Cannon Firearm Safe Disappointment.

[grampajack]

Oh lord, we've ventured into EMP territory. You'll have to give me a moment to get my tinfoil hat on and adjusted fellas.

Just think about it. Solar flare hits, mobs take to the streets, zombies come out for no apparent reason...and you can't get into your electronic safe!

Not saying a solar flare is impossible, but if it ever happens you're going to have much bigger problems than getting into your safe. Like getting home from work, for example.

 

[Glock Doctor]

Glock Doctor;

The video is "Security On Sale", the elapsed time is one minute & 42 seconds, and they wasted some time doing it. There's also a difference between true safes and RSC's, if you use search on this very site, you too can find out the difference. No, you don't have to put the unit in a Faraday cage. Really, you don't.

Have a nice day, 900F

Yeah, I know what's in the video; and, in spite of it's short (edited) length maybe you should have watched it more closely. Differences? I already know the differences; and, if your reading comprehension skills were more sophisticated you might have recognized that I've already said as much. Neither am I the one who mentioned using a Faraday cage — YOU are; but, do you know what? It might not be such a bad idea! Apparently the sun has just started a new 11 year cycle of electromagnetic outbursts!

Do me a favor will ya, pal: Stop making such a big deal over my time estimates for breaking into one of these modern discount store safes. I KNOW my best guess for these safes is off; and I've already said so! What more do I have to do? Go to church and ask for penance! This is a childish discussion that you really never should have started.

For your future reference I'm going to tell you how I handle calling out somebody's mistake on the internet: (Pay attention, you might learn something useful, OK!) Instead of painting yourself as a hero and jumping all over the other guy for being wrong about something, what you SHOULD DO is to stay away from names and/or personalities, and address ONLY the incorrect information. This is what I usually do; and it makes for good internet manners all around. (Think about it!)

Just think about it. Solar flare hits, mobs take to the streets, zombies come out for no apparent reason...and you can't get into your electronic safe!

Not saying a solar flare is impossible, but if it ever happens you're going to have much bigger problems than getting into your safe. Like getting home from work, for example.

What are you ....... psychic! Look at the date on this Space.com bulletin — These things have been going off even while THIS thread is being discussed! Who knows? Even though he appears to have changed his mind, maybe CB900F's initial comments are right; and everybody who owns an electronic opening safe should start thinking about building a Faraday cage.

 

[Decoy80]

I'm pleased to see this thread. I havent always had a safe and dummy me didnt do any more research except for the price /size of which one I could afford.
I bought a Cannon at Tractor Supply on sale ,the biggest one in the store at the time. I blindly got one with a keypad lock and liked he ease to open it. I replaced the original battery the first time it malfunctioned and that wasnt so big a deal.
It was only 4 years old when it malfunctioned the second time but unlike the first time changing the battery didnt work.
The first time it was failure to unlock/probably a dead battery as a new one fixed that.
The second time was a failure to lock and a new battery didnt fix it and after putting several new batteries in I gave up on my personal effort to resolve the failure to lock problem.
I then realized I owned a big heavy storage cabinet and I called a expert for ideas. I was told they could fix it no problem in a couple of days and I would be needing 190 bucks if I wanted it done cheap for cash. Out of options I agreed.
Two days later they came and the first thing I was told was how lucky I was it was unlocked or instead of the 190 bucks it would be closer to 700 bucks. The second thing was that as my shop is uninsulated and not climate controlled they would be back to serve me agin in 2 years or if lucky 3.
Now I realized I needed a PFD and a paddle I owned a boat not a safe.
Always looking for the best way out I resorted to make a joke of my problem I told the lead guy I liked them fine but just how many of these Benjamins I had would it take to not see him again and that I liked them not to take offense.
He perked up and said for 3 of them unless I lost the combination he would fix it and if it failed before he retired or went out of business he would fix it free he had the cure on the truck.
I told him I would hold him to that personally I didnt need a ticket ,had cash and if it failed and he didnt keep his word Id look him up to fix his problem in person.
In 15 minutes I was twisting hundreds to be sure they wasnt stuck together and gave him 3 and as of yet no problems with old timey dial combination technology.
I now can keep little kids, idiots, and honest folks from what I have in my cheap/not. storage cabinet.

 

[FAS1]

Just think about it. Solar flare hits, mobs take to the streets, zombies come out for no apparent reason...and you can't get into your electronic safe!

No electronic safes here!

 

[Zebraranger]

They were both Mosler safes, not RSCs, but I have been locked out of two safes with mechanical dial locks. Both times one of the numbers in the combination shifted a couple places as a result of mechanical wear. Having been given the combo and an hour to try variations, a locksmith was able to open them and reset the combos. Safe internals are often made of brass and thus are susceptible to wear... Nothing is fail safe. Use whatever you're most comfortable with.

