Most people are aware that there are more guns in the United States than people. There are roughly 120.5 guns for every 100 Americans. As only about 30% of Americans own a firearm, most gun owners have several.

The pistol is the most popular type of gun in America. 72% of people that have multiple guns own at least one handgun. The rifle is the second most popular gun, as 62% of people with more than one gun have at least one rifle.

One of the reasons why handguns are so popular is that they are much easier to safely store. If you're only looking for a gun safe to hold a pistol, then you'll have a wide variety of options available. Rifles, on the other hand, are much more challenging to secure, but there are fewer options.

Biometrics are unique physical characteristics that can be used to identify an individual to allow quick access. The most common example in everyday life would be your fingerprints, but retinal scans, voice matches, and DNA samples are other real-world examples.

A biometric gun safe would allow you to register your unique fingerprint as an authorized user. In other words, your fingerprint would be the key needed to open the safe. No codes. No keys. No magic words. Just your fingerprint.

There are two major reasons why your rifle safe should be biometric:

• Ease of access. Using your fingerprint as the key is much more convenient and faster than a passcode or metallic key. You can get into your safe and grab your rifle much quicker this way than with any other option. The last thing you want to do in an emergency is fiddle around with a keychain or punch in the correct numbers.
• Maximum security. A biometric safe is much better at preventing unauthorized users from gaining entry than other options. A numerical code or key can be used by anyone, but only you have access to your fingerprint. You can keep people out of your rifle safe much more effectively with a biometric safe.

Where Should You Store a Biometric Rifle Safe? 5 Places

Trying to determine where to put your gun safe is one of the hardest questions that you have to answer. You likely have a lot of good places to install your rifle safe around your house.

However, these are the four rooms that you should consider first and one that you should avoid:

1. The Bedroom Closet

The bedroom is one of the most common places for people to keep their guns safe. It makes a lot of sense when you consider that the bedroom is when you're at your most vulnerable. If you were to hear a suspicious noise in the middle of the night, you'd want to access your gun safe before you investigate.

The reason why you should consider your closet is that it can hide your safe better than leaving it out in the open. The most effective safes are those that you don't know exist. Stashing your rifle safe in your bedroom closet can keep your guns close by when you sleep and hidden away from the other people in your home.

2. The Basement

The basement is a perfect place to keep guns far away from the other members of your home. Rifles aren't exactly the best home defense weapon, so there isn't much need to keep them stashed somewhere in the house.

The basement will allow your rifles to be well out of the reach of any children but still safely secured inside your home safe.

The only thing that you might want to think about before installing your rifle safe in the basement is the possibility of flooding. If you live in an area that's subjected to flash flooding often, then you might want to consider an alternative option. It's much easier for a safe to be fireproof than waterproof, and a flooded basement could damage your guns.

3. Under the Stairs

The space underneath your stairs offers a unique place to install your gun safely. Unlike a lot of the other options on this list, the space is often unused and out of the way. You won't have to worry about rearranging the furniture in a room to make space for the gun safe. You can simply bolt it down right underneath the staircase if the space matches the exterior dimensions of your safe.

Perhaps the best part about putting your safe under the stairs is the natural camouflage. It's unlikely that someone would see a set of stairs and think to look for valuables or a safe underneath. The rifles would be properly hidden away, but still close enough to easily access in a first-floor emergency.

4. Your Home Office

The home office is typically a room that's off-limits for children. It could be an excellent place to install your gun safely. As a gun owner, your number one priority should be to prevent your guns from falling into the wrong hands.

As a bonus, you can keep your important documents inside your gun safe. You're bound to have several essential papers sitting somewhere in your office. It could be Social Security cards, birth certificates, ownership titles, passports, tax returns, and insurance policies.

Keeping your gun safe in your office means you don't have to stuff these crucial documents in your desk anymore and can put them in a safe with the right storage space (you'll learn which one in just a moment).

5. NOT in the Garage

The garage might sound like a good place for your rifle safe at first, but it's not the best option. The main issue is that your garage is much less protected than the rest of your house. It's way easier for a thief to break into your garage than your house.

A high-quality biometric rifle safe can withstand a lot of punishment, but there's no need to risk it by giving thieves an easy opportunity.

The second issue is that your guns will be farther away from you. If there should ever be a situation where you need them, you'd have to rush out into the garage to get them. Chances are that you would have to pass the cause of the emergency on the way.

A gun isn't very useful for self-defense when it's on the other side of the person that you're defending yourself against.

5 Features Your Biometric Rifle Safe Needs

Choosing a safe is a bit more complex than you might think. There are several things that you'll need to take into consideration when looking for the best fit for you.

These are five of the most important features that your biometric rifle safe should include:

1. Thick Steel Walls
2. Touchscreen Keypad
3. Multiple Fingerprint Storage
4. Manual Key Override
5. Auto-Locking Door

1. Thick Steel Walls

The steel walls of a safe are arguably the most defining feature. It's essentially what separates a long gun safe from a shoe box. If you're going to be storing weapons in your safe, then you need top-of-the-line security and a locking system you can trust.

Look for reinforced steel walls and tamper-proof bolts that can withstand torch cutting and blunt force damage. You never know what tools someone might use to try to break into your safe, so it's best to be prepared for all of them.

2. Touchscreen Keypad

A lot of people are content with using a simple digital keypad to access their safe. While there isn't anything wrong with this lock type, it's far from being as secure as a biometric safe. The touchscreen keypad is the superior option because it allows for both.

You can register your fingerprint as an authorized user and create a key code that's between four and six digits. An electronic lock is a handy safe feature to help limit unauthorized access.

3. Multiple Fingerprint Storage

The best part about using a biometric safe is that you can significantly limit the number of people who can use it. You'll establish yourself as an authorized user. You'll still retain the option to allow others access as well.

The people in your life that you trust to access your rifle safe can easily be added on as authorized users. The process is the same, and their fingerprint will grant them access as long as you allow it. Have peace of mind knowing your guns are out of the reach of unauthorized users.

4. Manual Key Override

The technology behind a biometric fingerprint scanner runs on a rechargeable battery pack and is designed to last for a long time. However, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with the top-of-the-line tech.

It's best to look for a safe that has backup keys just in case. It's fairly unlikely that you'll ever need to use it, but it's a good thing to have if anything ever goes wrong.

5. Auto-Locking Door

The entire purpose of a safe is to keep out everyone except for the people that you choose. It wouldn't do much good to have a security safe that isn't always locked. The best safes are those that include automatic locking bolts as soon as they are shut.

There's no chance that you can forget to lock it and leave it vulnerable to anyone that happens to be nearby.

Conclusion

Owning a rifle means taking on the essential responsibility of properly securing it. There are lots of options for a fingerprint lock safe, but the one safe that meets all the criteria listed above is the Biocube Professional. You'll enjoy the biometric lock, pre-drilled holes, and solid steel construction.

This safe fits the interior dimensions of a shotgun and offers the fingerprint scan you need for safe gun storage. The top internal lockbox of this large biometric rifle safe pulls heavy duty as a pistol safe. Removable shelves give you options in the event you need a place for your scopes or ever sell your rifle and use it as a handgun safe instead. Either way, you'll have greater security than you would with the typical lackluster gun cabinet.

Sources:

Garage Door Break-In Security Tips | Forbes Advisor

12 Creative Ways to Use the Space Under Your Stairs | Room Makeovers to Suit Your Life | HGTV

Why Do We Sleep? | Live Science

What is Biometrics? How Is It Used in Security? | Kaspersky

The Demographics of Gun Ownership in the U.S. | Pew Research Center

There are More Guns than People in the United States | The Washington Post