Liberty Safe Warranty and Customer Service

I do a lot of warranty work for Liberty. They seem to be pretty liberal with what they are willing to cover, and tend to dispatch us promptly.

The only two issues that I've experienced them not covering is a customer tampering with the safe themselves, and electronic locks going bad outside of the lock warranty.

What does tampering include?

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Probably anything you do outside of the normal actions that it requires to open the safe properly. Like trying to change the combination yourself on a mechanical lock. Or just poking around with the mechanics of the safe.

Why do you ask? You going to mess around inside your safe to see how it works? That was my downfall as a child with my toys, and I usually couldn't get them back together properly.

What does tampering include?

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Your own repair work, or attempting to change the combination on a mechanical lock.

If you have some sort of failure, they will typically try to talk you through a series of instructions over the phone to determine and/or correct whatever the problem is. This helps them send us the right parts so that we can fix the safe on the first trip out.

The most common issues I deal with involve electronic locks if that tells you anything. Otherwise, there's not a lot that can go wrong with a new safe.

The most common issues I deal with involve electronic locks if that tells you anything.

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How many of those issues are simply people that didn't read their instructions, or have dead batteries? I'm still contemplating an electronic lock. The extra features are extremely tempting. I talked to a guy today that has an electronic lock on his gun safe. He thinks I am crazy for considering a mechanical lock. He said he's going on eight years with his electronic lock, and just switched his older safe over to an electronic.

I know there is the risk of it getting locked shut from a malfunction though.

How many of those issues are simply people that didn't read their instructions, or have dead batteries?

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None of them on the warranty calls. The customer service reps will rule those things out while they're on the phone with the owner.

I talked to a guy today that has an electronic lock on his gun safe. He thinks I am crazy for considering a mechanical lock.

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Last year I drilled open a safe in a restaurant (very abusive environment) with a LaGard electronic lock. The lock was original to the safe, and over 10 years old. I have seen a few gun safes with the very first S&G electronic locks which are still working.

I have also seen electronic locks dead right out of the box.

Commercial users will obviously see failures before residential customers, but I tell my customers that it is very likely that an electronic lock will fail at some point. They won't last forever.

Liberty service is great

There is a shear key in a collar that disconnects the lock from the opening
handle that is designed to break the connection rather than the lock if
somone hits the handle with a hammer. I open door and the handle spun around just as the door opened (thank god it came open). The handle no longer moved the bolts. I called Liberty and took the back off the door and found the problem and they next day aired the part too me. They said they can send someone to install it or I could do it, my choice. It was no problem and I was impressed with service I recieved.

Gloss or Matte paint you ask.
Depends on where it's going to be placed and how much extra you are willing to spend on the slicker automotive finish.
The safe I ordered is coming with a textured paint because i just could not justify spending an additional $500 for the slick finish.
Another issue is if you get a safe with a textured coating over the years it wont show small scratches as fast.

I would not pay extra for a glossy finish. It will show every finger print, smudge, and scratch.

By the way, I was looking on the Liberty web site. For your price range, I would maybe look at an AMSEC BF series. I like their unique Drylight fire insulation that is injected between the walls of their gun safes.

I too would recommend the BF over the Liberty Lincoln.
As a matter of fact two years ago when i started saving my money for a new gun safe the Lincoln 35 over at Gander was high on my list.
But...After doing extensive research and learning more than I ever thought possible about gun safes I stronly recommend the BF or Sturdy and if not those then a customized Ft.Knox (upgraded body or dual 10 gauge inner and outer walls)or a gun safe with at least a 3/16th body.
After that you are fastly spiraling into the 3500.00 plus price range.
At that point consider a real safe.

I tried to obtain a change key for a LaGard mechanical from a locksmith and they would not provide one, acting squirrely. I suppose it's to protect their business revenue, understandable, but it ain't rocket science. ***? Oh well, instead I bought a vintage NOS S&G Group II lock, to replace the junky LaGard. Has change key included.

GeorgiaRaised85 said:

So gloss or matte paint?

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If the safe is going somewhere nobody will see it, go with matte paint.

If the safe is going somewhere people will see it and the appearance matters, change the location to somewhere visitors won't see it, and go with the matte paint.

IMO, a safe isn't a piece of furniture or a piece of art. It's a safe. Place it somewhere discreet and don't worry about what it looks like. Use the money you saved on the gloss paint job to buy a piece of artwork or something for the spot you were going to put it.

I tried to obtain a change key for a LaGard mechanical from a locksmith and they would not provide one, acting squirrely. I suppose it's to protect their business revenue, understandable, but it ain't rocket science. ***? Oh well, instead I bought a vintage NOS S&G Group II lock, to replace the junky LaGard. Has change key included.

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You're right, it's not rocket science. But there is a lot more to it that you won't read about online, and many simple mistakes that you can only learn by doing it. Unfortunately, one simple mistake will leave you locked out of your safe.

I'd say about a third of the lockouts I perform are directly related to somebody working on the safe themselves.

