[kwelz]

Maybe this is just more of a rant but I am a bit bothered by this situation. I have an Oxbow safe and right now I can't get into it.

Last night I put up a couple guns I had out to work on. Today I went to put away an AR I left out and grab my G27. Imagine my surprise when I was unable to get into the safe. At first I figured I entered my combo wrong but after a couple of attempts I was locked out. I was in a hurry so I just took the light of my M&P and carried it for the day. The AR went in my trunk and went to work with me.

When I got home I was still unable to get into the safe. I called Canon and they are sending me a new keypad, and electronics set. Apparently they are not communicating properly. This does however worry me. I am locked away from most of my firearms and a good portion of my loaded mags and ammo.


Hmmm Should I use this as an excuse to go buy another AR since I don't have access to a backup right now?

[hso]

If you can afford to do that, feel free to justify it any way you want. ;)

[Kimber45acp]

Hmmm Should I use this as an excuse to go buy another AR since I don't have access to a backup right now? YES!

Just another example of why I will never own a combo lock safe OR one with electronics. Failure is just a matter of time when you mix electronics with something as important as a safe.

[TexasRifleman]

Wow, would have thought those came with a key backup.

I don't think I could have a safe with an electronic lock that didn't have a key backup.

[mikewayde]

Buy another

[kwelz]

Buy another

Safe or AR?

[blkbrd666]

Both.

[12131]

Hmmm Should I use this as an excuse to go buy another AR since I don't have access to a backup right now?
That was the ploy all along, wasn't it? Oh shucks! I'm locked out of my safe. Hmmmm. What am I to do? :evil:

[taliv]

i don't keep loaded mags in my safe. and i keep several ARs and handguns lying about the house. Even so, it would be pretty dang irritating to not be able to get into my own safe.

[wishin]

Hmmm Should I use this as an excuse to go buy another AR since I don't have access to a backup right now?
I hope you didn't expect anybody here to talk you out of it!:D

[kwelz]

LOL Honestly I wish I had the money right now for another one. I really would like a DDM4. But it looks like a new safe is first. Even assuming I get this fixed, I have lost all confidence in it.

I am not unarmed. I do have my M&P my Colt/BCM rifle and my G23 out. I also have extra mags for all of them.

But lets face it. We all know that isn't the point. This just isn't a good situation.

[Extremely Pro Gun]

Get a safe with a dial. I know it sucks that on most of them you cant set your own combo but youll get used to the new one. I love mine!!!!

[kwelz]

If my life depended on it and I had a couple hours to open a safe with a dial lock, I would be dead. My brain just doesn't work that way for some reason. I have tried and tried to open them but can not.

[EP1990]

I prefer the dial lock system because of this. but as far as im concerned, anything mechanical can and will fail at some time. electronics are just more touchy.

[MinnMooney]

Hmmm Should I use this as an excuse to go buy another AR since I don't have access to a backup right now?

Now that's my kind of reasoning!!!

[Carne Frio]

Dial safes screw up too. I had emptied mine so that I could move it to another room.
Well, I locked it and after the move was complete, the combo would no work anymore.
Being the procrastinator that I am, I just bought another one. I have been told by
more experienced collectors that a good lock/safe/smith could open and fix it for me.
Someday I'll get around to that. The only thing still in the safe are the titles for my
car and truck. The state will sell me copies for about $10 each.

[clarence222]

I know how you feel the electronic lock died on my safe less than 6 months after I got it. They sent a locksmith out with a new keypad but I insisted he change it to a mechanical lock. Haven't had a problem with it in the last 3 years. I have changed the combination on my lock, I got the instructions from Ft. Knox

[Extremely Pro Gun]

Yeah I get wat you mean. If I needed quick access I would be screwed but I keep my carry gun to hold em off until I get into the safe.

[Fleetwood_Captain]

Well the Dial locks are a superior alternative to electronic. Electronics are just a cheaper way to do things these days. Myself, I wouldn't want to open an electronically locked safe after a house fire.

As far as keys vs. dial combos are concerned, I don't see how their that much more reliable than dials. After all, their both mechanical.

Myself, i'd say electronic locks are fine for small, inexpensive safes. I'd trust an electronic lock for tax returns and pay stubs, but not guns. At least not guns i'd be concerned about losing.

[jakemccoy]

Yeah, electronic keypads are not for me.

