User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 4:29:18 AM EDT
[#1]
That sucks SD. I lost the only key remaining key I had to my cheap Stowline gun safe a few years back. I had [b]everything[/b] locked in that damned safe - including my rent money which was past due by the time the locksmith made it out to unlock the damned thing. I know your frustration, brother.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 4:33:23 AM EDT
[#2]
Wow. Did you recently change the combination?
Digital or Dial lock? |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 4:41:16 AM EDT
[#3]
That's one thing I stay away from digital lock. I had that good old combination lock. Works everytime.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 4:46:22 AM EDT
[#4]
Get ahold of Lyle Dieckman over at Mayfair Key & Lock at 39th and North May (if you haven't already done so). He can get it open and he's an alright guy, too.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 5:55:24 AM EDT
[#5]
Here try my combination....
Left to fourth time ## is reached Right to third time ## is reached Left to second time ## is reached Right slowely until safe opens..... When I first got my new safe I had written the combination in several places because I was worried that I would forget it. Now, I am not about to share where my combination is hidden but let it suffice that even if you were looking at it you wouldn't recoginze it as a combination. I really do feel your pain! Good Luck! |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 6:09:10 AM EDT
[#6]
Is it a Sergeant & Greenleaf mechanical tumbler lock? If so, the company that installed/delivered the safe should still have the original combination on file. Unless you have somehow changed the combination it should still open. Since it takes some skills and a special tool to alter the combination in a mechanical lock, I doubt you have done so.
If it is a pushbutton/electtonic combo, then all bets are off. In either case, a quick call to the locksmith should fix it. They may have to drill out the combo and install another one. I have seen this done (But never on my safe.) and it can take some time. This is exactly why I purchased my Liberty safe from a security/locksmith company in town and why I chose the old S&G tumbler lock. Anything goes wrong they are ten minutes away...and they have the combo on file. Good luck! |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 6:27:26 AM EDT
[#7]
455SD, don't feel too bad. I work for an armoured car service, and I've seen plenty of safes that wouldn't open. Even though the safe might be big and strong, some of the pieces in the lock are small and weak. A few years ago, I got to look at the insides of a local bank's vault. It had quit working, because a tab, stamped out of sheet metal that pushes a cam into place between two gears, had bent. Safe manufacturers seem to be focused on the big problems of making the metal thicker, stronger and more fire resistant, but the little details can escape them.z
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 6:34:35 AM EDT
[#8]
Quoted: A few years ago, I got to look at the insides of a local bank's vault. It had quit working, because a tab, stamped out of sheet metal that pushes a cam into place between two gears, had bent. And how in the hell would you get into a bank vault if it decided it didn't want to open. If 455SD thought he had it bad, just imagine the bank manager calling his home office...... Sir.... we have a problem!!!! |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 6:49:45 AM EDT
[#9]
Nice, keep your combo on file at the place where you purchased it. All a robber has to do is rob a safe store and get their records. Then it is an easy 5 minutes to break into a house, input the proper combination, and take everything.