IMO, a safe isn't a piece of furniture or a piece of art. It's a safe.

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That's not what Liberty seems to think

Can an existing safe be converted from one lock to another (electronic to mechanical or vice versa)?

In the ultimate SHTF scenario, would not an EMP take out the electronic lock?

IMO, a safe isn't a piece of furniture or a piece of art

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That depends on which make and model of safe you buy. I recently bought an AMSEC BF 6030. When I told the safe mover that I wanted it in the closet, he said "NO NO NO, you don't put an AMSEC in the closet, that's an insult to the beauty of the safe".

I have to admit, they are a nice looking gun safe.

Can an existing safe be converted from one lock to another (electronic to mechanical or vice versa)?

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Generally speaking, yes.

In the ultimate SHTF scenario, would not an EMP take out the electronic lock?

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Yes.

When I told the safe mover that I wanted it in the closet, he said "NO NO NO, you don't put an AMSEC in the closet, that's an insult to the beauty of the safe".

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I'm a big fan of the AMSEC, but I wouldn't go that far.

We do restoration work on antique safes and vault doors, and they are both safes and art work when we're done. For the money the owners spend on the work, they should be displayed.

Keizer said:

That depends on which make and model of safe you buy. I recently bought an AMSEC BF 6030. When I told the safe mover that I wanted it in the closet, he said "NO NO NO, you don't put an AMSEC in the closet, that's an insult to the beauty of the safe".

I have to admit, they are a nice looking gun safe.

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My point is that the downside of a safe is that it advertises that the contents are worth protecting. A safe belongs in a discreet location for strategic reasons, not aesthetic.


I agree an antique safe can be considered a work of art. However even in that case, I'd want it somewhere visitors other than your friends (ie the cable guy, delivery men etc) aren't likely to see it.

I would not pay extra for a glossy finish. It will show every finger print, smudge, and scratch.

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I thought so too, and then I looked at them, wanted it in my bedroom and got the glossy paint. I don't put my hands all over it, so fingerprints aren't a problem. Keypad and handle.

In the ultimate SHTF scenario, would not an EMP take out the electronic lock?

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Yeah, but then you won't be needing what's in the safe anymore.

I was just mostly offended by the _attitude_ I encountered, by even contemplating changing the combination, when conversely this was touted as an advantage and/or great idea of the electronic locks.

Me: "Say, where is the change key for the lock that comes with the safe?" "We don't let the customer change the combination, it's for security reasons". Now, you're right - it's mostly to keep the customer from locking him or herself out!! Maybe that's my right too - to be stupid! But don't blow smoke.

Me: "Well, the combination can only be changed with the door open, how is that a security issue?" Well they might be good locksmiths, but their logic was pretty weak!

I expect that the owner/instruction manual provided with the lock explains the process adequately with the change key, suitable number choices, and namely verifying correct operation with the door open. What am I missing, that isn't available online via the .PDF at the S&G website? 'Jus sayin'.

I expect that the owner/instruction manual provided with the lock explains the process adequately with the change key, suitable number choices, and namely verifying correct operation with the door open. What am I missing, that isn't available online via the .PDF at the S&G website? 'Jus sayin'.

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Electronic locks are designed with end user programming in mind. Mechanical locks are not. Every manufacturer that I'm aware of completely voids the warranty on the safe and the lock if anybody other than a certified locksmith attempts to change the combination on a mechanical lock. The definition of certified can be pretty specific in some cases to only include locksmiths known to the manufacturer, or to locksmiths that belong to certain professional organizations.

You're missing quite a bit. You'll just have to take my word for this, but there are a number of mistakes that can be made when changing a combination that are not explained in the instruction manuals. Some people get lucky and everything works out. Some people are not so lucky. It is less expensive to have a professional come out and change the combination properly than it is to have that same professional come out and correct a mistake, even if the door is open.

There have been times where I let the customer dial their own combination while I stand behind the door of the safe for privacy reasons, although I can assure you that's not really a concern. I have set combinations for banks, department stores, and jewelry stores. If I'm going to steal from somebody, it's not going to be for the contents of a gun safe. In this sitation, I charge a combination fee for each attempt. If they mess it up the first time and we have to redo it, they get charged again (and again, and again) until they get it right.

Well, we'll see how good their service is. I had a representative tell me they were coming into my area and were going to open my failed lock. Never showed up and never called. Brand new safe.

Well, we'll see how good their service is. I had a representative tell me they were coming into my area and were going to open my failed lock. Never showed up and never called. Brand new safe.

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What do you have going on?

Tedster, about the change key - Every one of my friends in our gun club who has purchased a safe in the last 10 or 15 years has asked the seller for a change key and all have been given the key without any problem at all. This has been several different sellers also. Most have asked if he knows how to use it and the answer has been no, but one of our club members does. One seller even gave a change key to a friend of the fellow who was just looking at safes because the subject came up in conversation. The guy offered to pay for it and the safe seller said to forget it they have a big box of these keys. You must have just hit an unfriendly one or we have hit a bunch of friendly ones in a row. Jim