Biometric sensors do have a known glitch, and it’s been exploited in spy novels, movies, and on TV. If you don’t “swipe” your finger across the sensor, but simply place your finger on the window, it’s possible to “lift” the print with a piece of adhesive tape or a hunk of Silly Putty, and then reuse it. I’ve never tried it, but from what I hear, it’s a fairly idiot-proof technique. Check out these links: http://www.puttyworld.com/thinputdeffi.html and http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2175640/posts. Apparently, Mythbusters even found that a photostat of a fingerprint would work – which brings up the questions, how easy is it for someone to scam your fingerprints…and how hard is it to keep your fingerprints out of the hands of others. (Does this sound paranoid, or what?)

I don’t think fingerprint security or biometric cheating is anything to worry about under most conditions, but it’s probably a good idea to at least smear or wipe the sensor when you access the box for cleaning your pistol or taking it to the range – especially if you plan to keep other valuables in the safe. The last thing you’d want is to go for your gun and find that the safe is empty. Just sayin…