This safe is meant to look exactly like a book but with a few adjustments.
This safe is made to mimic the popular novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Everything from its exterior to its pages makes it look like a real book.
You will find a lockbox made of sturdy steel secured with a mechanical key lock under the cover. It can hold anything from a small handgun to jewelry.
Pros
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- It is portable
- The safe is concealable since it looks like a real book
- It has a mechanical key lock
Cons
- The binding comes off after repeated use.
6. BARSKA AX13632 Digital Keypad Biometric Fingerprint Security Safe 0.85 Cubic Ft
Apart from its obvious good looks, this Safe comes with three access methods. It comes equipped with a digital keypad, a biometric fingerprint reader, and a manual key lock.
The biometric gun-safe fingerprint reader can hold 20 fingerprints, while the digital keypad can hold only one master PIN. In case these two locking mechanisms fail to work for whatsoever reason, or you have forgotten your PIN, you can access it through the manual key lock.
This safe is constructed from heavy-duty steel and has tamper-resistant, well-built edges and two in-built pry-resistant deadbolts. The internal surface is lined with a soft, shock-absorbing mat and LED lights for easy visibility in the dark.
This safe comes with pre-drilled mounting holes and all necessary mounting hardware.
Pros
- Robust construction
- It is fitted with LED lights
- It has multiple access methods
- The safe has a carpeted interior
Cons
- Not roomy
Factors to Consider
Construction
Most Barska gun safes are made of steel. When shopping for a gun safe, always consider its:
Wall thickness. A good gun safe should have thick and bulky walls made of no less than 12-gauge steel. Some high-end premium gun safes are made of 10-gauge steel. Note: the lower the number, the thicker the steel.
Also, the gun-safe door should be made of no more than 7-gauge steel. When looking at the thickness of the door, do not focus on the total thickness. Instead, only look at the steel.
Body welds. Properly welded seamless joints ensure better protection.
Locking Mechanisms
The last thing you want is a burglar or even your kid gaining access to your safe. You should, therefore, go for the fingerprint gun safe with premium high-tech locking mechanisms.
Most gun safes can be accessed via fingerprint, PIN, voice activation, and mechanical keys. Some gun safes also come equipped with different access methods integrated into one lock. Always go for biometric security safes.
Fire Protection
It would be best if you went for a fireproof gun safe so that in case your home or office ever catches fire, your guns and other valuables will remain undamaged.
Size
This is an important consideration if you have a smart home hub. Your lock has to connect to it.
If you don’t have a smart home hub and don’t plan on getting one, you can still have remote access if you get one with WiFi capability. Then you can control the lock and take advantage of its smart features via your home’s wireless internet system.
If you don’t care about remote access, then don’t worry about connectivity.
Silence
It all comes down to where you live. If you plan on putting your gun safe in a room on the ground floor, then you can buy any safe you want, regardless of its weight. However, if you plan on installing your safe upstairs, you should go for a lighter safe (unless, of course, you have a concrete floor).
It would be best if you also considered whether you plan on moving around with your gun safe. Permanent gun safes like the Barska Steel Double Door Depository Safe are bulky and cannot be moved once they are mounted. If you want a gun safe that you can move around with, we suggest going with the BARSKA Hidden Real Book Lock Box with a Key Lock since it is small and lightweight.
Mounting Options
Gun safes come in a wide variety of sizes and designs, so you cannot fail to find a safe that suits your mounting options. If you want a stand-alone safe, you should consider going for a large, bulky safe.
Likewise, if you’re going to mount it on a wall, you should choose a medium-to-small gun safe. Floor-mounted safes like the Barska Floor Safe are relatively smaller than stand-alone and in-wall safes.
Battery Type/Life
All biometric and keypad-locked safes use batteries to power their locking devices. When buying one, you should choose one that runs on lithium-ion batteries since they last longer than regular batteries. You should also pick a safe that has a low-battery warning.
Conclusion
Owning a gun safe is a precautionary measure that every gun owner should take, not just people with kids. Gun safes keep your firearms away from kids and intruders, and in some cases, they may mean the difference between life and death in case of a break-in.
Barska has been in the gun safe manufacturing business for a long time now, and judging from the quality and durability of their safes; it seems they have learned a thing or two.
We have reviewed eight of the Barska safes on the market, one from each category and size, to ensure that we’ve got you covered no matter what your needs are.
Before you go out shopping for a gun safe, you should consider the factors discussed in the buying guide section to ensure that you end up with the right fit.