Viking Security Safe VS-52BLX Heavy Duty Hidden in Wall Safe Biometric Fingerprint

Why I chose an in‑wall safe and where this one fits

I wanted quick access to a few essentials—passports, spare keys, a compact camera, and a handgun—without dedicating floor space to a traditional safe. An in-wall unit hidden behind a closet shelf or picture frame felt like the right balance of convenience and discretion. After living with the Viking wall safe for several months, I think it strikes a sensible middle ground: heavier and more confidence‑inspiring than most cut‑rate wall boxes, but still very much a quick‑access safe rather than a high‑security or fire‑rated vault.

Setup and installation

The safe is designed to fit between standard 16-inch on-center studs. That dimension is non‑negotiable, so I spent time with a stud finder and inspection camera to avoid plumbing, wiring, or exterior-wall blocking. Once I had a clean bay, the cutout work was easy and the safe slid in with a snug fit. If your walls are framed at 24 inches on center, plan on adding blocking or a sleeve to anchor it properly.

A few practical tips from my install:
- Pre-punch or trim the interior carpet where the mounting holes are; it makes it easier to keep hardware aligned as you drive bolts.
- Dry-fit first, then mark and pilot the holes while the safe is in place to ensure the face sits flush.
- Check the door swing before final tightening. The door is hefty, and slight shift in level can affect how smoothly the bolts engage.

Power is battery-based (the memory holds fingerprints and PIN even if batteries are removed). My unit arrived with clean welds, square corners, and no shipping damage, and it powered up without drama.

Build and design

For a wall safe, the Viking feels substantial. The front door assembly carries most of the 39-pound weight, and the 5 mm door skin combined with the motorized deadbolt and dual 20 mm locking bolts gives a reassuring clunk when it closes. The body is a tight, laser-cut shell that sits flush and looks at home in a closet or office.

The keypad and fingerprint reader are positioned for a natural thumb placement, and the backup cross key port is concealed. It’s not a pretty piece of furniture, but it’s clean and purpose-built—more industrial than decorative, which I appreciate for something that’s meant to blend in.

Access and controls

Day-to-day, I rely on the fingerprint reader. Enrolling fingerprints was straightforward, and the sensor has been consistent with clean, dry hands. I recommend enrolling the same finger a few times at slightly different angles to improve recognition, especially if your hands are often dry or calloused. The safe supports up to 32 prints, which is plenty for multiple users and redundancy.

The PIN pad is simple to set up and use. There’s an audible beep for keypresses, which you can disable; I turned it off to keep nighttime access discreet. A small detail I appreciate: the safe warns if the door is left unlocked, which is easy to do if you’re in a hurry. The motorized bolt engages positively, and the door seals evenly across the frame.

Backup access via the four-prong key is included. I seriously suggest storing one key out of the house and one in a separate secure location. If you ever let the batteries run flat, you’ll be glad you did.

Interior layout and capacity

Depth is the tradeoff with any in‑wall unit. Between the 4-inch body and the internal lock housing, you’re organizing around a central protrusion. The Viking offsets this with three adjustable shelves and a set of key hooks. With a bit of rearranging, I comfortably fit:
- A full-size handgun and two magazines on the bottom shelf,
- Passports, emergency cash, and small documents in a slim pouch up top,
- A few small electronics and jewelry boxes on the middle shelf,
- House and car spares on the hooks.

The LED interior light is a thoughtful touch. It’s not floodlight-bright, but it’s enough to see what you’re grabbing in a dark closet. The carpeted lining keeps things from sliding around, though it’s thin enough that I added a small silicone mat under the handgun to keep oil off the fibers.

If you’re hoping to store bulky items or thick binders, the center lock housing will frustrate you. This is a safe for small valuables, meds, and one or two handguns—not a document archive or camera-lens collection.

Security perspective

No wall safe is going to stop a determined thief with time and tools, and this one is no exception. If your priority is resisting prolonged attacks or surviving a house fire, you’re shopping in the wrong category. That said, within its class, the Viking inspires confidence. The door and bolt work are a clear step up from the flimsy sheet‑metal boxes I’ve installed for clients in the past, and the fitment against the studs leaves minimal pry points.

Hidden placement matters more than people think. Tucked into a closet and concealed behind a panel or organizer, this safe serves as both a deterrent and a delay—enough to defeat opportunistic snooping and keep household items out of the wrong hands. For many users, that’s the primary job.

Day-to-day use

Living with the safe has been uneventful in the best way. The fingerprint reader wakes and unlocks quickly; the door opens cleanly; I grab what I need and shut it. The motor’s whir is noticeable but brief. With sound disabled, the keypad is silent, and I’ve never had an issue with the unit forgetting prints or codes when batteries are changed.

I like the warning beep if the door hasn’t been secured, and I appreciate the consistent feel of the bolt retraction and extension. The finish has held up to a few careless bumps with a toolbox during closet reorgs, and the shelves haven’t warped under realistic loads. They’re not high-end shelves, but they do the job.

Quirks and limitations

• Space around the center lock housing: expect to Tetris your items. Measured, tidy storage pays off here.
• Shelves: adjustable and functional, but lightweight. If you plan to store dense items, consider distributing the weight or lining the shelves with a thin plywood or aluminum stiffener.
• Framing constraints: if you have 24-inch on-center framing or exterior-wall blocking, installation becomes a small carpentry project. Not a flaw of the safe, but worth planning for.
• No fire rating: this is about access and light theft deterrence, not fire protection.

Who it’s for

• Homeowners who want quick, discreet access to small valuables and a handgun without a floor safe.
• Parents looking to secure medications or firearms from kids while keeping them accessible to adults.
• Renters or condo dwellers who can open a wall bay (with permission) but don’t have space for a large safe.

If your priorities are long-gun storage, fire protection, or withstanding extended attacks, look to a full-size, anchored safe with a fire rating.

The bottom line

The Viking wall safe does the core things right: solid door and bolt work for its class, reliable fingerprint and PIN access, quiet operation with sound disabled, and a form factor that disappears into a wall bay. It’s not cavernous inside and the central mechanism demands thoughtful organization, but within the constraints of a 4-inch wall cavity, it makes good use of the space.

Recommendation: I recommend this safe for anyone who needs fast, discreet access to small valuables and a handgun and is realistic about what an in‑wall unit is meant to do. It installs cleanly between 16-inch studs, the biometric reader is reliable with proper enrollment, and the overall build quality inspires confidence for everyday security. If you need fire protection or large capacity, look elsewhere; for quick-access in a tight footprint, this is a well-executed option.