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.
I spend a good part of every class on one point: a gun sitting in a holster or a safe isn’t the risky part. Handling it on the way in and out is. The ONNAIS Open-Design Biometric Pistol Safe shortens that trip. There’s no lid to lift. The pistol stands in a fingerprint lock with the grip up, and you draw it out the way you would from a holster.
My verdict: a fast, small holder for one handgun at the bedside or in a truck console, if you screw it down hard and accept that it doesn’t close the gun up in a box.
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 Open-Design Biometric Pistol Safe – Best Open-Access Fingerprint Pistol Safe Under $100
HIGHLIGHT:
No lid: fingerprint, keypad and key access on a small holder that screws to a nightstand, wall, desk or console.
OUT OF THE BOX:
The retail box in the photos is labeled “Fingerprint Gun Lock,” and that tells you more about what this is than the word safe does. It’s a lock that holds a pistol in place, not a steel box you close the pistol up in. Keep that straight and you’ll judge it fairly.
In the photos you can see the box opened to a fitted foam insert. ONNAIS lists the safe, eight mounting screws, a charging cable, a mechanical key and a user manual in the box. Read the manual before you load a gun in it, not after.
THE OPEN DESIGN:
ONNAIS lists the outside at 6.5 inches deep, 3.5 inches wide and 7.9 inches high. In the photos you can see a pistol standing in it with the grip and the top of the slide sticking out. That’s the whole idea: your hand goes straight to the grip, with nothing to lift or swing open first.
The specs don’t give a handgun length limit or any inside numbers. The description mentions a handgun fit guide and a console fit guide in the listing images, so find those and check them against your exact make and model, light and optic included. At 3.5 inches wide, I’d expect a slim holder, and a full-size pistol wearing a wide light may be a poor match. There’s no room for a wallet, a spare magazine or a second gun. It holds one handgun, and that’s all.
FRONT PANEL & FINGERPRINT READER:
The top panel in the close-ups is laid out simply: a round fingerprint reader in one corner, buttons 1 through 4 down the side, a red LOCK button, and a slot down the middle where the pistol’s trigger guard seats. In one shot the ring around the reader glows green.
ONNAIS says the reader unlocks in 0.5 seconds and stores up to 80 prints. The speed is the seller’s number, not a test result. Eighty slots is more than any household needs, and that’s useful, because the trick I teach for every biometric lock is to enroll the same finger several times at different angles. Flat, tipped up, rolled a little each way. Half asleep, your hand never lands the way it did at the kitchen table.
KEYPAD & BACKUP KEY:
The listing gives you two backups: a keypad and a mechanical key. In the low-light shot you can see the number buttons lit up under a finger. The keypad covers wet or dirty fingers. The key covers a drained battery.
An open-design lock sits out in plain view, so think hard about who in your house can reach that keypad. With four number buttons, pick the longest code the manual allows and nothing anybody could guess. And the key does not live next to the lock. Put it on your key ring or in a second locked spot, never where a child can find it.
LATCH & TRIGGER LOCK:
The seller mentions a reinforced latch and a built-in trigger lock, but the listing doesn’t explain how either one works. In the photos you can see a hand on the grip of a pistol seated in the unit. Study the manual and the listing images until you understand how your gun locks in and comes out before you trust it.
Because the gun comes out by the grip, getting it out is a draw, and I teach it the same way every time: firm grip, trigger finger straight along the frame, muzzle pointed somewhere safe. Putting it back is where people get careless. Slow down, keep that finger off the trigger, and make sure nothing is caught in the trigger guard as it seats.
POWER:
ONNAIS lists a built-in rechargeable battery and puts the charging cable in the box. In the photos you can see the cable plugged in. The seller says one charge lasts up to a year and a full recharge takes two hours. A year is a best-case figure that depends on how often you open it and how hot or cold it gets, so don’t wait for it to quit.
The listing doesn’t describe a low-battery warning, so learn from the manual how it tells you the charge is low. Charge it on a schedule. I tell folks to do it when they change the smoke detector batteries. Then test the fingerprint, the code and the key after each charge.
MOUNTING AT HOME:
ONNAIS lists wall, desk, undercounter, bedside and nightstand mounting, with pre-drilled holes and eight screws. In the photos you can see a flat plate with screw holes along one side of the unit, and the unit mounted low on the side of a black cabinet next to a wall.