No thanks. I like my S&G Digital lock which I have changed the combo. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 6:58:10 AM EDT
[#10]
just imagine the bank manager calling his home office...... This [i]was[/i] the home office. As I understand it, it only took a couple of hours for the locksmith to get into the safe. The manufacturer had seen the problem before, and was able to talk the locksmith through it. The part I was talking about could be seen through the front of the safe after breaking the dial. The locksmith said that was hard to break, because you had to dial-in the combination first, to get a "block" out of the way so the engaged gear could turn, then carefully break the dial without having it turn. Otherwise, you'd have to redial the combination with a piece of the dial missing.z |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:09:04 AM EDT
[#11]
Quoted: Nice, keep your combo on file at the place where you purchased it. All a robber has to do is rob a safe store and get their records. Then it is an easy 5 minutes to break into a house, input the proper combination, and take everything. No thanks. I like my S&G Digital lock which I have changed the combo. True enough...but I doubt your average Joe Thief will have much luck cracking into their vault. Damn thing looks like Fort Knox! Since they are bonded, and I carry a ton of insurance, I'm protected. The loss of my custom firearms would be real bad though... They are risks I balanced when I decided to go with this security firm. Choices...choices...the world is full of them. [soapbox] |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:12:22 AM EDT
[#12]
I once escorted a locksmith into a secure site to drill a Mosler four-drawer filing cabinet safe with S&G lock. It took him about an hour, and he had the factory manual and the cool-guy, "Heat"-style drilling rig. Once he had the hole done, he stuck a drift pin in and whacked it with a hammer. One whack and that puppy was open.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:21:37 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted: I once escorted a locksmith into a secure site to drill a Mosler four-drawer filing cabinet safe with S&G lock. It took him about an hour, and he had the factory manual and the cool-guy, "Heat"-style drilling rig. Once he had the hole done, he stuck a drift pin in and whacked it with a hammer. One whack and that puppy was open. Yup...that's exactly how I saw it done too. Secure the drill to the safe with a rig to apply constant tension to the drill bit...get that puppy going and just wait. Removed the old lock assy., installed the new one and set the combo. Took a few hours. Haven't a clue what it costs though... |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:24:56 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted: AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!! The frustration is killing me. I locked my safe up before i went out of town this weekend and now it won't open. It is like the combination no longer works. I even dug out the instructions on how to work the lock just to make sure it wasn't me. I even had four other people try the combination with no luck. This is an older Cannon safe and it is locked up tight as can be. Guess I'll be calling the locksmith here pretty soon. Man this sucks![:(!] Call BATF. They'll do it for free [;D] |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:25:10 AM EDT
[#15]
Quoted: I once escorted a locksmith into a secure site to drill a Mosler four-drawer filing cabinet safe with S&G lock. It took him about an hour, and he had the factory manual and the cool-guy, "Heat"-style drilling rig. Once he had the hole done, he stuck a drift pin in and whacked it with a hammer. One whack and that puppy was open. So what went wrong, did the S&G lock go bad, or was the combo lost? Can't believe an S&G would break. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:29:17 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted: Call BATF. They'll do it for free [;D] Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 7:31:54 AM EDT
[#17]
Quoted: True enough...but I doubt your average Joe Thief will have much luck cracking into their vault. Damn thing looks like Fort Knox! Since they are bonded, and I carry a ton of insurance, I'm protected. The loss of my custom firearms would be real bad though... They are risks I balanced when I decided to go with this security firm. Choices...choices...the world is full of them. [soapbox] Devils Advociate... I'd just worry about an employee who wasn't as honest as everyone else. He might have access to the records in the safe and memorize a few. Write them down later and.... you know. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 8:08:09 AM EDT
[#18]
Quoted: So what went wrong, did the S&G lock go bad, or was the combo lost? Can't believe an S&G would break. Lost combination. The S&G lock, AFAIK, is the one mandated by government contract for storage of classified materials. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 8:15:45 AM EDT
[#19]
I kinda liked the technique used in the movie "THE SCORE"... [:D]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 8:40:30 PM EDT
[#20]
Ok. I'll be putting a call into the locksmith. This really sucks. The lock is a combination/key type that's about 8 yrs old. I guess the combination just quit working.
Dammit. I'll let you know how this progresses. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 8:46:09 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted: Ok. I'll be putting a call into the locksmith. This really sucks. The lock is a combination/key type that's about 8 yrs old. I guess the combination just quit working. Dammit. I'll let you know how this progresses. Guess that blows your faulty digital lock idea... |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 8:53:03 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted: Ok. I'll be putting a call into the locksmith. This really sucks. The lock is a combination/key type that's about 8 yrs old. I guess the combination just quit working. Dammit. I'll let you know how this progresses. If you call Cannon it will be covered. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 8:55:34 PM EDT
[#23]
I was just talking with a locksmith the other day about getting a combo lock opened on an older Dieblod safe I picked up from a bank that went out of business (it is supposedly empty) it has 3 drawers that lock with the same key that the day lock on the combo uses....
