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.
Somewhere in the second hour of my carry class the storage question comes up, and it’s rarely about one gun. A husband and wife will have three or four handguns between them, a pile of magazines, a flashlight and the car keys, and most of it rides on a closet shelf. One slim bedside box won’t hold all that. A cabinet-style box like the Grimtron 4-Pistol Biometric Safe is the kind I walk them through.
When a student asks me why a home safe needs a fingerprint reader at all, I tell them speed is only half of it. A code can be watched and a key can be found. A finger stays on your hand.
My verdict: it’s a roomy 32-pound home box with fingerprint, code and key, a door organizer and a removable shelf, at a fair price. Plan on bolting it down, and don’t count on fire protection, because none is listed.
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
Grimtron 4-Pistol Biometric Safe – Best Multi-Pistol Biometric Safe Under $200
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, PIN and emergency key access on a 48-liter box with a gun rack, a door organizer and a removable shelf.
FRONT PANEL & KEYPAD:
Everything you touch sits in one round housing on the door: a column of numbered buttons with the fingerprint sensor right beside it. In the photos you can see the Grimtron badge to the right of that housing and a red label on the door with tips for setting up fingerprints. Read that label before you peel it off.
Grimtron says the PIN can run 3 to 8 digits on a backlit keypad, and the seller claims millions of combinations at the full length. I tell every class the same thing about codes: no birthdays, no anniversaries, no house numbers. Your kids know those dates better than you do. Use six digits or more, and make it something you can punch in the dark without looking.
The listing also gives LED interior lighting and a silent mode for the keypad. In a bedroom, both matter. You want to see what you’re grabbing, and you don’t want the whole house hearing every beep.
FINGERPRINT READER:
The seller says the reader stores up to 30 fingerprints and claims a response under 0.3 seconds, with the lock opening in under a second. Those are the maker’s numbers, not anybody’s lab test. The seller also notes that no fingerprint will open it until you set one up, so your first job is enrolling prints and setting a PIN.
Thirty slots is plenty for a household. 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. Half awake, your hand doesn’t land the way it did at the kitchen table at noon. Give each adult who should have access a few slots of their own, and nobody else.
BACKUP KEY:
Grimtron includes emergency keys, and the seller says there are two. The close-up shows the key lock on the front of the door, next to the Grimtron badge.
Here’s the rule I give every class: the backup key does not live on top of the safe, in the drawer under it, or anywhere a child can reach. Put one on your key ring and the other in a second locked spot away from the box. A safe with the key sitting beside it only keeps out the honest folks.
INSIDE ROOM:
Grimtron lists 48 liters of space, and the model name says four pistols. In the box you get a gun rack, a door organizer and a removable shelf. The seller says the door organizer holds car keys, a flashlight, several magazines and passports. In the photos you can see the door open with the organizer panel on the inside of the door and the shelf splitting the cabinet in two.
Another shot looks down into a loaded box: magazines lined up in the door organizer, with ammunition and gear in the main compartment below. That’s about how I’d want it set up, with the spare magazines where your hand can find them.
What Grimtron doesn’t list is the inside height, width and depth. Those are the numbers that decide whether your guns fit. Rack slots come in different widths, so check how the rack handles a pistol with a light, an optic or a fat grip. Measure your guns before you order, and if the inside numbers aren’t on the page, ask the seller.
DOOR & BUILD:
The seller talks about upgraded metal knobs, a heavy door and thick walls, and says the box is very difficult to steal. That’s marketing. The listing gives alloy steel as the material, with no steel gauge, no bolt count and no pry-resistance rating, so I can’t stack it up against other boxes on paper.
In the open-door shot you can see two round bolts on the door edge and the shelf inside. As an old lawman, my first thought on any box is the thief with a few minutes and a pry bar. Weight helps, and 32 pounds won’t go in a coat pocket. But two people can carry this box out the back door, and one stout fellow can too. That’s why the mounting section below matters more than the brochure.
POWER:
This is where the listing goes quiet. It doesn’t say what batteries the safe takes, how many, or whether there’s a USB emergency port. In one photo you can see a cord plugged into the bottom of the keypad housing, and the open-door shot shows what looks like a battery holder on the back of the door. Since the listing explains neither one, read the manual when the box shows up and learn both before a gun goes in.
The emergency keys are the stated fallback if the electronics quit. Whatever the power source, I put a reminder on my phone to check it on the first of every month, and I’d try the fingerprint, the code and the key after every battery change. A dead safe at 3 a.m. is just a locked box.
