Electronic or Mechanical Lock?

[bushmaster1313]

Any curmudgeon worth his salt would prefer a mechanical lock to an electronic lock any day. Besides, I hate batteries in anything.

Hey
You could put battery powered personalized guns in a battery powered safe.
What a great idea.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I have electronic. I bought it because it was on sale for less than the mechanical lock model (close out, don't ya know). It's a bit over three years old now. No problems so far other than changing the 9v battery once a year or so. If it ever fails, though, I have a really big key that looks like something out of an old movie. You twist and remove the electronic keypad and there is the keyhole. I tried it out when it was new, but I haven't used it since.

The electronic keypad also appears to be easily replaceable on mine. It looks like a simple matter of unplugging the old one and plugging in a new one. Maybe I should order a new one for backup? Everything fails eventually whether it is mechanical or electronic. I do think the mechanical lock (at least a well made one) would last longer, though.

The keys is great. If you keep track of it.

Most if not all American made gun safes do not have a key override such as yours. Primarily because it's a weakness. Not much of a weakness though.

If people only knew the truth. I have a diagnostic tool that I can plug into a digital safe lock. It with find the combination in minutes. No drilling or brute force. Good thing the tool is extremely expensive.

To the OP, please take my advice. I'm not an expert on many things. But I've been doing this for a long time. The last one (this past Sunday) a Fort Knox vault door in which the digital lock failed. I've been preaching this for a few years here and others seem to more than I do. So be it. They will learn the hard way as do many others have.

Over and out.

 

[flyrobb]

I have electronic. I bought it because it was on sale for less than the mechanical lock model (close out, don't ya know). It's a bit over three years old now. No problems so far other than changing the 9v battery once a year or so. If it ever fails, though, I have a really big key that looks like something out of an old movie. You twist and remove the electronic keypad and there is the keyhole. I tried it out when it was new, but I haven't used it since.

The electronic keypad also appears to be easily replaceable on mine. It looks like a simple matter of unplugging the old one and plugging in a new one. Maybe I should order a new one for backup? Everything fails eventually whether it is mechanical or electronic. I do think the mechanical lock (at least a well made one) would last longer, though.

At Sportsman's Warehouse I was looking at a Browning and noticed the same thing. I removed the E. lock and it appeared you could unplug the lock and replace it. The store guy didn't really know anything about it though. Did the "really big key" come with the safe?

Kanewpadle, is this correct that you can just unplug the old lock and plug in a replacement if it goes bad?

 

[Kanewpadle]

At Sportsman's Warehouse I was looking at a Browning and noticed the same thing. I removed the E. lock and it appeared you could unplug the lock and replace it. The store guy didn't really know anything about it though. Did the "really big key" come with the safe?

Kanewpadle, is this correct that you can just unplug the old lock and plug in a replacement if it goes bad?

In most cases no. The solenoid which is in the lock is the weakness. Every once in a while the circuit board will fail.

The problem is that they are made in China/Taiwan. Yes, S&G, Amsec, and others too.

 

[rbrbrb6]

I have a Browning Medallion series that came with an electronic lock and after a year or so it started acting up. Paid a Browning authorized service center to come out and remove electronic and replace it with a mechanical. Best move I have made. Another in I noticed is my Browning requires more and varied mandatory turns between numbers than my sons less expensive File and Stream safe.

 

[Rastoff]

No Kanewpadle, I'm not ignoring your experience.

The key locks down the DIAL. The lock contains wafer tumblers. Not pins.

So, the key part of the lock doesn't have any pins in it? My point previously was that a lot of guys use the key to lock their safe, not the dial. If you leave it on the last number and then only use the key (yes to lock the dial), can't the key then be picked and the safe opened by turning to open the lock? That's how a bunch of guys here do it (not the picking part, just the opening part).

 

[Wee Hooker]

You can have speed and reliability. Look for a safe with this type of mechanical lock. ( There is a name for it that escapes me at the moment.) It will get you in in 3 seconds (really) and ALWAYS work . I've been running this type of lock on a Cannon safe for 25 years as a bed safe and it has been as reliable as a hammer.
Mechanical Lock - Handgun Safes

My large /collection safe has an old style Sargent and Greenleaf milspec dial combination lock on it. This one is slower to get in but I don't mind as it's like foreplay

 

[tcon]

Last week, my wife was watching a Netflix movie and a guy was cracking a safe. She said, "I could never be a safe-cracker. I can't even open up one the right way."

She does know where the combination and instructions are in case she needs to get in it.

