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.
When a student tells me the bedside gun lives in the nightstand drawer “for now,” I already know what for now means. It means years, and the drawer never gets a lock. A box like the BBRKIN Slide-Away Biometric Safe is meant to be the lock that drawer never had.
It’s a low, wide handgun box with a drawer that slides out. You get in with a fingerprint, a backlit keypad or a spare key, and the seller says the door opens on its own once it reads you.
My verdict: a quick-open box for one or two low-profile pistols at a fair price, with three questions to settle before you buy. How is it powered, how will you mount it, and does your gun clear 2.8 inches?
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
BBRKIN Slide-Away Biometric Safe – Best Quick-Open Drawer Safe Under $200
HIGHLIGHT:
A drawer that opens itself after a fingerprint, a keypad code or a key.
OUT OF THE BOX:
The facts I have list exactly one item in the box: a key. No screws, no cable and no mounting bracket are named. Whatever else shows up, count it when you open the carton, and decide right then where that key is going to live.
In the photos you can see it closed: plain black, with a recessed panel on the front holding four numbered buttons and a square fingerprint reader. Other shots show it in a bright orange finish. The listing facts I have don’t mention color choices, so check the page for what’s offered.
FRONT PANEL & FINGERPRINT READER:
BBRKIN says the reader stores up to 20 fingerprints and opens the door in about a second. The listing doesn’t explain how those 20 get divided between users, so read the enrollment steps in the manual before you plan on two or three adults sharing it.
I teach the same trick for every biometric safe. Enroll your main finger several times at different angles: flat, tipped up and rolled a little to each side. A wet, cold or dirty finger doesn’t read like the clean one you used at the kitchen table. That’s exactly why a code and a key sit behind the sensor.
KEYPAD & BACKUP KEY:
The keypad is backlit, which helps in a dark bedroom, and the listing adds a silent mode so the buttons don’t beep. The close-up shows a finger on the buttons with the reader glowing beside them.
The product description lists a wrong-access alarm: three wrong tries and the safe beeps and won’t take a PIN or a fingerprint for a period. That’s good for stopping a guesser. It’s bad if a child has been tapping on it right before you need it. Teach the kids the box is off limits, period.
The key is the last layer. Keep it on your key ring or in a second locked spot, never in the same drawer, and try it once after setup. Most folks don’t touch the key until the day they need it. In the photos you can see it hung under shelves, where the panel sits right at hand height.
DRAWER & INSIDE ROOM:
The drawer is the reason to buy this one. BBRKIN says the door opens automatically once access is granted, so your hand goes from the reader straight to the gun. The trade-off is moving parts. A sliding, self-opening door has more to go wrong than a plain hinged lid, so keep an eye on how smoothly it runs.
BBRKIN lists the inside at 11.4 inches wide, 7.8 deep and 2.8 high. The width handles most full-size pistols laid flat. The height is the limit. A gun with an optic, a weapon light or an extended magazine may not clear 2.8 inches, and the thick foam padding the seller describes takes a little of that room too. Measure your gun at its tallest point and leave some margin.
The seller says it holds two handguns, or one handgun plus magazines. In the photos you can see a pistol lying in the foam-lined drawer. BBRKIN also lists an interior LED light, so you can see what you’re reaching for in a dark room.
BUILD & STEEL:
BBRKIN lists alloy steel with a powder-coat finish. The seller’s feature list adds reinforced solid steel walls, internal hinges, an extra internal safety bracket, a pry-resistant door and a dual-layer steel housing. Those are the maker’s words. No steel gauge, no lock-bolt details and no independent rating come with them.
Internal hinges are a good design point, since hinges on the outside are a common weak spot on small boxes. Still, as an old lawman, I file this under keeping kids and quick hands out, not stopping a burglar with tools. The photo of the orange one sitting on top of a dresser beside a watch box makes the point. Left loose like that, anybody can carry it off.
POWER:
Here’s the biggest hole in the listing. The facts I have don’t say how this safe is powered. It has a reader, a lit keypad, an LED light and a door that opens itself, so it runs on electricity somehow. Whether that’s replaceable batteries, a rechargeable pack or an adapter, the listing doesn’t say, and no power accessories are listed in the box.
Before you buy, check the Amazon page, the questions section and the manual for the power type and the low-battery warning. Then ask one more question: does the key open the door when the power is weak or gone? A powered door may act different on a weak battery than a plain latch would. Get that answer from the manual, try the key, and put a check on your phone for the first of every month.
