Which lock is better for home safe applications? On one hand the electronic lock is fast and easy to use, on the other hand the rotary dial is rugged and has been used for quite some time.

I have heard some say the electronic lock would become useless in event of an EMP from a nuclear blast, but then I would be dead anyway and my home burned and leveled with high radiation levels that would make firearm recovery quite a job.

The electronic lock is somewhat fragile and can be damaged in an attempt to gain entry to the safe. A dead battery can be replaced...blah, blah, blah.

Which do you prefer? What do you see as the strong and weak points to each type of system.

Thanks.

For handiness you can't beat the electronic, but personally I would take the manual dial for fear of the electronics becoming incapacitated or shorting out.

Also, there is a rumor that we used EMP weapons in desert storm to destroy enemy assets without causing loss of life. In the improbable event that that ever happened here and you had an electronic safe then you would be perfectly fine, but unarmed cause the lock would be dead.

To each his own, but I work with electronics everyday and I don't trust them enough to believe that my safe would open everytime forever. I have no plans of ever getting rid of any safe, so it will need to work until I die.

Michael

I choose electric locks because.

1) They are quicker.
2) You can change the combo easily.
3) You can use they key pad in the dark.
4) You can remove the battery for added security. How many crooks carry and extra 9 volt.

In an emergency situation a person may not be able to work the dial of a combo safe when the adrenaline is pumping, In the dark it's tough to work the dial too.

It boils down to what you like.

Michael,

You make a good point about the electronics failing at some point in time for whatever reason. A good point to consider.

Cyberian

I go with the electric locks!!!I have 3 Zanotti safes with electric locks. I've had enough safes that when I tried I could defeat the tumbler types about 60 to 70% of the time if given enough time to mess with them....and I dont know enough about the electric locks to get into one of them........is it possible? anyone know?

mines keyed  but thats a metal gun cabnet bolted to the wall.

The door on my gun safe is a rotary. Just turn it and walk into my room.

If you have TWO safes, you can feel secure using an electronic lock on ONE of them !

Do NOT trust all of your weapons to an electronic lock.  EMP is REAL and poses a great threat to electronics.  Imagine --  the day that you REALLY need your weapons -- they are locked away forever !

Hey..  I forgot about this:  (from a post from a while back)

[url]www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=26119[/url]


To recap:

Not to be too paranoid...  BUT:

What about the effects of EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) which occurs with a nuclear blast.  If a nuclear weapon is detonated in the atmosphere above the continental US, it could effectively wipe out all non-protected electronics for thousands of miles.

I realize that the odds of this occuring are fairly small , but this would really be a time that you WOULD need access to your firearms.
(imagine having to drill out the lock without power tools)

Although a bit slow to operate, a mechanical S&G lock that is properly maintained will probably work far past my lifetime.

Just my $.02  


Here is an article to read  (non-technical):

[url]www.insightmag.com/archive/200105284.shtml[/url]
Forgot to mention one other thing.

I placed 90% of my guns in a large Amsec TL-30 fire safe (the "armorer model") in my basement and left the original S&G lock on it.
[img]cedargrovepolice.net/rbad_safe/4.jpg[/img]

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I took out 2 AR15's, an 870 shotgun and a few handguns and placed them in my bedroom gun safe. (much smaller and lower quality non-fireproof Guardall 6030)  

[img]cedargrovepolice.net/rbad_safe/1.jpg[/img]

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IT DOES have an electronic lock on it for quick access. (it's an Mas-Hamilton Auditcon lock)
The Auditcon gives me the ability to trigger a silent "duress" alarm by changing the last digit of the combo when opening the safe and it logs all activity which can then be viewed on a computer.  

[img]cedargrovepolice.net/rbad_safe/2.jpg[/img]


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Both safes are protected by vibration and heat sensing (for torch attacks) units placed inside and are on separate partitions on my security system.  (allows for each to be armed while the rest of the house is disarmed)

[img]cedargrovepolice.net/rbad_safe/3.jpg[/img]

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I even avoid the electronic "gun vault" type containers.  Under the bed, I keep my primary defense gun in a palmer security box with a mechanical simplex lock on it.  (www.palmersecurity.com)

[img]cedargrovepolice.net/rbad_safe/5.jpg[/img]
I won't feel too bad knowing that I can always gain access to the majority of my guns in the basement safe should the bedroom safe get rendered useless.

I have to go polish my tinfoil hat now....


[url]netoriginals.com/uss/weapons.html[/url]

Please continue this discussion.