 

[TeaDub]

Mechanical for me. My Liberty will have it's 20th birthday this year and is still going strong. I don't keep my HD guns there. The nightstand is quicker to get to.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Whew............for a minute there I thought you were referring to S&W's new electronic lock for their handguns vs " the hole"

 

[kozmic]

I have both and while I understand the strong points and weaknesses of both, I actually prefer an electronic entry safe. A simple 9v battery and external battery replacement make them pretty simple to use and maintain. I think the size and specs (fire-rating, etc) trump the entry system. YMMV.

 

[DR505]

I think electricity is a passing fad, so I would go mechanical.

Also, get a safe MUCH bigger than you think you need. Trust me.

 

[Marine Corps Air]

I love it when people try to play locksmith when they don't know the first thing about it.

The key locks down the DIAL. The lock contains wafer tumblers. Not pins.

If you dial the combination to the last number, you can then lock the dial with the key. To open the safe all you have to do is unlock the dial with the key and turn it to the right to retract the bolt.

Here endeth the lesson.

Once again, Kanewpadle is right on target! To clarify the statements that I made in my earlier post, and in full agreement with his post above, the key only locks/unlocks the dial (and not the safe). The key is inserted in to the lock, then turned to the right which frees the dial to be rotated to the right to the same numerical position on the dial IF the manual dial method were being used, then the chrome handle on the front of the door can be rotated to move the door pins out of position. Only then can the safe door can be opened.

Reverse these procedures to lock the safe.

Insofar as electronic locks are concerned, I foresee two possible risks: a) battery (forget to change it or it leaks and corrodes the mechanism although it should not have in such a short period of time, i.e. less than a year), or b) failure of a component on the circuit board. It could happen!

 

[deadin]

The keys is great. If you keep track of it.

I have two of these keys. One is in my mechanical lock safe and the other is in the safety deposit box at the bank.(Which is backed up by another key plus the one the bank has.... Isn't that ironic?)

To make myself clear, the key lock feature on the dial is only used while I am home. (And it's backed up by a 642-1 and a Remington 870.)

 

[MarkAlt]

Wow.

Amazed at the number of key/manual combo votes. I just ordered a new indoor safe today. Had them swap the key for electronic.

I couldn't even imagine going back to a key. Four years, two very large cheap safes and never had a problem. Batteries replaced every year with smoke detectors. I have had them in cold storage (Buffalo) and tropical sauna (FL) environments. One was moved north and I left the battery in all winter by mistake! No access until summer. When we pulled it out, the battery was very dead. Brought everything up to room temperature, new battery and I was back in. That keypad is still working fine.

Now these are cheap keypads. I would gladly pay more for better, but this is what was out there.

Some point down the road, one will likely fail. That's why we have huge backup keys, kept off-site. But, for every day in/out access by the family, I can't even imagine using a key.


EDIT: Had to get the scoop on these and just talked to someone very knowledgeable who did not sell me the safe. I'm not going to devulge techniques or lock technology here, but learned quite a bit about my old, mid and new gen electronic locks. I access my safes very frequently and made the right choice with electronic.

 

[Bat Guano]

For a while I had to change the combos on about 90 safes annually. What fun; not to mention everybody was grumpy because they had to learn another combo because of me.

Almost all were S&G which in my experience were basically trouble-free. We did have one on a vault which was probably about 60 years old and long overdue for replacement; it was getting real iffy. I did program one electronic unit, and I hated it.

I just ordered a pistol safe unit for my wife, and I had a hard time finding one that was key only.

If I can't SEE the thing work, then it's essentially magic; and I don't believe in magic. It can all go POOF.

 

[rwsmith]

Mechanical......

Kids around the house. I have an old fashioned combination lock. Slow but sure. I just hope I don't need to access the safe quickly.

 

[Grayfox]

Never trust anything with a battery.

 

[deadin]

Never trust anything with a battery.

Hope you never need a pacemaker........

 

[MrSurly]

I want to know more about this "warded key keyhole behind the electronic key pad". I've never heard of such an arrangement. You're describing a 'redundant' dual lock, and, while I've seen redundants, I've not heard of one set up as a hidden overide device. Any pics or a brand/model on that lock?

I have one electronic lock safe, one antique combo safe and one "high Security" safe with two locks: a Group 2M mechanical S&G and a "Swiss key" lock. (Both the locks must be opened)
I also have a bad-assed little pistol safe from Amsec that uses a Simplex mechanical push-button lock. None of them has given me any trouble. The electronic is about fifteen years old, which is a pretty good record, but... The Antique Cary Safe's mechanical continues trouble-free since 1873