[FreakyBig]

Just a warning for anyone using a Gun Vault electronic safe. I have a GV1000D that just crapped out on me after a little over two years. I hate to even think about the situation if this had happened during an emergency where you needed the gun quickly as the safe is designed.

The only thing I got from Gun Vault's customer service was a reminder that their warranty is only for a year and a suggestion to take it to a local electronic store.

I wish I had taken some pictures first, but found some pictures someone else had posted on the net from the same problem and went ahead and tried to fix it without taking pictures. There is a flimsy wire attached to the motor in the safe that snapped. The safe will still open with the key lock, but the electronic keypad is worthless. I crimped down another wire where the original one snapped and it is still not working. I unfortunately have very little skills working on junk like this and even less patience.

I have absolutely zero confidence in Gun Vault after this problem and especially after seeing the cheap construction on the internals. I'll be switching to a more simple and reliable design for a handgun safe for my EDC gun.

[Davegrave]

I had the exact same malfunction, but great service.
When I took it apart and discovered the snapped wire, I took it apart further to try to fix it. I made it worse. I emailed them and told them what happened and asked if I could just buy the whole "locking mechanism", electronics and all to reinstall. I told them my safe was about 4 years old, and they shipped me out a replacement right away and a label to mail back my defective one.
While waiting for my new one I did some research and saw how common the problem was and sold my new safe without ever using it.

Just searched. Here's my original thread. http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/show...t=gunvault+key

[FullClip]

Sorry about the thing crapping out on you, but I've never been a fan of what amounts to a complicated strong box that wouldn't slow a crook down very long. May be a good deterent to keep little kids out of trouble with a gun, but they've always struck me as being pretty flimsy to begin with and for the price, what more could one expect?
Hope they make good on the fix or replacement.

[FreakyBig]

Originally Posted by FullClip

Sorry about the thing crapping out on you, but I've never been a fan of what amounts to a complicated strong box that wouldn't slow a crook down very long. May be a good deterent to keep little kids out of trouble with a gun, but they've always struck me as being pretty flimsy to begin with and for the price, what more could one expect?
Hope they make good on the fix or replacement.

I have it to quickly and easily store my EDC safely away from my 5yr old. It is not meant to prevent theft, I have it sitting loose in a kitchen cabinet so theft is not a concern. I can replace it if stolen.

Their customer service has already made it clear they have no intention of fixing or replacing it.

[TSAX]

These are very hit and miss/love and hate for people. I have heard great things and bad things like what happened to you.

[FreakyBig]

Originally Posted by TSA

These are very hit and miss/love and hate for people. I have heard great things and bad things like what happened to you.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the safe while it was working and have recommended them to friends.

I'm obviously not happy with the customer service, but even more important than that is the reality check that these things are far from reliable and should NEVER be depended on for being able to quickly access a defensive handgun when your life and/or the lives of family members are one the line.

[hamster]

I had the same exact issue as well. Luckily it happened within 1 week of purchase so back to the store it went. Look at amazon reviews. The negative reviews are almost all for the exact same issue.

[GLOCK17DB9]

WOW That's very disappointing to hear as I have purchased one about 2 months ago. Oh well I guess I can just wait till it happens or try to sell it. Thanks for the heads up.

[High Altitude]

Same thing happened to me. I opened it up and the design is crap.

They sent me a replacement under warranty.

I absolutely would not buy one.

[Shark1007]

I had one, same failure, out of warranty, too bad, pal.

I gave it away.

[Paul53]

Don't have kids around so a gun safe is on the backburner. Thanks for the warning, hope you get yours straightened away without further problems.

[carbuncle]

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good alternative? I'm in the market for something to lock up my nightstand gun and carry piece ahead of the time when my son gets to crawling around.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk

[jp3975]

My safe is my bedroom.

If children are visiting...then i lock the door.

IMO an hd weapon should be ready, not locked up.

[voyager4520]

Here's a thread about a few different small safes, I'm think about getting one of the Fort Knox versions that uses a Simplex lock:
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/show....php?t=1413557

[Rinspeed]

Mine lasted 8 or 9 years before I had a problem with it.

[Shipwreck-The-Sequel]

I posted a complaint about gunvault on another forum I am on - just last month...

I will not buy another Gunvault. :bangheadonwall:

I have a Gunvault Deluxe. My 4th one just broke. It's my 4th one in 5 years.

The first 3 had the internal lock cable break. This is a common issue, if you research "Gunvault" on Google. There is a cable that controls the lock - and over time (with use), it wears against internal parts and just snaps.

I will say this - each time it broke, it happened just outside of the 1 year warranty. Despite this - everytime I called Gunvault, they sent me a new one and I shipped the old one back. S, at those times, the customer service was nice.

However - it just happens at a random time. When it DOES happen, it makes a weird noise. After the very first one broke, I know that sound well. I always put my hand over my face when I hear it now... The REAL problem is - what happens if this occurs the one time you REALLY need your handgun? It can really happen at any time after you've owned the gunvault a few months...

Once the cable breaks, you must use the key to open it.

Well.... last Friday afternoon, my Gunvault gave it up again... It died. Only, this time it wasn't the cable. It started making an alarm sound that almost sounded like a firetruck. Only way to stop it is to pull the batteries out from the inside.

