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)This guide draws on my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week. The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
The first question I get about any fingerprint safe is always the same one: what happens when it won’t read my finger? It’s a fair question, and the right answer is that a good bedside box gives you more than one way in. The SentrySafe QAP2BLX gives you three.
When a student asks me about this one, here’s what I tell him. It’s a wide, 16-pound nightstand box with a fingerprint reader, a keypad, an override key, a gas-strut lid and a blue light inside. It runs short on inside height, so measure your gun before you buy.
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
SentrySafe QAP2BLX – Best Biometric Nightstand Safe Under $200
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, keypad and override key on one front panel, with a gas strut that lifts the lid quietly.
OUT OF THE BOX:
In the photos you can see the safe come out with foam wrap over the lid, a small parts bag on top, and the paperwork beside it. Open it up and there’s another small bag of hardware sitting on the floor of the box. Read the manual before you enroll a single print. The listing doesn’t give the number of prints the reader stores, the code length or the enrollment steps, so the manual is where those answers live.
FINGERPRINT READER:
The reader sits on the left end of the front panel, so your hand comes in from the front edge instead of reaching over the top of the box. One photo shows a hand going in as the lid comes up, with the reader just below it.
I teach the same trick for every biometric safe. Enroll the same finger several times at different angles: flat, tipped up and rolled a little to each side. Half asleep, your hand doesn’t land the way it did at the kitchen table when you set the thing up. Wet, dirty or cut fingers can also give a reader trouble, which is exactly why the next two ways in matter.
KEYPAD & BACKUP KEY:
Next to the reader are four round buttons, and on the right end is the key lock. The straight-on shot shows all three on one panel. When a finger won’t read, you go to the code. Pick one with no birthdays and no repeated digits, and practice it in the dark.
The listing calls it an override key for backup entry. It doesn’t spell out whether the key works with the batteries fully dead, so confirm that in the manual. Then think hard about where the key lives. Not in the same drawer as the safe, and never where a child can find it. A key in the nightstand protects against nothing, and a key in a far-off office is no help in an emergency. Your key ring or a second locked spot is the answer I give every class.
GAS STRUT LID:
SentrySafe says the gas strut lifts the door smoothly and quietly for single-handed opening. In a bedroom that matters. A spring lid that bangs open tells the whole house what you’re doing. The close-up shows the corner of the lid where it meets the body.
One photo shows a gas strut lying loose on top of the closed safe, so you can see how small the part is. If yours ever loses its push, don’t throw out the whole safe. SentrySafe is the place to ask about a replacement.
INSIDE ROOM & LIGHT:
SentrySafe lists the inside at 14 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep and 2.2 inches tall, or 0.115 cubic feet. The outside is 16.4 by 9.8 by 3.2 inches. The empty shot shows a black-lined floor with plenty of width.
The seller says it holds two standard handguns, or one larger pistol and extra ammunition. In the photos you can see a compact pistol and a small revolver set into a cut foam insert, with speed loaders standing beside the revolver. That’s a sensible use of a wide, shallow box.
The 2.2-inch height is the limit. A pistol with a tall grip, a weapon light or a red dot may ride up against the lid, and a gun that nearly touches the lid can keep the strut from closing it smoothly. Lay your gun on its side with everything attached, measure the highest point and compare.
SentrySafe lists a blue LED inside the box. In the photos you can see it lighting the floor of the safe, and the keypad buttons glow blue around their edges too. In a dark room, seeing what you’re reaching for is worth something. Just remember the light and the lock both run off the same batteries.
POWER:
SentrySafe recommends four high-quality, name-brand alkaline AA batteries. The close-up shows them sitting in a compartment inside the front panel, under the key lock and buttons. The listing doesn’t say how long they last or whether the safe warns you when they’re low.
So build a routine. Put fresh cells in at setup, write the date down, and change them on a schedule instead of waiting for trouble. Don’t mix old and new, and don’t buy the cheap ones. Every so often, test all three ways in: finger, code and key.
