Stuck Safe

[g88]

Hope someone can help me with this. My safe is a Cannon with a combination lock, and a lever on the door. When you do the combination right, you can move the lever about 30 degrees with a big CLANK, and then pull the door open. But now when I do the combination right, I can't move the lever. It seems jammed.
-- Last time I locked it, I had to force the door all the way closed with my knee, because a rifle in a padded case was squeezing against the door, I think. (I've never forced the door closed before this time.)
-- Does anyone know how I can open it? I'm ready to call a locksmith, but thought I'd check here first. Thanks.

 

[dmazur]

The only thing I can suggest is to lean against the door while you close the lever (try to move it closed rather than open), THEN do the combination again while you're still leaning on it.

It's possible the mechanism didn't move all the way to "locked" and is binding.

(I managed to jam a cheap combination safe by trying to open the handle before dialing the combination...wouldn't play until I moved it closed again. So, just maybe, your overstuffed safe is behaving similarly.)

 

[Thernlund]

+1. It sounds to me like the bolts are stuck from the resistance against the door. Lean on it hard while you pull the lever.


-T.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You can also get a rawhide mallet and rap on the suspect spot when you try to turn the lever. Sometimes the vibration will get it to respond.

 

[g88]

Turns out the jam was caused by a thing on the top shelf that was squeezed between the door and the back of the safe. It was just a little too long for the depth of the safe. I padded the end of a 2X4 and squeezed it between a workbench and the safe, pushing on the door. Finally got the lever to move. Thanks all. I appreciate it.
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[a1abdj]

Believe it or not, this is a pretty common cause of a lock out. With the door jammed, people have a tendancy to put a lot of pressure on the handle to attempt to open the door. This will often cause the handle to break (usually the part inside the door).

When I run across these situations, I usually place a 6x6 across the front of the door, and wrap a good ratcheting cargo strap around the safe against the 6x6. Crank it down, and try to turn the handle.

It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you don't put too much pressure on the handle. Turning the safe on it's back or side, leaning against it, or anything else that can apply pressure on the door.

If you have to force the door closed to lock it, don't do it.