[Maj Dad]

Quality combination locks (Sargent & Greenleaf, primarily, but others, too) are changeable. You have to have the correct "key" that fits into the rear of the lock (with the safe door inside cover removed), and know how to reset it (not rocket science but you have to know what you're doing). One of the tests we had to perform at the Army's 7 week Defense Against Methods of Entry (DAME) class at the old Intelligence School was recovering the combination of Class II combo lock through mapping (another technique). It was horribly tedious and slow, but eventually you can do it. We used to drill a lot of safes, too, but again, quality locks have re-locker devices which can really lock it up. I don't recall ever seeing an S&G lock that broke or just locked up on its own, though a lot of people swore they were just minding their own business and the dadgum thing just stopped working. We had field safes in Korea whose dials were so worn they barely worked and couldn't be changed, but barely working meant they barely locked & would open if the company clerk farted. There are sophisticated methods of drilling that most locksmiths aren't familiar with and which can be concealed after the fact, but some of them were classified & probably still are. My safes have S&G Class II locks and they work very well - if you're buying one, get a quality safe with a quality lock and you should be fine. Medeco also makes a bodacious keyed lock that used to be used on arms rooms and security containers. I have one I am going to put on an "arms room" one day in the near future... and laser beams that will cut your legs off, and claymores... :rolleyes:

[a1abdj]

Are they sending you a locksmith along with that new lock? If you can't open the safe, a new lock isn't going to do you much good. Although the keypad can be the problem, it's a slim chance that it is. Some keypads can not be swapped without having the safe open.

I don't think I could have a safe with an electronic lock that didn't have a key backup.

Any of those locks will be non rated (not secure), so you don't want to use them. They do have electronic locks with mechanical back ups, and electronic locks with electronic back ups that are rated.

Dial safes screw up too. I had emptied mine so that I could move it to another room.
Well, I locked it and after the move was complete, the combo would no work anymore.
Being the procrastinator that I am, I just bought another one. I have been told by
more experienced collectors that a good lock/safe/smith could open and fix it for me.


I bet you could open this yourself. Short of dropping the safe and firing a relocker, the most common cause is "combination drift". This can be caused by the dial and ring being bumped a bit out of position which causes your combination to move a number or two.

Well the Dial locks are a superior alternative to electronic. Electronics are just a cheaper way to do things these days. Myself, I wouldn't want to open an electronically locked safe after a house fire.


They are both equally difficult to open after being burned. The dials will melt off the same as the keypad will.

[josh...just josh]

shoot the lock!....oh wait....

[PointOneSeven]

And I locked my keys inside my Escalade, can anyone tell me how to get inside without tripping the alarm :confused:??

[warnerwh]

I know how you feel. My Liberty safe some how locked itself a couple of months ago. I had no key but after a 100 mile round trip was able to get one from the local Liberty guy the next day. However he thought I had to have locked it myself saying "they don't just lock themselves". I'm positive it locked itself as I've not seen the keys since I got it in the nineties. We sure looked everywhere we could think of but I'm pretty organized and all spare keys are in one of 2 place. Also if I had a key I would have unlocked it myself. The people at Liberty said it has happened on occasion. It sure does suck though when you HAVE to get in and you're locked out of your own safe.

[sourdough44]

2 safes here with 2 dial locks. I have a gun or 2 outside the safe for quick access.

[jfh]

In my advancing age, I have taken to leaving my safe unlocked because I don't reliably remember the combination any more.;)

Jim H.

[Jaybird78]

In my advancing age, I have taken to leaving my safe unlocked because I don't reliably remember the combination any more.[SIZE="3"/SIZE]

I have my combo's stamped on small brass tags about the size of a quarter and they hang off a nail in my basement. You would not find these tags without hours/days of looking.

I looked in my safe today and thought, "I should have bought a larger one."

[kanook]

I had forgot my combo to the safe so I went to where I had the number written down and guess what,, I forgot where I hid the number. It took about a month to find them again. Kinda funny was the wife was happy on how much I was cleaning the house while trying to find the combo.

[kwelz]

I was able to get into the safe yesterday. I am leaving it unlocked for now just in case.

[peyton]

How did you get into the safe?? I was going to ask if you had replaced the batteries?

[kwelz]

Battery was pretty new already and I did try replacing it.

Honestly I did nothing different. Keypad is still hanging off the safe and I thought "what the hell I am just going to try it again". The Stupid thing opened right up.

[heeler]

Hmm....Perhaps your electro lock is heading south.

[The Bushmaster]

Aah...Would a couple of sticks of 40% nitro dynamite help?

[ny32182]

Nothing says "I'm vulnerable to the zombie horde" like being down to one AR and two pistols.

[deadin]

+1 on having a Medeco keyed lock installed. (Hang onto your wallet.:what:)
What I did for the safe that I couldn't reset the combo, (well, I could, but it requires disassembling the lock and hand setting each disk. Old safe!), I have written each number of the combination in a different place in the shop. All I have to remember is where each one is and in what order. i.e. 1st number is penciled on the back of a shelf, the next is in a book I keep in the shop, etc.

BTW, the key lock on my house safe merely locks the dial so it can't be turned. It won't open the safe if the dial has been spun. It's to be used if you are in and out ouf the safe throughout the day and is not meant for maximum security.