digital gun safes

conan32120 said:
am I just being an old fuddy duddy in my mistrust of digital safes. all my safes are dial but am needing to acquire a larger safe (as my collection seems to magically keep growing larger) but every safe I've looked at is digital. Any thoughts, horror stories or advice?
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I've had a digital for about 12 years and have had no problems with it. When you buy the safe it comes with a key in case the electronics goes out, like you forgot to replace the batteries. Mine warns me when they need to be replaced.

Mine is a Sentry Safe. Pushing the buttons on the keypad is much faster than dialing on my old safe.
 
I just went out and timed my entry with my dial lock safe. Normal speed took 25 seconds. That isn't quick enough?? I thought safes were to secure stuff. If I want more speed than that, I keep a gun out where I can get to it.
 
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I currently have a dial on mine, my next safe I plan to get when I build a house will definitely NOT have a dial.

If I didn’t plan on using it that much a dial may be okay, but for daily use I’ll take digital without hesitation.
 
HowieG said:
I just went out and timed my entry with my dial lock safe. Normal speed took 25 seconds. That isn't quick enough??
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nope, especially when technology exists that do it in well under a fifth of that time.

also I can’t do mine that fast. I’m doing good to into mine in under a minute. Heck, I’m doing good to get it on the first try.
 
I wouldn’t necessarily make speed of access the crucial feature of a safe.
There is nothing wrong with a decentralized approach to firearms storage, too.
Part of a gun collection under serious locks while others are much more fast access.
In a home without toddlers the "on duty" firearm can be carried or on the nightstand.
 
DeepSouth said:
nope, especially when technology exists that do it in well under a fifth of that time.

also I can’t do mine that fast. I’m doing good to into mine in under a minute. Heck, I’m doing good to get it on the first try.
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What kind of crisis have you faced where you needed to get in your gun safe in under two minutes? Or fifteen minutes for that matter?

Heck, it would take me longer to wake up, find my slippers, and get to my safe than it would take me to open it. That's why I keep a gun next to the bed.
 
Blue Jays said:
I wouldn’t necessarily make speed of access the crucial feature of a safe.
There is nothing wrong with a decentralized approach to firearms storage, too.
Part of a gun collection under serious locks while others are much more fast access.
In a home without toddlers the "on duty" firearm can be carried or on the nightstand.
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Agreed. I usually keep a handgun and a shotgun/buckshot ready to hand.
 
My first gun safe used two keys that were recessed into the front of the safe. You had to reach in and up to get to the key slot. The locks were protected by thick steel blocks. I built it into my old house and left it when I moved. I was never able to find another like it. It was over a month before the new owners found it and asked for the keys.
 
HowieG said:
What kind of crisis have you faced where you needed to get in your gun safe in under two minutes? Or fifteen minutes for that matter?

Heck, it would take me longer to wake up, find my slippers, and get to my safe than it would take me to open it. That's why I keep a gun next to the bed.
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That would be none to the first question, and armadillo’s in the yard for the second question.
It’s more of a fool proof system that takes 3 seconds vs a system that takes 30 seconds, whoops… to far…. Start over, another 45 seconds cause I need to slow down so I don’t miss it again.

It’s more of a convenience factor than anything, it’s a definite first world problem, but I see no good reason not to go with the one that’s significantly faster.
 
DeepSouth said:
That would be none to the first question, and armadillo’s in the yard for the second question.
It’s more of a fool proof system that takes 3 seconds vs a system that takes 30 seconds, whoops… to far…. Start over, another 45 seconds cause I need to slow down so I don’t miss it again.

It’s more of a convenience factor than anything, it’s a definite first world problem, but I see no good reason not to go with the one that’s significantly faster.
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More power to you. I would rather have reliability.
 
HowieG said:
More power to you. I would rather have reliability.
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I absolutely do believe the dial is more reliable, no doubt about that.
But with that said I have two other safes that are digital, both have been 100% reliable….so far… I don’t personally know anyone that’s had a problem with a digital lock. If they weren’t fairly reliable I’d take the dial to.

I’m glad they make both.
 
I have a dial, I started having a problem not being able to lock it. Its old enough that its no longer in warrenty. So I put in a call to a locksmith. He sent a man out who studied the mechanism thein door, and said he didn't have what he needed he would be back the next day. He showed up with a small pack of washers. Turns out something in the "works" had gotten out of alignment and he put in washers to line it up,works fine now. My question to him was which was less reliable the dial or digital? And he told me he has to work on digital 2 to 3 times more often than dials. YMMV
 
Over the years I’d get a case of the what ifs and start thinking heavily about replacing my digital pad, I’m glad I didn’t because I couldn’t open a dial lock without my glasses.

I can shoot without glasses and I can open my safe without glasses, when it comes to what ifs I’m more likely to be without glasses than have a keypad fail.
 
DeepSouth said:
I don’t personally know anyone that’s had a problem with a digital lock.
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Friend of mine just had his digital safe lock fail. It was intermittent at first, but I told him he'd better solve the problem before it became permanent. Nearby safe and lock company wanted $600 to open it and reset it... I told him to contact the manufacturer... Cannon. They sent him a brand new lockset no questions axed, so that tells me it's not uncommon.
 
To each his own. The stories you read about digital locks failing made me go with a dial. Dials can jump time too and need attention. There is no doubt that a digital lock is faster.
 
ColtPythonElite said:
I doubt if many of the "safes" we are talking about are actual safes. Most of them are Residential Security Containers. You don't have to be a professional safe cracker to open one if you really want to.
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Very true, but "RSC" is such a broad category that there is quite a bit of difference in construction of a $1500 RSC and a $6500 RSC with a U.L. certified RSCII burglary rating and a real certified fire rating like from Intertek. Probably most like you say would be under $3000 and very average protection for both.
 
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