Massad Ayoob — Founder, Massad Ayoob Group · Retired Police Captain · Expert Witness on use of force · Review date: October 31, 2026
Chris Raper — Retired North Carolina law enforcement (40+ years) · U.S. Air Force Security Police · NRA-certified Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun Instructor · NC DOJ-certified Concealed Carry Instructor · Founder, Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. (Elm City, NC, 2006)In addition to my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week, this guide was reviewed by Massad Ayoob of Massad Ayoob Group, whose opinion appears below. [Keep only if true — Chris: I handled the product(s) on this page myself. Details are in the test record at the end.] The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
The question I hear most from new permit holders isn’t about calibers. It’s what to keep the gun in when it’s not on your hip. For a lot of folks the right answer is a small steel box screwed to something solid, and the ONNAIS Iron Pro is one of the cheaper ones that does it with a fingerprint reader.
Short version: a lot of ways in for under a hundred dollars. Just pin down the real inside size and the battery type before you order, because the listing leaves both out.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Specs from the manufacturer listing · owner feedback summarized and labelled · hands-on test notes being added · How we review
ONNAIS Iron Pro – Best Budget Fingerprint Pistol Safe Under $100
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, keypad, backup key and a USB-C emergency port on a small box that screws to a wall or floor.
FRONT PANEL & KEYPAD:
Everything you touch sits along one edge. In the close-ups you can see buttons 1, 2 and 3, then the fingerprint reader in the middle, then 4, 5 and OK. A PUSH marking is printed on the lid just above the reader, and the key lock sits below the buttons. Whether the box is on a shelf or on a wall, that edge faces you, so your hand comes straight in instead of reaching over the top.
The keypad is your fallback when a finger won’t read. ONNAIS doesn’t say in the listing how you set or change the code, so sit down with the manual before you load a gun in it. Pick a code nobody in the house can guess. Birthdays and 1-2-3-4 don’t count.
FINGERPRINT READER:
ONNAIS calls it a high-resolution scanner and says either the fingerprint or the keypad gets you in fast. What the listing doesn’t say is how many prints it stores. If two adults need access, ask the seller first.
I teach the same habit for every biometric box. Enroll the finger you’ll actually reach with, and enroll it several times: flat, tipped up and rolled a little each way. Wet, dirty or cold fingers give any reader trouble, and half asleep your hand never lands the way it did at the kitchen table. In the low-light shot you can see a blue light glowing above the reader with a finger on it.
BACKUP KEY:
A backup key comes with it, for the day the battery is dead. In the photos you can see the key going into the lock below the keypad with the lid up.
Here’s what I tell every class: the key does not live in the same drawer as the safe, and it never lives where a child can find it. Put it on your key ring or in a second locked spot. A safe with the key lying next to it is a box with a lid.
POWER & USB-C:
This is the feature that sets the Iron Pro apart at this price. ONNAIS describes an emergency USB-C port: plug in a power source, and you can open it with a fingerprint or the code even if the batteries are drained and the key is missing. In the photos you can see a cable plugged into the front of the box.
What the listing doesn’t give is the battery type, how many it takes or how long they last. Look that up in the manual. Keep a short USB-C cable and a charged power bank close by, but don’t make that your main plan. Put a reminder on your phone to check the batteries on the first of every month. A dead safe at 3 a.m. is just a locked box.
INSIDE ROOM & LIGHT:
ONNAIS lists the outside at 9.17 inches wide, 2.91 inches deep and 3.07 inches tall, and says it holds up to two standard-sized pistols with protective padding, plus valuables like jewelry. Those listed numbers don’t square with the box in the photos, which is plainly deep enough to hold two revolvers laid in together. I wouldn’t trust the listed depth. No inside dimensions are given at all, so get real outside and inside measurements from the seller before you order.
Height is the number I’d worry about. A box about three inches tall on the outside won’t leave much room for a pistol with a weapon light or a tall red dot. Measure your gun at its tallest point and compare.
ONNAIS also lists a switchable interior light. In the photos you can see the inside lit blue with the lid open. That’s handy in a dark closet. Leave it off if you’d rather save battery or not have a glow give the box away.
BUILD & LATCH:
ONNAIS lists the body as alloy steel and the box as anti-theft. The close-up shows a steel hook under the lid, held with two screws, that catches the lock when you shut it. There’s no steel gauge in the listing, no pry-resistance claim, no fire rating and no third-party certification. So I treat it the way I treat most boxes in this price range: it keeps children and curious hands out and slows down a grab. It isn’t a vault.
The seller lists a 1-year warranty with 24-hour customer service. That’s short, so keep your order record.
MOUNTING:
ONNAIS lists it as a wall-mount safe and says pre-drilled holes and four screws are provided for a wall or a floor. A security cable is in the box too, for tying it to a bed frame or another fixed point. In the photos you can see it hung on a dark wall on its end, with the keypad edge running up the side, and the lid swinging open like a cabinet door.