MOUNTING:
The listing calls it freestanding or tabletop and names no mounting hardware. That’s a problem, because a box sitting loose in a drawer leaves with whoever finds it. If the manual allows it, screws through the base into something solid are the fix. A cable you buy yourself is the next best thing.
In the photos you can see screw holes laid out on a wood panel, a black metal plate screwed down to a wooden shelf, and the inside of a wooden cabinet with metal drawer slides fitted on each side. Since the listing names only a key in the box, ask the seller what mounting parts ship before you plan a job like that.
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.
PLACEMENT:
The low, wide shape suits tight spots. In the photos you can see it hung under a desk with a computer on top, tucked under a countertop edge, and sitting on the lower shelf of a nightstand. Put it where your hand comes straight to the panel without hunting.
Once it’s in, run the drill I give students for their draw: lights off, starting from lying down, five times in a row. If you can’t get it open smoothly in the dark, it’s in the wrong place.
The listing also tags it for vehicle use. Keep it out of sight and anchored to something fixed, and remember a parked car in a Carolina summer is hard on electronics. No operating temperature range is given, so check the manual.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The fingerprint scanner is fast and dependable on most units, the body is solid and heavy, the included bracket makes under-desk or truck mounting easy, and there is room for two handguns plus small items.
Where it falls short: On a minority of units the scanner reads only about half the time, a few fail after light use, and the code lock can stop working after a few months.
Who it’s for: Quick biometric access to one or two pistols at a desk, nightstand or vehicle. Skip it if you need first-try biometric reliability every time; scanner consistency varies from unit to unit.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Three things: the 2.8-inch inside height, the unknown power source and no listed mounting hardware. Add no fire rating and no security certification, and you’ve got a convenience box, not a vault.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you keep a low-profile pistol, you want a drawer that opens on its own at the bedside or under a desk, and you’ll work out the mounting yourself. At the time of writing it sat in the $100 to $200 range. Skip it if your gun wears a light or a tall optic, or if you’d rather not depend on electronics at all. A mechanical box is the answer for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What BBRKIN lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 11.2″ deep x 13.5″ wide x 3.7″ high |
| Inside size | 11.4″ wide x 7.8″ deep x 2.8″ high |
| Capacity | 0.15 cu ft; two handguns, or one handgun plus magazines |
| Ways in | Fingerprint (up to 20), backlit keypad, spare key |
| Body | Alloy steel, powder-coat finish |
| Extras | Auto-open door, interior LED light, silent mode, wrong-access alarm |
| In the box | Key |
| Not listed | Power source, mounting hardware, steel gauge, fire rating |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Three ways in: fingerprint, backlit keypad and key
- Door opens on its own after a read
- Internal hinges, LED light and silent mode
- Low, wide shape for a drawer, shelf or desk spot
Cons
- Only 2.8 inches of inside height
- Power source not stated
- No mounting hardware listed in the box
$129.00 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Rather skip the electronics? Read my StopBox USA 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 | BBRKIN Slide-Away Biometric Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Mount the box as the manual directs, enroll two fingers per adult, then open it from a lying position in the dark by fingerprint, code and key; confirm the drawer clears with your pistol inside and check behavior with the batteries removed. |
| To measure | Record dark-room open time per method, failed fingerprint reads out of a set number of tries, and the tallest pistol that clears the drawer opening. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
BBRKIN Slide-Away Biometric Safe FAQ
Will a full-size handgun fit in the BBRKIN Slide-Away Biometric Safe?
The seller gives the inside as 11.4 inches wide, 7.8 deep and 2.8 high. The width is generous, but the height is tight. Measure your gun at its tallest point, optic, light and extended magazine included, and leave a little room for the foam.
How is the BBRKIN Slide-Away safe powered?
The listing doesn’t say, and no power accessories are named in the box. Check the Amazon page, the questions section and the manual for the power type and the low-battery warning, and confirm the key opens it if the power runs low.
Can I mount the BBRKIN Slide-Away safe in a drawer?
It’s listed as freestanding or tabletop, with only a key in the box. If you want it fixed in place, read the manual for approved methods and plan on buying screws or a cable so it can’t be carried off.
What if the fingerprint reader doesn’t recognize me?
Use the backlit keypad, and if that fails, the spare key. The safe beeps and blocks access after three wrong tries, so don’t keep guessing. Keep the key where you can reach it and children can’t.
How many fingerprints can the BBRKIN safe store?
Up to 20, according to the seller. The listing doesn’t explain how they’re split between users, so check the manual before setting it up for a shared household.
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.