I was initially a bit wary of purchasing this product based on some of the older reviews here on Amazon (& the obviously out-dated photos offered here - this model has a tubular key lock on the front). But after reviewing the specs & photos on the GunVault web site I ended up buying the MV500-STD from my gun dealer to secure a weapon in my bedside table. Let me tell you - it fits the bill!
If you plan on carrying it around, you'll need to add a small towel to keep your items from clunking around as the padding is thick, but not enough to pin a full-size handgun & magazines in place. This unit is large enough for my Glock 17 & three 17-round magazines.
While the buttons are a little "mushy" feeling as indicated in a few of the reviews here (soft rubber), I only have a mis-press infrequently, & only because I set my code to use multiple fingers simultaneously at one point - it is sometimes difficult to apply the same amount of pressure on 3 or more fingers at once while standing directly over it (think of the angle needed to type on a computer keyboard). I have not had this issue when practicing from a prone position in bed, which is my primary use for this equipment. Practice is important to ensure that you'll be able to use ANY safe at a moment's notice.
This unit is easy to program virtually any combination of buttons you'd like as your combo. The option to program a simultaneous multi-button push and being able use any button more than once during a combination make this unit decently secure. A pair of tube lock keys are included in case the battery fails at some point, but the unit does have an indicator light which will blink red to indicate that a battery change is near. I've been using the same set of alkaline batteries since July of 2010 (the date of this review is 5/3/2011). The indicator light will also acknowledge button presses (by blinking green with each press), will indicate a bad combo attempt (with a red light), & the unit can also be set to beep & buzz along with the lamp - but this is, thankfully, something that can be disabled. If a bad combo is entered too many times (4 or 5, I believe) it will disable button presses for a few minutes - another time the included keys would come in handy. Plus, it will tell you if someone has attempted to gain access with a bad combo (think children). Again, practice using the safe just like you should be doing with your weapon, because your life may depend on it! I use the combination multiple times a day as I move my weapon between heavier storage (when away for a while) & the GunVault.
The included security cable has a plastic sleeve over it & is fairly thin, but it is anchored nicely in the unit & would require one to have a heavy cable cutter to take the safe. The unit does have pre-drilled holes in the bottom to mount it more securely. I've read other's reviews saying they thought they could crack it open with a screwdriver or whatnot, but I notice none of them say they've been able to do it! Heavy gauge steel & decent construction make this an item to have when you need to secure your weapon (or valuables) for the short-term.
While a heavier safe is a must when leaving the house for a day, this unit is great for storing a weapon while you're in the home or nearby. I trust the GunVault MV500-STD to do it's job, & I plan on purchasing another one soon (this time, from Amazon) to secure a carry weapon in my vehicle as needed.
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UPDATE - 2/16/2014
I did follow through by buying a second MV500-STD for use in the car, and it worked well...for a while. By about the -second year- of strictly car use, accessing it nearly every day (couldn't carry at work, so it was used it at least twice a day during the work week), one of the buttons started intermittently not responding (light wouldn't flash to acknowledge a press). I thought this might be due to the batteries running down so I upgraded to lithium AA cells - but the button kept getting worse. After bringing it inside for a while and working with it, I determined that the second button from the left was failing. I reprogrammed the code to not use this one and it works as well as before, but this has given me pause regarding electronic locks.
If I do need to purchase another safe like this, I will go strictly mechanical but with a key back up as I'd rather carry a key than worry about momentary lapses of not remembering a code. The second unit with its three working buttons still works well, even in the harsh cold of the Minnesota winters, and the lithium AA cells that I put in during 2012 are still working.
CAVEAT: The original safe that this review was based is still in use in my home and still works fine - it has had a good amount of use and I did upgrade the batteries to lithium AA cells when I did so for my vehicle unit. Again, I do keep a key available to me as a backup, but I still trust this unit to serve its purpose.
*Some may ask why I'd trust something like this with such an important safety-related duty - Even before I purchased my first firearm in 2010, I thoroughly researched and considered as many aspects of this journey as I could fathom before stepping in. The keyed backup was an important requirement for the safes, and the emergency access process was thought out considerably well. I have backup defensive measures in place to help in situations where I may not be able to open a particular safe quickly.
--I would offer that, barring a reasonably redundant defensive plan or if you have the particularly important task of ensuring that children cannot gain unauthorized access to your firearms, you may wish to defer to a solidly built mechanical safe for your security needs.--
| Brand | GunVault |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 1"D x 8"W x 11"H |
| Lock Type | Electronic, Key |
| Color | Black |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Special Feature | Fingerprint Sensor |
| Included Components | Microvault Pistol Gun Safe |
| Item Weight | 4 Pounds |
| Water Resistance Level | Not Water Resistant |
| Chamber Depth | 6.5 Inches |
| Chamber Width | 6.5 Inches |
| Manufacturer | GunVault |
| Part Number | MV500 |
| Item Weight | 4 pounds |
| Item model number | MV500 |
| Batteries | 1 9V batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | Yes |
| Size | Micro |
| Style | Compact |
| Shape | Rectangle |
| Voltage | 9 Volts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Special Features | Fingerprint Sensor |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Warranty Description | 1 Year Limited Repair or Replace |
