Vecta Personal Safe

Firearms and shotguns obviously need to be stored securely under lock and key, to comply with Home Office guidance; any keys for gunsafes need to be securely stored as well and only accessible to the FAC or SGC holder. Enter the high security Vecta Personal Safe, designed by John Fearnall (who owns a security company) and his business partner Simon Fildes. John is a keen shooter and realised that a suitable safe was required to store gun cabinet keys. The idea was to produce something similar to those used in hotels, i.e. with a keypad actuated lock that’s quick and simple to use but with a higher level of security, commensurate with the main task!

Robust construction

It measures 14” wide, 9” high and is 2½” deep; there’s therefore plenty of room for cabinet keys and other valuables, such as car keys, jewellery and passports etc. It is made from steel, with smooth chamfered edges, and a black, powder-coated finish. Once securely mounted to a solid wall with the six supplied expanding bolts, it would be extremely difficult to remove. Twin locking bolts secure the door by engaging in a machined steel block that is welded to the inside of the door; entry is controlled by the keypad and a four-digit code, which can be changed to suit the user. Locking is via a single press on the keypad.

Administrator coded

The Vecta Personal Safes are supplied with an ‘administrator code’ and two back-up keys, which can be used should the owner forget their personal access code. No mains power is required, as the unit works from four AA batteries within the door. These cells can last for up to two years with normal usage and the control panel lets the owner know when new ones are required. Hats off to them for using AAs as there’s no shortage of these and they are not that expensive either, compared to the more specialised power sources.

The Vecta Personal Safe has successfully undergone ‘Sold Secure’ testing by the Master Locksmith Association and, most importantly, has UK Police ‘Secured by Design’ accreditation. The company consider it to be the most secure safe in its class. It’s a very impressive product, very well designed and made and looks very secure once mounted. It also solves the one key problem, where some shooters lock all their other cabinet keys in say a top ammo locker of their gun boxes, but still need a physical key to access these. As we all know and even if you take care, there’s always the risk of losing the one access key, but a four digit code committed to memory is another matter. Available from leading locksmiths and Amazon, this neat product is extremely good value at £129. For more information, go to www.vectasafes.co.uk