How many of you own electronic lock safes?

[stephen426]

I was just thinking about this after seeing the "Overkill" thread. I have a Sentry safe with a electronic lock on it. The battery can be changed from the outside, but there is no key to over-ride the locking mechanism in the event the lock malfunctions. How many of you feel comfortable with your guns in a electronic lock safe and how many of you went with a traditional manual combination safe?

I am bringing this up because I live in a flood zone, less than a mile from the Atlantic. If a nasty hurricane hit us, the storm surge would easily cause flooding that could short out the safe. I'm sure this happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and I'm sure many people needed access to their guns right away. I keep some guns outside of the safe and I'm sure I would retrieve what I needed if we were to get a hurricane warning. What about those people in Arkansas who got hit with flash floods a few weeks back? I'm sure their safes got wet. My safe is also a fire-rated safe that is supposed to protect my valuables in the event of a fire. I'm sure the electronic lock would be melted off. I'm not even sure a manual lock would be able to withstand the heat.

Knowing this, would it affect your safe purchasing decisions in the future?

 

[The Great Mahoo]

I have a quick-access GunVault-style safe in my bedroom. It has an electronic keypad for fast opening without have to have a key on me, but also has a removable pannel to reveal a manual key-hole to manipulate the lock. I pretty much rely on the battery-operated electronic lock, but can always retrieve my keys from my main safe if need be. The safe is unlikely to come in contact with water or extreme temperatures, and I check the battery life semi-frequently to ensure I can open it.

Personally, I like the idea of an electronic lock to keep a quick-access safe near the bed, but I would suggest it have a manual lock opening for emergancies. Also, I would have a larger, more secure safe for anything of value which would not need to be retrieved in a hurry and would be more likely to survive harsh conditions.

 

[stephen426]

The Great Mahoo,

I was actually talking about a large gun safe, not the small bed side type. I plan to get one of those small safes with a palm print or finger print scanner now that I have a little one. She isn't mobile quite yet, but I need to prepare now.