*This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn commissions.*

The Barska Biometric Wall Safe is a good choice if you’re looking for a biometric safe to fit inside a wall in your home. Concealing a safe in this manner makes it more secure as an intruder has to first find it, before he can open it, giving you an extra layer of security.

The safe can be installed behind furniture, or a picture, or even behind any other type of wall hanging or curtains, so you have a great number of possible locations.

Barska Biometric Wall Safe AX12038 Review

The AX12038 is also large enough for you to store several handguns and other valuables. In addition, 2 removable shelves are supplied with the unit to help you organize the contents and make better use of the space inside.

Main Features

120 Registered Fingerprints

The Barska fingerprint reader used on this safe can be programmed with to 120 different fingerprints. This allows you to store several different versions of your own fingerprints from different angles making the safe more accurate when reading your fingerprint. It also means that you can enough memory in the scanner to be able to store the fingerprints of several other registered users if you so desire.

Locking System

The door is locked thanks to the operation of the two deadbolts that hold the door securely in place.

Wall Mounted

This model is designed to be wall mounted. The width of the safe is such that it is small enough to fit between standard wall stud spacings. The safe comes complete with comprehensive fitting instructions so that you should be able to achieve a good fit with the minimum of difficulty and fuss.

Audio Beeps

Audio beeps are used to signal that various actions are being carried out such as door opening, registering fingerprints, low battery power etc. It is also possible to mute the beeps so that the safe can operate quietly in stealth mode. This is particularly useful if you want to open the safe quietly if there is an intruder in your home.

Internal Shelves

The safe comes supplied with two internal shelves that can be removed if required.

Capacity

Can be used to store several handguns plus ammunition and also small valuables like passports, iPod, cameras, medicines etc

AX12038 Specifications

External Dimensions: 20.73” x 15.5” x 3.73” H x W x D
Internal Dimensions: 19.00” x 13.75” x 3.00”
Body Material: Steel
Door Material: Steel
Weight: 29 lbs
Color: Black

AX12038 Feature List

Mounting: Wall mounted using pre-drilled holes on the inside of the sides of the safe
Lock Type: Biometric Fingerprint Lock for 120 Registered Fingerprints
Locking System: 2 Point Deadbolt System
Lining: Protective mat supplied
Batteries: 4 AA batteries
Fireproof: No
Waterproof: No
Approvals: California DoJ Approved
Warranty: 1 year limited warranty

Advantages

  • As this is a wall safe the concealment makes it more difficult for a thief to find than normal, thereby slowing down any attempt at breaching the locking mechanism.
  • The Biometric fingerprint lock removes the need to find a key especially in an emergency situation such as having an intruder in the house. Note that if you have firearms stored in the safe, you should really set the audio beeps to silent so that you do not alert an intruder to the safe opening.

User Reviews and Ratings

There were many different review ratings for this product listed on a number of different supplier sites. The overall ratings given were very positive.

Reviewers Comment Summary

Generally the people that buy this safe are impressed with the quality of all parts, the looks, and the accuracy of the reader.

What Users Liked..

  • The Biometric Lock was very accurate and the majority of users found it easy to set up.
  • Being able to mute the audio beeps was a very useful feature in case the safe needs to be opened silently.
  • The finish on the majority of safes were supplied was good
  • External battery pack supplied was useful for accessing the safe if the batteries inside the safe had died and the electronic lock was off.
    Note: If you have any problems with opening the safe using the fingerprint reader, Barska have supplied a set off emergency backup keys. These can be used by removing the front logo plate on the safe using the wrench supplied to access the keyhole.

What They Didn’t Like..

The plastic clips used to support the shelves were easy to break as was the battery cover if you weren’t taking extra care.

Tips for getting the most from this safe

  • The first thing to do when the safe arrives is to check that the emergency back-up key works.
  • Once you have confirmed the keys work, find a safe place to store them away from the unit.
  • Make sure that you get someone to help you when fixing the safe inside the wall. The unit is heavy if you have to hold it at the same time as trying to fix it to the wall.
  • When adding your fingerprints to the safe make sure that you clean the reader first and then register them from several different angles. This will improve the safes rate of success when trying to read your fingerprint.
  • After you have completed adding your fingerprints ask someone else to try to open the safe. If their fingerprint has not been registered then they shouldn’t be able to open the safe. This will confirm that the reader is working properly.
  • Make sure that you keep the glass on the front of the fingerprint reader clean with a soft cloth – this will help to improve the accuracy of the fingerprint reader.

What’s in the Box

1. Barska AX12038
2. Protective floor liner
3. Mounting hardware – 4 Screws
4. External battery pack
5. Wrench for removing the faceplate to access the emergency keyhole
6. Emergency backup keys x 2
7. Removable shelves and supports x 2

Review Summary

If you are looking for a biometric wall safe then this is a good choice. While it’s not a high-security unit, its sturdy enough to keep your kids and an opportunist thief out. The ability to be able to conceal the unit also adds on another layer of protection.

The super accurate Barska fingerprint reader also works very well in practice especially if you have recorded your own fingerprints from several different angles.

There’s plenty of room inside the safe for several handguns and ammo, and the removable shelves make it easy to keep other small valuable items arranged and organized without getting damaged.

The unit is also relatively easy to fit between adjacent studs in the wall. The wide flange welded around the front means that any small cutting errors that you make when cutting the plasterboard are easily concealed helping you achieve a good finish on the wall.

The Price

This is a pretty good wall safe for the money and you can get a good deal on it if you shop around. The best price we found while we were researching this model was on Amazon.

We noticed that the safe was listed several times on Amazon with different prices.

Here’s a link to the best priced listing on Amazon that we found.