safe won't open, answers

[Straight Shooter]

Straightshooter, my guy also said they are making some new electronics cheaper and suck worse than old ones. I think mechanical are more reliable but one I have and its like opening rubrics cube every time. But I guess if I did it more I’d be better.

So it just a convenience factor. Out of 4 safes I’ve only had the issue with one.

SS, I would be comfortable with either Mechanical or Electronic. Its a coin toss it just sucks they are cutting corners these days.

PB

About everything has lost quality these days. I understand about the Rubics Cube quote...thats funny..as not long ago I went to open mine, and hadnt in awhile..and for a brief time I couldnt remember the combo! It was an O CRAP moment. I remembered later on. But I go back to my dad and what he went through and how long it took him to get his open, Im gonna stick with the mechanical ones I think.

[Dusty T]

I 100% get this, but I also have to think most safes are sold 1,000 to 1 with electronic keypads. So they are going to have more problems due to the numbers. If I had my druthers, I'd have more mechanical due to my experience. But a simple one like a master lock we used in high school, 40 years ago. Not this rotate 2X then go over.....

PB

I have no clue beyond what I've been told and read. This family has been in the locksmith & safe business since the 1800's and doesn't recommend electronic due to all the problems they've come across with them. We have a Cabellas and a Sportsmans Warehouse, sales people said they sell mostly mechanical, same for our two shooting ranges which also stock several dozen in each location.

All I know is that I still haven't found a way to secure a long gun in my vehicle that I like

[Dennis]

I have a digital and mechanical, both are S&G and have been working fine for over a decade or two. My buddy has a mechanical LaGard that actually drifted so much over the same timeframe he couldn't open it without lots of work...

I replaced the digital S&G with a newer model after 10ish years because the solenoid was slowing down and annoying me... It was basically plug and play.

I guess my point is that while I could easily replace the mechanical myself, I have a little voice in my head that says to keep it simple and reliable. Even though I open that safe less, I make sure to keep a usable assortment of go-to guns in it just in case it's the only one that opens at some point...

Dennis.







Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Dusty T]

Sitting here waiting for a call so I decided to do some poking around...

"Here is the opinion of RFB from Michigan. He is a professional locksmith with over two decades of experience servicing locks and safes of all brands and types:
For the convenience of quick opening, the electronic locks can’t be beat. However, for endurance and years of trouble-free use, the electronics can’t compare with the dial lock.
I’ve earned my living, the past 22 years, servicing locks of all types. This includes opening safes that can’t otherwise be opened. I do warranty work for several safe manufacturers (including Liberty). What I’ve learned in all those years is that manual dial locks have very few problems. The most common is a loose dial ring which can shift either left or right, which will result in the index point being in the wrong place for proper tumbler alignment. This is simple to fix.

Electronic locks, however, can have all kinds of issues, and none (except bad key-pad) are easy to fix, and when one goes bad, it must be drilled into to open it. IMO, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ an electronic lock will ultimately fail, but a matter of ‘when’ it will fail. Over the past 10 years or so, since electronics have become more and more prevalent, I’ve had to drill open bad electronic locks vs. bad manual dial locks on a ratio of about 20-1.

My professional opinion is to get the manual dial lock, unless you’ve got a good friend who is a locksmith/safecracker."



Some info on electronic locks HERE
Seems like lock makers are adding mechanical back ups due to failures on the electronic side
Interesting to be able to have both options in case one fails

Here at the hanger all the spare drugs the docs & flight medics use are required to be in a mechanical lock safe, no electronics allowed
In the bird they are secured with a simplex lock

[Backfire]

Have a costco rhino, swapped it out for a mechanical. Took 20 minutes. But it was a rhino safe.
No way will I ever trust electronic

[themonk]

I had the same issue PB and I swapped out my keypad for a Sargent & Greenleaf Mechanical Safe Lock Kit.

[gaijin]

Thats above my pay grade, I just do what Im told when it works.
PB

😎 Me too.
And that hack of turning wheel/handle to left/counter clockwise is what our “safe guy” told me too.
Along with “use Duracell”. Not a single issue since following those recommendations.