Drywall alone won’t hold it against a determined pull. Find a stud or solid backing and follow the manual. Keep it out of sight from the doorway. If you have children in the house, this part isn’t optional. North Carolina’s safe-storage law (G.S. 14-315.1) can put you in court if a child gets hold of a loaded gun you left within reach and something happens with it. Other states have their own versions.
SIZE CHECK:
With a hand on the lid you get a feel for it. It’s a flat box, wide enough for a pistol lying down, and thin enough for a closet shelf or the inside of a cabinet. Wherever it goes, practice opening it the way I teach students to practice a draw: lights off, five times in a row. If you can’t do it smoothly in the dark, it’s in the wrong spot or set up wrong.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The ONNAIS Iron Pro pairs a fingerprint reader that works reliably with a compact footprint, real heft and solid build quality. Setup is easy, and the company’s support team responds when problems come up.
Where it falls short: The fingerprint sensor can be picky and sometimes refuses to accept or retain a print or code. A few units arrive with minor defects such as misaligned interior LED lights.
Who it’s for: A compact, sturdy pistol safe for bedside, vehicle or travel use at a fair price. Skip it if occasional fingerprint-setup frustration would be a deal-breaker.
WHAT TO WATCH:
The missing numbers are the big one: no inside size, no weight, no battery type, and outside dimensions that don’t match the photos. A gun with a light or tall optic may not close in it. And with only a 1-year warranty listed, a budget box needs to prove itself early.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want a small box for one or two handguns on a closet wall, inside a cabinet or on a floor, with a fingerprint, a code and two backups, and you want to stay under a hundred dollars. Skip it if you need a fire rating, a certified safe for an insurance policy or room for more than a couple of guns.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What ONNAIS lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 2.91″ deep x 9.17″ wide x 3.07″ high (as listed) |
| Capacity | “2 load”; seller says up to 2 standard-sized pistols |
| Ways in | Fingerprint, keypad, backup key, USB-C emergency power |
| Body | Alloy steel (no gauge listed) |
| Mounting | Wall mount; pre-drilled holes, 4 screws, security cable (floor also mentioned) |
| Extras | Switchable interior light, protective padding |
| Color | Black |
| Warranty | 1 year, 24-hour customer service |
| Weight, battery, inside size | Not listed |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Four ways in: fingerprint, keypad, key and USB-C emergency power
- All controls along the front edge
- Switchable interior light
- Cable, screws and pre-drilled holes included
Cons
- No inside size, weight or battery type listed, and the outside numbers look off
- No fire rating or independent certification
- Only a 1-year warranty per the seller
$65.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Shopping on a budget? See my best gun safes under $100 picks.
Hands-on test record
Protocol prepared for Chris. Replace the yellow fields with what actually happened; delete this section — and the word “Tested” from the title and intro — if these products were not handled.
| Who tested | Chris Raper, NRA-certified instructor |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 31, 2026 |
| Products on this page | ONNAIS Iron Pro |
| Protocol (plan) | Screw the box to a stud or floor and open it by fingerprint, keypad and key in the dark; test unenrolled fingers for rejection; identify the battery type and confirm the USB-C emergency port works. |
| To measure | Record interior dimensions, fingerprint success and false-accept attempts, open time and battery type. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
ONNAIS Iron Pro FAQ
Does the ONNAIS Iron Pro fit two pistols?
The seller says it stores up to two standard-sized pistols with protective padding. No inside dimensions are listed, and the listed outside size doesn’t match the photos, so measure your handguns and get real numbers from the seller before you buy.
What happens if the battery dies?
Per the listing, you have two fallbacks: the backup key, and a USB-C emergency port that lets you plug in a power source and open it with a fingerprint or the code. The battery type isn’t listed, so check the manual.
How do you mount the ONNAIS Iron Pro?
ONNAIS lists it as wall mount, and the seller says pre-drilled holes and four screws work for a wall or a floor. A security cable is also included. Screw into a stud or solid backing, not bare drywall.
Can I turn off the interior light?
Yes. The seller describes a switchable interior light you can leave off to save power and keep a lower profile. Check the manual for how the switch works.
Does the ONNAIS Iron Pro come in different versions?
The listing shows one black version with no variants. Confirm what ships in the box on the current Amazon page, since bundles can change.
Chris Raper
Chris Raper is the founder and lead reviewer of Conceal & Carry Network. A retired North Carolina law-enforcement officer with more than 40 years of service and a U.S. Air Force Security Police veteran, he founded Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. in Elm City, NC in 2006 and has taught the state-approved NC Concealed Handgun Carry class there ever since. He is an NC Department of Justice certified Firearms Safety Instructor, an NRA Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Instructor, an NRA Range Safety Officer and a graduate of Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute. He reviews the carry guns, holsters, safes and sight tools his students ask about every week.