With no lid, the mounting carries much of the security. Screw it into a solid frame or a thick panel, not thin plywood or trim. A loosely fastened unit isn’t much better than leaving the gun on a shelf. With the grip out in the open, I’d mount it where small children can’t reach it or even see it. 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.
VEHICLE MOUNT:
The seller pitches it for center consoles and under-seat spots in SUVs and pickups, and the description mentions trunk mounting too. In the photos you can see it fitted inside a center console with a pistol seated.
As an old lawman, the gun left in a vehicle is the one I worry about most. A console is the first place a thief looks. If this rides in your truck, it needs to be screwed down hard and the truck needs to be locked. Check your state’s rules for carrying and storing a gun in a vehicle before you rely on it. Remember too that a car runs hot in summer and cold in winter, so keep an eye on the charge.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The fingerprint reader is fast, quiet and consistent, it ships in secure foam packaging, setup is easy, and the clamp holds firmly without depressing the trigger on most handguns.
Where it falls short: It often will not fit a pistol wearing a weapon light, or certain models such as some 1911s. The gun is openly exposed by design, so small hands can reach the trigger or rack the slide. Some units ship without mounting hardware or with weak screws.
Who it’s for: The fastest home-defense draw with a bare compact pistol where no young children live. Skip it if you run a weapon light or need the gun enclosed.
WHAT TO WATCH:
The open design is the big one. It holds the gun; it doesn’t enclose it, so the latch, the trigger lock and your mounting do all the work. The specs list no inside size or handgun limit, and no steel gauge, fire rating or burglary rating. The seller says it’s backed by a lifetime warranty, but the listing doesn’t spell out the terms, so read them and keep your order record.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want one handgun held in a fixed spot you can reach fast, at the bedside, under a desk or in a truck console, and you want to stay under a hundred dollars. Skip it if you want a closed box with room for a spare magazine or valuables, a second gun, or any fire protection.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What ONNAIS lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 6.5″ deep x 3.5″ wide x 7.9″ high |
| Ways in | Fingerprint, keypad, mechanical key |
| Fingerprints | Up to 80 |
| Unlock speed | 0.5 seconds (seller claim) |
| Body | Alloy steel, scratch resistant (no gauge listed) |
| Mounting | Wall, desk, undercounter, bedside, nightstand; pre-drilled holes |
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery, up to 1 year per charge, 2-hour recharge |
| In the box | Safe, 8 mounting screws, charging cable, mechanical key, user manual |
| Warranty | Lifetime, per the seller (terms not spelled out) |
| Inside size, fire or burglary rating | Not listed |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- No lid, with a fingerprint unlock the seller lists at 0.5 seconds
- Up to 80 prints plus keypad and key backups
- Rechargeable battery with the cable in the box
- Screws to a nightstand, wall, desk or vehicle console
Cons
- Holds the gun rather than enclosing it, so the grip stays exposed
- No inside size or handgun limit in the specs
- No fire rating, burglary rating or steel gauge listed
$79.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Want a lidded box instead? Read my BILLCONCH Biometric Handgun Safe review.
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 Open-Design Biometric Pistol Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Screw the holder to a nightstand and a truck console and draw and reholster by fingerprint, keypad and key; test wet fingers; try to pull the pistol free without unlocking to judge retention. |
| To measure | Record draw time by method, failed reads per attempts, and how firmly the locked pistol resists a pull. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
ONNAIS Open-Design Biometric Pistol Safe FAQ
Does the ONNAIS open-design pistol safe have a lid?
No. The seller describes an open-access design with no lid to lift, which is how it opens fast. That also means less enclosure than a lidded box, so the latch and your mounting matter more. Check the listing images for how your handgun sits.
How long does the ONNAIS battery last?
The seller says the built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to a year per charge and recharges in two hours, with a charging cable included. That’s a manufacturer figure, so charge it on a schedule and test every way in afterward.
How is the ONNAIS open-design safe mounted?
The listing names wall, desk, undercounter, bedside and nightstand mounting, with eight screws and pre-drilled holes included. Fasten it to something solid. If it goes in a vehicle, check your state’s rules first.
What backup access does it have if the fingerprint fails?
The listing says there’s a keypad and a mechanical key besides the fingerprint reader, which stores up to 80 prints. Keep the key away from the safe and out of reach of children.
Does the ONNAIS open-design safe have a warranty?
The seller says it’s backed by a lifetime warranty, but the listing doesn’t spell out the terms. Read them on the listing or in the manual, and keep your order record.
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.