John Tann Safe 3 day break in attempt

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British Guy

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So, i have followed this forum for a few years now and have found some of the discussions regarding how strong some safes really are, to be somewhat interesting. So yesterday i decided to join this forum and share some of the info i have collected over many years. The photo's i am posting show a John Tann Mark 6 Bankers Cash safe. If i remember correctly, it was removed from a supermarket somewhere in the UK which in itself was no easy feat considering it weighs around 4400lb. This burglary took place in the 1960's. Again, i believe the burglars spent at least 2, possibly 3 days trying to penetrate the safe, and considering the size of the pneumatic drill there were probably at least 3 people involved. In the UK and Europe this safe is rated as a grade 3. The ratings go up to a grade 7. I hope you find this of interest and welcome any comments you may have as to its construction etc.
 

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Bank safes are entirely different beasts.
Last month during a mudslide a 750+ gallon propane tank slid into a local bank and exploded against the safe wall. The bank burned out (brick building). Most exterior walls have places missing. But the safe was intact
 
I remember seeing his posts - either here on the "other" forum and you are correct, his work is superb!
 
A few years ago a coworker and I were developing a piece of property for our company. Before we could begin our development we had to demolish an existing branch bank that was on the site. After the building was torn down all that was left was the foundation with a huge walk in safe sitting right in the middle. My buddy and I looked at it and had the same thought, what an outstanding walk-in gun safe that would make! Of course you would have to tear down an exterior wall of your house to get it inside and it was probably too heavy for a traditional home foundation. It took a crane and a large flat bed truck to remove it from the site.
 
GLI45 said:
A few years ago a coworker and I were developing a piece of property for our company. Before we could begin our development we had to demolish an existing branch bank that was on the site. After the building was torn down all that was left was the foundation with a huge walk in safe sitting right in the middle. My buddy and I looked at it and had the same thought, what an outstanding walk-in gun safe that would make! Of course you would have to tear down an exterior wall of your house to get it inside and it was probably too heavy for a traditional home foundation. It took a crane and a large flat bed truck to remove it from the site.
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When I was in college I worked one summer working for my parents construction company building a bank. Part of that project was to build the vault. Seeing how a bank vault is built is amazing.

If memory serves me the rebar is tided in 3" (might be 4"), with about an inch or so between layers for about a foot thick. With the squares overlapping so there is no way to be able to get a hand through. It was brutal vibrating the concrete to get it right. But it was so cool knowing that we built something that was virtually indestructible.

As for home use, the expense would be insane. But for someone super rich it would be really secure and really cool
 
Thanks for sharing the images of that safe.

Best bet is to buy a vacated BoA with its safe intact. Ultimate man room/vault. BTW, someone did that in San Mateo County (south of San Francisco City/County) and they rent out the safety deposit boxes just like a bank. Their alarm is wired to the police department. The good thing is unlike a bank, they're not going to be forced into a bank holiday and the you don't have to follow the rules most banks have (no precious metals, no federal reserve notes, no fyrearms).
 
Not all safes are created equal. Lots of them these days are glorified lock boxes. Like a child’s diary or a note that says “keep out”.

In the old days they made them pretty hard to get into, even if they were a little small.
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Most common modern safes are pretty easy to get into if you have enough access, the rear is pretty easy on lots of them. A carbide bit and a mag drill will do from the front, if you know the right spot. Why floor safes are popular for money.

I have some old thick ones that would require a thief to cut through a outer thick layer of steel then bust through 4” of asbestos, then another layer of steel. The contents would likely be less valuable to them than the lawsuit they filed against me for subjecting them to the carcinogen during the robbery.....
 
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I worked on a case with a Lawyer in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I was an expert witness. We won by the way.

He was quite the character! A bank was for sale, downtown Toronto. Queen Street? John let it be known he was going to turn it into a Museum? (not so) The price was dropped a lot!

He actually moved from his little dingy Office, up some creaky stairs, off Younge St. To this over 100-year old magnificent Building, right on a Main St. in Toronto. His main clientele was Jamaican Drug Dealers.
He used the huge vault as a storage area for old files. The door could not lock (a good thing) he had long, ponytail, hairstyle. Plus a silver earring. The accused walked out of the Supreme Court in Toronto, from a First Degree Murder charge. "You are free to go," said the Judge. The Crown (DA in the USA) messed up the actual initial charge.
 
The invulnerability of many safes is purely imaginary. A friend had her floor safe ripped out of the foundation in less than five minutes from the alarm being triggered. It was just screwed in with the screws going straight down into the concrete. So it could be easily pried straight up. I cannot understand why it did not have rings on each corner with rebar running through them horizontally to secure the safe into the mesh structure of the foundation.
 
I know of a few closed bank buildings around here that were bought by hunters (mostly Duck Hunters). They have made them into club houses. Mostly in small towns with low populations.
 
I was on Vacation my Safe was cut open with a welding torch, took 3 days, Ex Brinks safe, weighed 1700 lbs.
The hinges had to be cut off! My (EX) Business partner had a key, he was to connect a line to the local Police Dept. Within the first week, I was away, I was out of the Country.
We had a friend who did that kind of work.
Five weeks later, I got the Call from the Police. Hence Ex. These were West Indians, no trashing of my Apt. was done. All my Pistol trophies were placed in neat lines on my Dining room table. Taken from a shelf.
Insurance had two weeks to run, Phew!! Not total recovery cash, but not too bad.
I was very upset, very. Lessons are learned.
 
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