MOUNTING:
The title mentions a bolt-down kit, but the bullets don’t describe the hardware. In the photos you can see two holes in the floor of the empty box, and a close-up with a hole circled in yellow on an inside wall. Check the manual for which holes the kit is meant to use and what surface it expects.
Another photo shows the closed box on carpet beside a white board and a bracket. Whatever you fasten this safe to, that thing has to be fastened down too. At 16 pounds it’s harder to walk off with than a thin travel box, but as an old lawman I’ll tell you a burglar can still carry it out under one arm. Bolted down, he can’t.
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:
Next to a hand you get a feel for this box. It’s wide and flat, about a dresser-top or closet-shelf footprint, and it won’t slip into a narrow drawer. Measure your spot, and leave room above it for the lid to rise. The side view shows how slim the profile is.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The SentrySafe QAP2BLX is sturdy and heavy, sits neatly on a nightstand, and offers three access options: fingerprint, code and spare keys. Hardware on recent units is generally reliable.
Where it falls short: The fingerprint scanner can be inconsistent with some fingers, a small number of units have shipped in apparently used or repackaged condition with programming issues, and it works best on name-brand alkaline batteries rather than rechargeables.
Who it’s for: A sturdy nightstand biometric safe with multiple backup access methods. Skip it if the fingerprint scanner must work perfectly for every household member from day one.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Height is the big one: 2.2 inches inside. Batteries are the second: four AAs, with no battery life listed. The seller says solid steel and a pry-resistant door, but there’s no steel gauge, no fire rating and no lock-bolt count listed. And the long description on the listing mentions a different model code, so confirm the model number on the Amazon page before you order.
The listing does say it’s California DOJ-certified for storing handguns. That’s a storage label, not a fire or break-in rating.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want a bedside box for one or two compact handguns with a fingerprint reader up front and two backups behind it, and you’ll bolt it down. Skip it if you need a tall interior, a travel case, fire protection, or a lock with no electronics at all.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What SentrySafe lists |
|---|---|
| Ways in | Fingerprint scanner, digital keypad, override key |
| Outside size | 16.4″ wide x 9.8″ deep x 3.2″ high |
| Inside size | 14″ wide x 6.5″ deep x 2.2″ high |
| Capacity | 0.115 cubic feet; two standard handguns, or one larger pistol plus ammo |
| Weight | 16 lb |
| Body | Solid steel, pry-resistant door (no gauge listed) |
| Lid | Gas strut |
| Light | Blue LED inside |
| Power | 4 AA alkaline batteries recommended |
| Certification | California DOJ-certified, per the listing |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Three ways in: fingerprint, code and key
- Gas-strut lid opens quietly with one hand
- Blue interior light for a dark bedroom
- 16-pound steel box with a bolt-down kit in the title
Cons
- Only 2.2 inches of inside height
- Four AA batteries to keep fresh, with no battery life listed
- No fire rating, and a wide footprint that won’t suit narrow spaces
$179.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Still weighing fingerprint locks? Read my take on whether biometric gun safes are reliable.
SentrySafe QAP2BLX FAQ
What size handgun fits in the SentrySafe QAP2BLX?
SentrySafe lists the inside at 14 by 6.5 by 2.2 inches and says it holds two standard handguns, or one larger pistol and extra ammunition. Height is the limit, so measure your gun with any light or optic attached before you order.
What batteries does the QAP2BLX use?
SentrySafe recommends four high-quality, name-brand alkaline AA batteries. The listing doesn’t state battery life, so put fresh ones in at setup, note the date and change them on a schedule.
How do I get in if the fingerprint reader fails?
Use the keypad code, and if that fails, the override key. Read the manual to confirm how the key works if the batteries are fully drained, and keep the key away from the safe and out of children’s reach.
Can the QAP2BLX be bolted down?
The Amazon title mentions a bolt-down kit, but the bullets don’t describe the hardware. Check the manual for what’s included and which surfaces it suits. For a 16-pound box that can otherwise be carried off, bolting it down is the smart move.
All product photos on this page were taken by our team.
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.