I don't think so my friend. If you google search the term (forum locked out of my safe), the first two google pages returned is all (100%) people on forums trying to get answers on how to get into their locked out electronic safes. I didn't check the third page because the first two pages is enough to prove my point. I own two mechanical safes, one is 30 years old and the other is 10. I've never had a problem either, and the 30 year old safe is opened and closed at least once every single day. I'm not saying mechanical safes cant experience failures, but you are much more likely to experience failure with the electronic safes, just use google or ask any locksmith.

 

[ShootingIsFun]

I don't think so my friend. If you google search the term (forum locked out of my safe), the first two google pages returned is all (100%) people on forums trying to get answers on how to get into their locked out electronic safes. I didn't check the third page because the first two pages is enough to prove my point. I own two mechanical safes, one is 30 years old and the other is 10. I've never had a problem either, and the 30 year old safe is opened and closed at least once every single day. I'm not saying mechanical safes cant experience failures, but you are much more likely to experience failure with the electronic safes, just use google or ask any locksmith.

Don't know what to tell you... Mechanical parts, especially brass parts wear and sometimes fail... One Mosler was about 60 years old, the other 45. They both failed in the same manner at different times. Both had been regularly serviced by professional safe techs...

 

[RainDodger]

One of my safes has an interesting keypad. It's powered by rotating a dial back and forth quickly, which charges the keypad with enough voltage to operate. No battery. It's roughly 8 years old now.

When it was new, I sent an email to the manufacturer and asked if it was "resistant to EMPs"... knowing that it probably wasn't. The person answering their email questions asked me what an EMP was. Personally, I don't worry about that. If an EMP happens, the problems are more serious than me not being able to get in that safe.

 

[WestKentucky]

Ive owned a Cannon safe for over 10 years now and love it. It has a dial, not the electrical key pad. I prefer the dial over the key pad. I know people like the ease of the key pad but I just dont like it. Its easier for anything electrical to fail than something mechanical. I guess I'm just old school. Anyway I had convinced myself its ok because if it failed, the safes with a keypad comes with a key as a back up to get in. So I went to Tractor supply and looked at the 2 Cannon models I was interested in. I was inspecting them when I noticed that the Cannons didnt come with a backup key to get in. Theres no way I would trust the key pad with no other way to get in should it fail. Am I the only one that feels uneasy about that?

Mine failed with my guns in it. I'm certainly uneasy about it. They sent parts and took care of me, but it was to be my baby to pay $600 to a locksmith. Luckily it opened one more time after a lot of effort and I got to swap the parts without damaging anything.

 

[FAS1]

Don't know what to tell you... Mechanical parts, especially brass parts wear and sometimes fail... One Mosler was about 60 years old, the other 45. They both failed in the same manner at different times. Both had been regularly serviced by professional safe techs...

Mechanical things do fail, but very seldom without warning the way electronics do. Your mechanical dials probably gave you some indication that things weren't right before they failed. Most of the time we do notice, but say "I'll need to get that looked at" for one too many days.

 

[ShootingIsFun]

Mechanical things do fail, but very seldom without warning the way electronics do. Your mechanical dials probably gave you some indication that things weren't right before they failed. Most of the time we do notice, but say "I'll need to get that looked at" for one too many days.

Unfortunately, no. One day they worked, the next they didn't. I'm the type to be fairly in-tune to that sort of thing but there was no warning at all...

 

[hdwhit]

Glock Doctor wrote:
Well, ....... the very first time the United States gets hit with an appreciable Electromagnetic Pulse,...

By "appreciable", I assume you must be talking about an EMP generated by the detonation of a nuclear device. If that is the case, then I suggest that:

1. In the ensuing pyroxism, getting to one's guns may not be at the top of the list of concerns.
2. Unless the circuit board controlling the locking mechanism is electrically connected to the structure of the safe itself, it is unlikely the tiny circuit board has enough wiring of sufficient length to function as an "antenna" capable of receiving a damaging amount of energy from the EMP.

 

[ilbob]

EMP is an extremely overstated problem. Most electrical devices are inherently resistant to it, especially something inside of a metal box like the circuit board for a safe.

OTOH, I prefer a regular dial, or at least a backup of some point so I can get into my safe if the keypad fails. Not real long ago, the batteries on one of my safes failed and leaked onto the battery holder and ate up the metal contacts. I had to order another battery holder and wait over a week for it to come to get into that safe.

 

[Jack B.]

Any time you do anything to a safe lock (replace battery , changes combination or anything else) make sure you have the door open!