Gear Review: The SpeedVault by GunVault
One thing I wind up saying a lot is “I’d much rather have a .22LR pistol than a pointy stick”. The gist of which being that, even though .22LR isn’t my go to choice, it’s better than nothing at all. In many ways, a gun safe is much like that as well. A cheap, locking gun cabinet is better than just leaving the gun in your nightstand or sitting on a shelf. Granted, a top of the line, super thick, high tech gun safe with all the bells and whistles is the best choice but most of us don’t have $5,000 or more to drop on one…and if we did most of us would rather spend it on a new gun.
At the same time, most gun safes are there to protect your entire collection. There is, however, a line of purpose built safes that are for very specific storage methods. One of the most popular makers of such safes is GunVault. They have safes that are made to be mounted under desks and in desk drawers. One particular safe, however, caught my attention a while back: The SpeedVault.
This particular safe mounts to a wall and, upon entering a 4-digit code or fingerprint scan, the SpeedVault pops open in such a way that puts a pistol in an easily drawn position. This of it like a retention holster for your wall. I think the most popular methods for placement is either a gun stored underneath a desk for a security guard or against a wall in a security station. For home use, it can be mounted near the front door so that you can reach it while still looking through the peephole or somewhere along a retreat path. Putting it near a bed is also a great option. Because it can be mounted flush with the wall or perpendicular to it, there are all kinds of options to be had.
It has a tamper indicator so you can tell if someone has tried to unsuccessfully open it. It also has a lockout feature that kicks in when too many incorrect codes are entered. This helps stop someone from just trying every combination. When the SpeedVault is opened, led lights illuminate the interior making easy to see the gun in low light conditions. It also has the ability to be opened by a key in the off chance you ignore the beeping that says “hey…uhm..you might want to replace my 9v battery soon. Like…you know…real soon.”
In my testing, I found that the layout is very intuitive and you can easily enter the code and draw the gun without having to take your eyes off a target. Setup was also relatively simple. Those with smaller hands will have an easier time installing it, however. I will say this: if you plan on mounting it to a wall, head on out to your local hardware store and get some beefy screws. The ones that came with it are barely long enough to get through the drywall much less securely anchor it into a stud.
Now, this isn’t exactly a full time or long term storage option. Even with some good screws anchoring it, I’m 99% certain someone could still yank it off a wall if they were motivated enough. The main problem with this safe, and EVERY other safe is that it’s not 100% undefeatable. Every safe can be compromised given enough time. We have a rule of thumb in the computer networking world: The only way to make a computer 100% secure is to crush it, seal it in concrete then launch it into space. In other words: the only way to secure it is to make it completely unusable.
On a side note: My personal recommendation is to go with the keypad version as opposed to their biometric option. Admittedly, I haven’t tested their biometric option but, as a rule, I’m hesitant to trust fingerprint scanners. It’s not paranoia, mind you. I’ll tell you my reasoning for this but it’s going to require a bit of a side trip…. GunNoob.com’s server, as well as all my other servers, are at a place called Peak10. Now, Peak10 is one of the top co-location facilities in the country and they use only the most advanced technology across the board. Seriously, if you have one of their locations near you and are even remotely interested in server tech, go check them out. But I digress…this isn’t a Peak10 review. I bring this up because they have a $250,000+ security system that utilizes fingerprint scanners to access the data center. Rarely…and I do mean RARELY do I ever get the door open on my first try. It usually takes 2 or 3 scans of my finger before the light turns green and the door unlocks. So follow my logic here: if their quarter of a million dollar security system has trouble scanning fingerprints, how reliable do you think a $200 device is going to do? Do you want to bet your life on that? Do you want to be trying to get a good finger scan with shaky hands while Burglar McThuggynuts is trying to kick down your door?
They’re listed on the GunVault homepage as $200 MSRP but I’ve seen them on Amazon for as little as $150. I have a Speed Vault and I am completely happy with it. Mrs. Noob and I do regular drills with drawing from the Speed Vault while retreating from the door and, if you get one, I highly recommend you do the same. As long as you recognize this for what it is, namely a tamper-resistant wall holster, and you don’t try to use it as a replacement for a full blown gun safe, this is a great way to safely keep a gun nearby.
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