NEW from VARA- The RACT Rifle & Shotgun Lock : SHOT Show 2022
If you've wanted a smart way to secure your long gun and still have quick access, check out the newest product from VARA.
Today at SHOT Show, I spent some time at the VARA booth speaking to Stacia about the company's new product. I first came across the company at SHOT show in 2019 when they released a fantastic biometric handgun “safe.”
VARA Reach Handgun “Safe” —
I reviewed the original product called Reach and the updated Reach 2. The product allows fast access to your handgun while keeping it secure from those who shouldn't have access. Reach uses a biometric fingerprint reader that unlocks the unit.
The Reach product is in its 3rd-generation and is called Reach 2S.
I was impressed with the speed and accuracy of the fingerprint reading capabilities of Reach 2. However, the upgraded fingerprint reader technology in the 2S version is even faster and more accurate. The reader unlocks the unit in around .2 seconds and can read the print no matter what orientation the finger lands on the reader.
Follow this link to see my review of the Reach 2 handgun “safe.”
VARA RACT for Rifles and Shotguns —
People really liked the VARA's Reach for their handguns, so it only made sense to develop a similar product for long guns.
So I finally got to take a look at this product for long-guns called RACT. No RACT isn't an acronym. It's just a name that captured the spirit of the product- a long-gun rack that is tactical.
RACT is a modular gun lock system with the ability to be configured for nearly any long-gun set-up someone might have. From what I saw, the product's major parts are a mounting rail, trigger guard, locking mechanism, and an end piece to secure the stock.
Each component mounts to the rail, so you can configure it to work with a rifle or shotgun of any length. The rail mounts either vertically or horizontally.
There is no way to access the trigger or move the gun when locked in the RACT locking device.
The product makes it easy to securely stage your long gun and still gives you fast access.
It looks like the system is versatile enough to work even with an AR equipped with a sling or various accessories mounted to the handguard.
Stacia showed me a locking device that looks the same but uses keypresses instead of a fingerprint reader.
VARA is Innovating —
I see the RACT as a practical solution for a home defense gun and law enforcement applications. Not only could someone mount RACT to a wall, but also inside a vehicle.
RACT is currently in beta testing but will be available soon.
Learn more about VARA and get notified when RACT hits the market.
RACT from VARA is one of the coolest products I've seen at SHOT Show 2022.
I’m sure there is a market for those kinds of products, but they won’t be of any value to anyone who is serious about home defense.
They are marketed as “quick access” devices, but should only be used for storage. As a matter of fact, the “Reach” product manual used to tell purchasers to not insert a loaded firearm into the device – not sure if they still do…but, if so, that’s a non-starter.
Purchasers should realize that if they use these devices as a “quick access” method to obtain a defensive firearm in a timely manner to respond to a possible life/death threat, they should probably look elsewhere. I would not trust my life on a high-tech gizmo that may not work when I need it.
Just my 2 cents.
I hear these concerns over and over again. I’ve had my Reach 2 for years now and use it to store and secure my off-duty weapon. It literally gets used every single day, and with no problems. The only quicker way to deploy the handgun is by leaving it unsecured and that is NOT something I recommend to anyone! You’re much more likely to be a victim of a theft or burglary than a home invasion so keep the guns secured.
Of course the manufacturer is going to tell you to store the weapon unloaded. That recommendation comes from their legal department, not the developers.
I’m so impressed with my Reach 2, I just placed an advanced order of the RACT for my AR and can’t wait for it to ship in a few months!
I would say that there is a very fine line between “quick access” and having your firearms “safely secured” in an area where there are other people, adults or kids. And especially if they are to be kept near to where they may be needed. This (maybe even with a mechanical lock) would at least be a backup to your EDC, which actually should be on you all the time, not just when you leave the house. With all of this in mind, I am pretty excited about seeing this when it is available to the public.
I would say that there is a very fine line between “quick access” and having your firearms “safely secured” in an area where there are other people, adults or kids. And especially if they are to be kept near to where they may be needed. This (maybe even with a mechanical lock) would at least be a backup to your EDC, which actually should be on you all the time, not just when you leave the house. With all of this in mind, I am pretty excited about seeing this when it is available to the public.
Man, I could watch that video at the end all day. 🙂
Seriously, there is a real need for this product in the marketplace. I’ve looked at a lot of different options out there, and none of them seem to quite live up to the potential I see here. Here, take my money!
Do you know how long two seconds is? in a life or death encounter it is literally life or death time: YOUR DEATH and the PREP’S life! That said the products look like a great idea for safe storage.
it unlocks in 0.2 seconds, not 2 seconds
PERP, as in PERPETRATOR, not PREP. also 0.2 seconds, not 2.0 seconds. If you don’t have a few seconds to secure a weapon, you are toast anyway. Make sure that the “PERP” has to make some noise getting to you so have a dog, which should buy you warning seconds and possibly defensive seconds, and the RACT system if you really want to have a chance. Your kids and grandkids will be safe and defended. Always remember that a vicious dog is a gun that can shoot itself. You do not need a vicious dog to have it defend you, you want a smart dog. My sweet hunting labrador saved my child once from a dog attack AND attacked a PERP trying to break in. That dog had never growled at anyone or anything in its life prior to those two instances.
Will there by any variation to cover suppressors? (so no on can just take it off without permission)
I recommend contacting VARA to ask.