Model P3EAR
When you need to secure a handgun, especially in homes with small children or inquisitive young adults, a good safe is a good thing to have. A $100 investment can keep you handgun and other valuables out of the reach of those inquisitive sorts, or to secure a handgun when you are away from it.
At night, there are a lot of people, including me, that simply places the PD/HD gun in the nightstand drawer. Fortunately, I don’t have young ‘uns to concern myself about finding the firearm. With a good portable safe, the handgun can be secured and placed away from prying eyes and hands. A safe that has features like; Heavy Duty Steel Construction, DOJ Approved, Backlit Keypad, and RFID Door Access might not be a bad thing to have.
COSTCO carries such a safe; the Heritage Security Products Quick Access Personal Safe. And, for Christmas, I was gifted with one.
Features
- Quick and quiet RFID (radio frequency identification) personal safe when you need it most
- Alarm-U Tamper Sensitive Alert system
- Easy programmable digital lock with back-lit LED 4-digit combination
- Solid steel construction with padded foam protective interior
- External Size: 3 1/2″H x 14 3/5″W x 10 3/5″D
- Internal Size: 2 1/2″H x 11 1/6″W x 7 1/5″D
- Weight: 12.7 lbs
The outside dimensions of the unit will probably allow the safe to be kept in a large drawer or cabinet. The interior of the safe is well padded and large enough to hold even a Glock 41 with several magazines. Of course, you can choose what you want to secure.
If having Quick and quiet RFID access is not your thing, push buttons and a set of keys come with it; they are called “Over-Ride” keys. If someone tries accessing the safe, and does not accomplish that in three tries, all kinds of lights flash and an alarm sounds, which is probably enough to scare a curious child away and let you know that the sneaky little critter at least tried to open the safe.
The safe and RFID devices can be programmed with little effort and help from the directions that come with the safe. You will need a four-digit code of your choosing to program things. There are four buttons for programming the safe and subsequent access to the safe.
Of course batteries, and you need four double-A batteries, do not come with the safe. The batteries install behind a battery compartment panel just right of center on the inside of the safe. When installed properly, a small beep will be heard.
The safe has two holes in the bottom for mounting the safe to a solid surface. Two #10, 1-inch self-tapping screws are provided along with two flat washers for securing the safe.
The interior of the safe is well padded and large enough to hold a Glock 41 with several magazines. Of course, you can choose what you want to secure.
Plenty of Room for Your Favorite Handgun
When the correct code is entered using the button, or when using one of the keys, the lid pops up with little noise and is assisted by a lift similar to those found in automobiles (hatch and hood lifts) and such.
The safe is heavy-gauge steel adorned with polymer trim and finished with nice texturing.
There is a small RESET button on the front, inner panel of the unit that is used for programming.
NOTE
The keys are shipped external to the safe. Other security devices are within the safe. Ensure that nothing is in the safe when you program it – just in case the programming doesn’t take.
To program, you need to hold the RESET button in for 3 seconds. After which there will be 2 beeps and the front buttons will flash green twice. The lights now flash blue and green and you now have 5 seconds to enter your code. There will be 2 beeps; whereupon, you get to enter your code a second time for verification. If successful, there will be another 2 beeps, the lights turn off, and your code is set.
Programming an RFID device (card, Fob, or Stick-on) is also easy. To program, you need to hold the RESET button in for 3 seconds. After which there will be 2 beeps and the front buttons will flash green twice. The lights now flash blue and green and you now have 5 seconds to program the RFID device. Place and hold the RFID device over the RFID symbol on the front of the safe. You will hear two beeps, two more beeps, and the lights go out. To test, press any button and hold the RFID device over the RFID symbol. If accepted, all lights turn green and the lid opens.
Lights Flash When Any Button is Pushed
Note that if a code is not accepted three times, the alarm will sound for I minute and you are locked out of the safe for 2 minutes. And, if your wifey is in the next room or in the near vicinity, and cannot stand repetitive noise, you will soon be the victim of a homicide unless you can get the safe open with one of the provided keys and push the reset button.
The safe does have a tamper-resistant feature. Once set, and if anyone attempts to pry open or move the safe, the alarm will sound for 1 minute, which is usually enough to scare off inquisitive young ‘uns.
At this point, I can say that the Heritage Security Products Quick Access Personal Safe is a good investment for the $99.99 +tax, tags, titles and fees spent. I will; however, pass some on some important warnings from the manufacturer:
- Do not leave your safe unattended while open.
- Do not store your loaded gun in this Heritage safe.
- Do not mix old and new batteries.
- Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-Zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium ) batteries.
- Do not fill the safe over its capacity.
- Follow the manufactures firearm safety guideline for your state.
- Store your Heritage safe in a private, cool and dry location.
- Keep children away from this Heritage safe.
I am not an advocate of safes with batteries, but this unit can also be opened with a key. I plan on changing out the batteries every year along with the smoke/fire detectors, clocks, etc.
Resource
Heritage Security Products Quick Access Personal Safe: https://www.costco.com/Heritage-Security-Products-Quick-Access-Personal-Safe.product.100471066.html
