I test gun safes for a living, so you can trust me when I say that the new Vaultek RS800i Plus Edition exceeded my expectations. It's heavy-duty and biometric, and spacious enough for my needs. Here's my hands-on review.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
VAULTEK RS800i Plus - Heavy-Duty Biometric Rifle Safe with Smartphone Alerts and Rechargeable Battery
Highlight: Comes equipped with a full deck of additional accessories.
Helpful review: I got this rifle safe today, and I have to say I’m very impressed. The first thing I noticed is the high quality. This is definitely NOT some flimsy lockbox. Let me to go into detail.
FIT:
By measuring 4.5 feet tall, 16 inches deep, and 14 inches wide, this gun safe will fit easily in any location, giving the user quick and easy access to the safe and its contents. Even with the shelf installed, this safe will accommodate any AR-platform firearm, as well as your other tactical carbines and shotguns. Mine easily fits my AR-10, Mini-14, and shotgun, plus multiple handguns. You could probably fit 6 rifles comfortably: 5 inside and another on the door. Keep in mind that with a shelf in this safe, it does limit the height of the firearm you can keep inside. For example, WITH the shelf I cannot put a full length Remington 700 bolt action.
INSTALLATION:
Installation all around was a very simple process. I secured this safe to an interior wall in the front room of my workshop, which is also where customers and guests sort of hang out and around. This gives me a great place to store some of my latest tactical projects without having to bring folks into my back room or to where my main firearm storage is located. I used 3 of the holes and the manufacturer-provided 1.5” screws to secure the safe directly into a stud. I like how on the inside, the holes are covered up with a little plate, so it just gives a neat and clean appearance by not seeing the screwheads from the inside.
BATTERY:
This Vaultek operates off one rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The display has a meter showing the battery life, which isn’t common with other battery-operated gun safes. To recharge the battery, there's a port at the bottom of the safe on the right side, so you can just plug it in, and you're done.
SETUP:
The first thing I was very pleased to discover is that you can set up and use BOTH a custom code AND your fingerprint. I have a different gun safe that offers both unlocking functions, but I discovered that after I set the code, when I set my fingerprint it voids out the code function. With this Vaultek, that is not the case. You can always open the safe with either function.
You can add up to twenty unique fingerprints to allow access to this gun safe by multiple users, if you wanted to, without compromising your master code. You can then go online and delete individual fingerprints, thereby restricting access.
The instructions are very simple and easy to understand when setting up any part of this gun safe, from battery installation to the code and fingerprints. It was in all honesty the easiest electronic device I have ever set up. No kidding!
One of the features I like most is how there’s no opening lever. Once you input your code or fingerprint, the door will pop open while simultaneously activating an interior light. Likewise, when the door is pushed closed, it automatically locks the door. Another cool feature is the LCD display. It illuminates when it detects your motion – making it easy to input your code or get your finger on the biometric reader.
NANO KEY:
This gun safe comes with what is called a “Nano Key,” which, once paired with the safe, lets you open the safe remotely. This is paired using Bluetooth, so the effective range is really the range of your WIFI. This could be highly important if you find yourself needing to retrieve an item quickly when seconds may matter. Personally, I set this Nano key up in the opposite corner of the room from where I installed the safe, not for any particular tactical advantage, but simply for a little WOW factor when I want to access the safe to show off a firearm.
WI-FI CONNECTIVITY APP:
Setting this baby up with the App on your smartphone or website allows you to monitor functions and features with ease. I mentioned that the Nano key operates via Wi-Fi but that is just the beginning. Through the App you can get info and alerts to such things as: when the safe has been opened, if the keypad or fingerprint reader have been tampered with, battery power level, etc. Moreover, living in Georgia, I appreciate the fact that I can also monitor the temperature and humidity of this safe from my smartphone. I can even remove certain users' fingerprints from the access roster without removing all authorized users. The App even notifies you if you have left your safe open.
CUSTOMIZATION:
Customization is the big winner for this Vaultek! The back wall and the inside of the door are designed with perforated mounting boards. This design would allow you to adjust the configuration and achieve any personalized setup you may want.
Options include accessories such as a: full or half width (of the safe) shelf, twin handgun racks, 8-slot handgun magazine rack, 4-slot AR magazine rack, single magazine rack, barrel mounts and adapters, spring-loaded AR mount that secures around the rear stock. There are also 2 and 3 handgun holsters and other configurations of handgun and magazine racks and holsters.
ALL IN ALL:
Again, this is a heavy-duty safe. It's incredibly tough and rugged, and has Vaultek's most advanced anti-theft protection. So to sum things up, is it worth the money? Hell, yeah! — David P. McGillivray
Get it from Amazon now: $1,899.99 & FREE Returns