He said it would cost about 200 to 350 to change out the Diebold combo lock... Damn, it looked like this would have been great for the bedroom closet for handweaponry... Ted... |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 9:16:36 PM EDT
[#24]
Quoted: Quoted: Ok. I'll be putting a call into the locksmith. This really sucks. The lock is a combination/key type that's about 8 yrs old. I guess the combination just quit working. Dammit. I'll let you know how this progresses. If you call Cannon it will be covered. I'll try that tomorrow. However the few times I've called Cannon I had a real hard time getting anyone who had a clue. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 9:19:29 PM EDT
[#25]
I'd try a few things first. What changed, or what did you do different from normal when you locked it up for the weekend? Do you normaly leave it unlocked, or key lock only? Did you turn off the heat while you were gone? Is there a goldenrod inside? Did it become unplugged?Have winter temperature/humidity changes gotten to it?
I have a feeling that something very minor is affecting it and you might be able to get through by doing things like: Change the temperature in the room for a day- Turn the dial 5-7 turns each way, repeat a few times. A tumbler might be dragging out of position after it is supposed to be at rest and this might loosen things up. Vibration-light tapping or a motorized appliance sitting on top of the safe while you try again... Subtract or add 1 to each number of the combination... Read "Genius" The life and and science of Richard Feynman, by James Gleick. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/3/2002 9:24:54 PM EDT
[#26]
... It seems that the S&G locks are tolerant of a unit of measure either way on each stop.
... I'd have to approach this like [b]Axel[/b] recommends. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/4/2002 8:26:37 PM EDT
[#27]
UPDATE:
All is well! I FINALLY got to speak with a tech guy at the Cannon safe company. He said I needed to subtract one digit off the middle number of the combination and it should work. Lo and behold he was right. The damn thing opened right up. I was at work and he was busy so I didn't get to go into great detail about the problem. However, I am in and didn't have spend any money on a locksmith.[:D][:D] Thanks for all the replies. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/4/2002 8:35:07 PM EDT
[#28]
Does this mean you won't need the blasting stuff? I was kinda looking forward to it.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/4/2002 8:40:00 PM EDT
[#29]
Me too, me too. I had already lined out 1/2 a stick of C4.[;)]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/4/2002 8:42:21 PM EDT
[#30]
"Ha ha!" -Nelson, The Simpsons
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/4/2002 8:47:02 PM EDT
[#31]
455SD:
You may not be done yet. Had the same problem with an S&G on a AmSec. Called AmSec, who sent a locksmith. Combo had wandered down by 1/2 number. Fixed it. A few months later, won't open again. Same problem-down another 1/2 number. It has now been 8 years, and I no longer need to call the locksmith or the manufacturer. After 3 consecutive failures to open, I drop 1/2-1 number and it opens every time. I am now off by 4 numbers. Think of it as additional security-a freely resetting combo lock. Now no one with the original combo can open it either. BTW, the S&G was the old GSA approved combo lock (though I've never had any of the 100 plus USG safes I had access to do this). The new one is an electronic Mosler that costs many hundreds of $. Good luck! |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/5/2002 4:54:15 AM EDT
[#32]
SF-
I was afraid that might be a problem. I guess I'll just keep dropping the digits! |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/5/2002 5:19:42 AM EDT
[#33]
Weird. I don't think I'd like my safe changing numbers on me. [:)] But since you have seemed to figure out what is happening, I suppose it is ok.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/5/2002 5:25:06 AM EDT
[#34]
Quoted: UPDATE: All is well! I FINALLY got to speak with a tech guy at the Cannon safe company. He said I needed to subtract one digit off the middle number of the combination and it should work. Lo and behold he was right. The damn thing opened right up. I was at work and he was busy so I didn't get to go into great detail about the problem. However, I am in and didn't have spend any money on a locksmith.[:D][:D] Thanks for all the replies. Doggone it! I was all ready to tell him how to make a neat little shaped charge and blow that sucker out...(No guarantee on the contents though!). Oh well... Seriously, that IS interesting. I will have to watch out for the wandering combo. My S&G is only three years old now and it still works fine. Anyway, the security guy is only ten minutes away. It screws up and he is gonna get a call. Congrats! Glad you can open and fondle now. That is an important daily chore. [beer] |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/5/2002 5:30:08 AM EDT
[#35]
My question is .... If they know this is an on going problem ...WHY DONT THEY FIX IT ????
Personally Id be looking for a new replacement lock, never know when someone else might need access to the safe and doesnt know about this problem or in the heat of battle and/or bug out you might forget edited cuz of my dyslexic computer |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
