If you need to expertly secure one firearm or a group of firearms, GunLox can really help.
For around $150, the new firm offers a secure mobile lock and a multitude of steel cables and shackles, which are capable of securely locking one firearm or a bunch of firearms.
The lock is the key to the new GunLox system. It uses your cell phone’s facial recognition system to allow access. It is perfect for gun owners who are traveling, or those who have not yet bought a gun safe. The lock can stay active for more than six months without recharging.
“I think it’s the highest quality gun lock that you can use on any gun, anywhere. Safes were made for the home or retail. There’s not one locking mechanism that works for any firearm, anywhere and is completely universal, until now,” said GunLox founder Jeremy Van Winkle, a 35-year-old gun owner living in Dallas, Texas.
As of Thursday, Van Winkle said he hasn’t yet sold a single lock. They’re that new.
“We’re just getting them out into the market,” he said. “I just got the inventory in last week.”
Getting started proved to be relatively easy. I went to their website and read the instructions, which are also packaged with the products. The key was charging the lock, which comes with a USB charging cable. This took only a couple hours for the lock to fully charge.
While the lock was charging, I downloaded the GunLox app on my cell phone and created an account, which took around five minutes.
After the lock had charged, it was ready to test. I turned on the Bluetooth on my cell phone and pushed the unlock button on the app. It popped right open. Van Winkle said the lock will go into sleep mode to save power when it’s not being used. To wake the lock there’s a small button on the bottom.
Van Winkle has been building the entire locking system for the past 14 months. We have spoken several times before.
“We’ve been through a few iterations,” he said. “We have not sold any yet. I just got the inventory this past week. I’ve put my heart and soul into this. It’s all I do.”
There are more ideas coming soon, Van Winkle said. If you have the app open on your phone and you’re driving from one state to another, it will soon alert you to state laws regarding firearm carry, travel and storage.
“I think it’s the highest quality system that you can use on a gun anywhere,” Van Winkle said. “Safes were made for the home or retail. There was not one locking mechanism for any firearm that was completely universal.”
Van Winkle said he grew up without gun safes in his home. His family stored weapons in closets and other closed spaces.
“I wanted a simple and affordable solution,” he said. “Now that I’m the father of four, I don’t have a big safe, so I created a solution for the public that can securely lock up any firearm, anywhere.”
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About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
Uhhhh….ok…. “Van Winkle said he grew up without gun safes in his home. His family stored weapons in closets and other closed spaces.” It sounds like those closets and other closed spaces worked for him and his family. I would imagine his parents, as did my own, used a combination of certain punishment for touching a gun without them first handing it to you, home teaching about guns and gun safety as well as responsible handling, and maybe a reward of occasional range time, to make it work. Why not just use those tools, today, rather than some gizmo that… Read more »
The comments I’ve read pretty much confirm my thoughts while reading the article: I don’t think long-time responsible gun owners are the target market for this product.
These will be marketed best in the blue states/cities to newer gun owners who can’t/won’t take the time to teach their own kids the rules of gun-safety and/or may be somewhat afraid of their own firearm.
Since he has put everything into this item, I hope for his sake it’s a success, but he will have to hit the right market to see any measurable ROI.
Since the Circuit courts have started ruling that the po-po can open smartphones via biometrics WITHOUT a warrant, that’ll dissuade me from an overly complicated solution to a simple problem.
So if a cop wants to grab your cellphone and hold it in front of you to open it, he can.
If he wants to force your finger on the phone to unlock it, he can.
Bluetooth.
Never glitches, always connects, right?
NOT.
Battery died.
Where’s the cell phone?
Pass.
Have a Good Day.
A bluetooth gun lock? Um. No. I should buy one to send to Lock Picking Lawyer so he can do his thing. It’s probably as secure as a soup sandwich. Loud noise at night: 1) Wake up. 2) Grab your glasses. 3) Grab your cell phone. 4) Unlock your cell phone. 5) Open the app. 6) Wake up the lock. 7) Wait for the lock and phone to connect. 8) Unlock the lock. By step 4 you are dead. “highest quality gun lock that you can use on any gun, anywhere” I’ll see that when I believe it. Any bets… Read more »
Big time…. PASS.
No thanks , I never lock my self defense gun for
the reason I might need it in a hurry and locks just slow the process down and cost lives . But not mine !
Too many potential failure modes.
If you are going to lock your home defense firearm up do your self a favor. Save the money and buy a baseball bat.
T