I called Gunvault this past Monday about it - they stated that when this occurs, then it means that the circuit board is fried. As I have had this one over a year - they will do nothing. I must buy another one.

I bought my 1st one exactly 5 years ago... Just a couple of months before my son was born. 4 Gunvaults in 5 years is pretty crappy.

I am looking for a similarly priced alternative - but I will never buy another gunvault again. The only bright side is that I only actually paid for one of them - the rest were replacements...

[FAS1]

Originally Posted by FreakyBig

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the safe while it was working and have recommended them to friends.

I'm obviously not happy with the customer service, but even more important than that is the reality check that these things are far from reliable and should NEVER be depended on for being able to quickly access a defensive handgun when your life and/or the lives of family members are one the line.

I can't tell you how many people tell me thats exactly the reason they decided to purchase a handgun safe that uses a mechanical push-button lock. They have proven themselves reliable over many years. I like new technology as much as anybody, but sometimes simple is better. For me, this is one of those. Here's some features of mine. There are others with a similar lock available with different features. You might look at all of them to see what features best fit your needs. Mine is not the cheapest or the most expensive. It currently sells for $219.00 which includes UPS Ground shipping.

FAS1 SAFE - YouTube

FAS1 SAFE - YouTube

Here's a few details:

Welded construction - 3/16" steel plate - weighs 21 lbs.
Welded in place non-exposed hinge pin - 3/8" solid steel
Recessed lid with door jam - pry resistant
Pushbutton mechanical lock - no batteries, electricity or fingerprint scans
Spring latch automatically re-locks when lid is closed
Holster presents gun as lid opens - gun is always in the same place and trigger is covered
Universal mount - drill holes and mount vertically or horizontally
Standard and tactical light holster available
Black powdercoat mini texture finish


MADE IN THE USA - San Antonio, TX

[LSUAdman]

Originally Posted by voyager4520

Here's a thread about a few different small safes, I'm think about getting one of the Fort Knox versions that uses a Simplex lock:
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/show....php?t=1413557

Not to poopoo on your idea, but I had the Ft Knox safe first and found it to be totally useless for a night stand gun vault.

The thing is very heavy, and solid - which is good. But the lock is utter rubbish. It takes repeated pushes of the bottons to get them to unlock the system, and the knob only unlocks one way - if you turn the opposite way it cancels out the combination and you have to start all over again. It's also huge for what it is. We tossed ours in the closet.

I have the Gun Vault on my night stand, and I am no more proud of that. It's cheaply made, easy to break into and doesnt seem to fit anywhere easily. The inside is also very poorly designed. Just putting your EDC in there wil cause the backing to be torn off.

I'm using the Gun Vault for now, since my wife bought it for me. But I will not be buying another like that again.

[jp3975]

I linked the company to this thread and got this...

Thanks for your input that issue was resolve with the 2011 models we do not use the cable anymore and regarding customers that have a gun vault that was manufactured from April 2005 to December 2010 and has that broken cable latch, even thou the safe only has a 1 year warranty we still cover on sending a replacement one since it is a manufacturing defect.

If you have any further questions please contact us and we could help you out

Thank you for taking the time and letting us know your opinion.

[carbuncle]

Originally Posted by jp3975

I linked the company to this thread and got this...

Thanks for your input that issue was resolve with the 2011 models we do not use the cable anymore and regarding customers that have a gun vault that was manufactured from April 2005 to December 2010 and has that broken cable latch, even thou the safe only has a 1 year warranty we still cover on sending a replacement one since it is a manufacturing defect.

If you have any further questions please contact us and we could help you out

Thank you for taking the time and letting us know your opinion.

Very cool, because I like the configuration of the GV product better than any of the alternatives.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk 2

[cowboy1964]

Mine is over two years old, still working fine and on the original batteries.

For around $100 I can't complain. The interior light is utterly worthless though, unless maybe it's totally dark in the room (I don't know, never tried that).

[FreakyBig]

Originally Posted by jp3975

I linked the company to this thread and got this...

Thanks for your input that issue was resolve with the 2011 models we do not use the cable anymore and regarding customers that have a gun vault that was manufactured from April 2005 to December 2010 and has that broken cable latch, even thou the safe only has a 1 year warranty we still cover on sending a replacement one since it is a manufacturing defect.

If you have any further questions please contact us and we could help you out

Thank you for taking the time and letting us know your opinion.

Thanks for doing that. I called and they said they would send another unit out within about 6 weeks. I don't know why the guy on the online chat help on their website would tell me that I'm SOL and then they would quickly replace it with a phone call, but I'm not going to question it. If they had come to that conclusion from the start, I wouldn't have had as much frustration with them. Hopefully the new design will prove more reliable than the last.

[Bill Lumberg]

I had zero problems out of mine. But when I did call to order a cable, it sounded like 3 people in a living room (Hello, my nameee Peggy). Used one for about 3 years. They're available at Harbor Frieght for 50% OVER retail, in case anyone is interested. I wish I still had the one from years ago. My safe is in the basement, and I could use something upstairs.

[Lateral Forces]

I had the same problem with mine. Time to buy a ftknox hand gun safe.

[IndianaMatt]

Ths Gunsafe is not made in China, is it!!??