MOUNTING & PLACEMENT:
Grimtron lists tabletop or floor mount and puts four expansion screws in the box. Anchor into concrete, a wall stud or a solid subfloor, and find out what’s behind the surface before you drill. Follow the manual for the hole locations.
The seller suggests a nightstand, armoire, sideboard or bar counter. At 16.54 inches tall, it wants a stout shelf or the floor of a closet. A wardrobe keeps it out of sight but makes it slower to reach at night. A spot by the bed is quicker but easier for visitors to notice. Whichever you pick, every adult in the house should know how to open it all three ways, and should practice it with the lights off.
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:
Grimtron lists the outside at 12.99 inches deep, 13.78 inches wide and 16.54 inches high. Measure the shelf and the door swing before you order. A door that only opens halfway against a wall is a door you’ll be cussing at 3 a.m.
In two of the photos a pair of cats have moved in, one on each level. I don’t recommend it as a cat house, but it does give you a feel for how much room there is above and below the shelf.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: It keeps curious children out, the biometric scanner works well once enrolled, a holstered pistol fits, the metal build is solid with a bonus shelf, and it mounts securely to a wall stud.
Where it falls short: On a minority of units the fingerprint sensor stops responding and the safe will not reset after the backup key is used, some arrive with no charge and will not take one, and warranty support can be slow.
Who it’s for: An affordable multi-pistol biometric safe with key backup for anyone who does not mind occasional troubleshooting. Skip it if responsive warranty support matters to you.
WHAT TO WATCH:
The missing numbers are the big one: no inside dimensions, no battery details, no steel gauge and no fire or water rating. Nothing in the listing says fire-resistant or waterproof, so don’t keep papers in it expecting them to come through. Also, some videos online use a 48LB name for a Grimtron box, so make sure anything you watch matches this 32-pound model.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you have several handguns, spare magazines and a few valuables that need one anchored home, and you want fingerprint access instead of a dial. At the time of writing it sat in the $100 to $200 range. Skip it if you need a box for the car, a slim drawer safe, or a fire-rated or certified safe for an insurance policy.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Grimtron lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 12.99″ deep x 13.78″ wide x 16.54″ high |
| Capacity | 48 liters, named for 4 pistols |
| Weight | 32 lb |
| Body | Alloy steel (no gauge listed) |
| Ways in | Fingerprint (up to 30 prints), 3-8 digit backlit keypad, emergency keys |
| Inside | Gun rack, door organizer, removable shelf, LED light |
| Mounting | Tabletop or floor, four expansion screws |
| Not listed | Inside dimensions, battery type, fire rating |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Three ways in: fingerprint, code and key
- Room for several handguns, magazines and small valuables
- Gun rack, door organizer and removable shelf in the box
- Silent mode and an interior LED light
Cons
- No inside dimensions or battery details listed
- No steel gauge, fire rating or certification
- Too big for a car or a drawer
$149.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Comparing fingerprint models? See my best biometric gun safe 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 | Grimtron 4-Pistol Biometric Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Bolt the safe to the floor or wall, load the rack with your own pistols, enroll two fingers per adult, then open it by fingerprint, PIN and key, including with the batteries removed; pull hard on the locked door. |
| To measure | Record open time per method, failed fingerprint reads out of a set number of tries, how many of your pistols the rack accepts, and whether the door moves under a firm pull or pry when bolted. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
Grimtron 4-Pistol Biometric Safe FAQ
How many pistols fit in the Grimtron 4-Pistol Biometric Safe?
The model name says four, and Grimtron lists 48 liters with a gun rack, a door organizer and a removable shelf. Inside dimensions aren’t listed, so measure your guns with any light or optic on and ask the seller before you order.
How many fingerprints can it store?
Up to 30, according to the seller. Enroll your main finger several times at different angles, and remember no fingerprint opens it until you set one up.
What is the backup if the fingerprint reader fails?
The 3 to 8 digit backlit keypad, and after that the emergency keys. The seller says two keys come with it. Keep one away from the safe and out of children’s reach.
What batteries does the Grimtron safe use?
The listing doesn’t say what type, how many or how long they last, and it doesn’t describe a USB emergency port. Check the manual when it arrives, and try all three ways in after every battery change.
Can I bolt the Grimtron safe down?
Yes. Grimtron lists tabletop or floor mount and includes four expansion screws. Anchor into solid material, and check what’s behind the surface before you drill.
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.