Winchester Safes eVault Biometric 3.0 Pistol Safe

I recieved my first one and the electronics were DOA. I couldn't get anything to work electronically, but the door closed and locked fine. I returned it, BTW Amazon is awesome with returns. I recieved my second one, the electronics seem to be just fine. I got it all set up just like the directions say with a couple of my fingerprints loaded into it, the damn door won't lock when I shut it. I am returning this one for a refund. One time, I understand things happen, two times means your product is trash.

the item arrived in working order. cosmetically, there was a minor issue - just a plastic corner piece that was cracked. for over $300 it would've been nice to see some padding other than crap foam that isn't even cut to the right size of the floor. it would've also been nice to see some sort covering for the sides of the safe.the doorframe has metal protrusions from both sides and, for those of you who might be storing $2,000-$3,000 safe queens, this could be a disaster. if you're truly in a rush to open your safe i doubt you'd care if you scratched your piece... but for this price-point i don't expect any rough edges.that aside, the programming of your fingerprints is a very simple and straightforward process.i've had the safe for about a month now and, up until about a week ago i didn't have any issues. now however, it seems that it doesn't work more often than it does. when i try and scan my finger the green light comes on momentarily and then the red one comes on. so, i have to use the key.now i have a very expensive LOCKBOX. but, amazon is great with returns so i'm going to send it back.

Okay, this thing will work sometimes but if you run into the problem I had today where it would not open even after the mechanism was turned by both fingerprint and key you can get this open another way. What you have to do is take a good size flat head screwdriver and jam it into the top of the door in the middle where the lock is located. Then get the mechanism to turn and pry on it with the screwdriver. It takes a few tries but you will get it open. Good Luck

It is what it is: a lock box, not a safe. It keeps honest people honest, is child proof and would require some time and tools for a thief to defeat. The owner's manual is a little vague about how to locate the "administration button" but programming the finger print reader is easy once the button is located. I have tested the biometric reader over one hundred times over a two day period and have observed no unauthorized openings. The door always fails to open on the first attempt after the AC power cord is disconnected but always opens after two finger swipes when on 9V backup power. The reader is much more reliable than other products I have tried. It doesn't work with wet hands but does work after a quick wipe of the fingers on clothing. It works after cleaning the fingers with alcohol and compared to it's competitors it is pretty good at recognizing the prints when the finger is poorly positioned. I still prefer a mechanical lock box like those vended by Fort Knox or V-Line for reliability in emergency situations, but I like gadgets and this is the best biometric box I have tried. The price tag and the uncertain long term reliability are the only reasons I don't give it 5 stars.

Ordered February 3rd and received February 7th. Arrived with no external damage and no internal damage. Set up instructions were clear and simple. My wife and I registered our fingerprints and have been testing the scanner all day. We haven't been able to make it fail :) Every indication is that this is a quality unit and it performs exactly as advertised. I couldn't be happier with this purchase!  Winchester Safes eVault Biometric 3.0 Pistol Safe Update... it's now April 1st and I've used this this unit everyday since I received it. I've tried to fool it but it will open only with the registered prints. It hasn't failed to open when I used the correct (registered) prints. It performs exactly as advertised and I couldn't be happier!Update, almost 7 years later. Both springs on the door have broken and I’m nit getting a response from Customer Support.

Just a piece of trash. More Chinese crap, no doubt. I have had this boat anchor for 2 days and still cannot locate the reset button. Glad I own a boat!

Short answer: it didn't work for me.I ended up returning it. The fingerprint scanner only worked for a few days before it died forever. I've yet to see a drag-style scanner (where you move your finger across the sensor) perform as well as the just-touch-it kind. Even when it worked the scanner often required multiple pulls of my finger to open.The insides were awkward because of the space devoted to mechanisms, and it was very cramped for my two .45s. On the plus side the door popped open rapidly and the inner foam padding was decent.

The reason I gave 5 stars is because the safe is really great & roomy. I fit a 357 short nose, a Remington 1911, an extra clip & 2 boxes of ammo in my safe and there's still plenty of room for me to easily access either or both guns and/or ammo if necessary. It is very simple to set up and easy to use. I wouldn't trade this for anything, we have young kids & I now have the peace of mind knowing that I can protect them within seconds, but they cant get to the guns to harm themselves, that's the best feature. It's definitely worth every penny, very happy. I did however have an issue with my first safe from Amazon, the scanner wouldn't work & a plastic corner cover was broken on arrival. I called the customer service # in the owners manual and the lady tried to walk me through the steps, didn't work, so she gave me the # to the makers of Winchester Safes, and they paid for my safe to be shipped to them & fixed/replaced at no charge to me & I didn't have to go through the return process. In the end Winchesters Safes sent me a brand new safe, I sent the one I had out on a Monday & recieved the new one the following Monday.