Gun safe advice?

[Capt. Bob]

Looks like I will be needing a new safe. Bought a Canon 4 years ago and now it does not lock anymore. Contacted Canon last month and they said there was a known problem with the electric lock on my safe and they would send me a new lock. I called them when the parts did not arrive when they promised me. Well now they are telling me they don't have the replacement parts for my model. They can't say if or when they will have the parts to fix the safe. I needed a new safe anyway because my need is now a bigger one. I was going to buy just a second one but circumstances being what they are, it will not be a Canon. What brand do you folks suggest? Most bang for your buck so to speak.
Thanks

 

[Muss Muggins]

The issue for you is that it's my understanding all of the mainstream safes use essentially the same locks, electronic or mechanical, manufactured by the same couple third parties. Find a competent locksmith, replace the lock in your Canon, and look at Liberty . . .

 

[Farmer17]

Most people say the mechanical locks are more reliable than electric, and they also say Liberty safes are a good brand. I would think a locksmith would charge quite a bit to replace a lock so a new bigger safe might be money better spent but your safe does have value, maybe a locksmith would buy it and fix it for resale. Used gun safes around here sell for almost as much as new ones.

 

[double-dipper]

I agree with Muss on this. Find a competent locksmith to fix/replace the lock that's on it first. If you're mechanical there are some youtube videos on how to do it yourself. My gun safe is a Liberty combination with hard key override type and I've never had a problem with it in about 20 years and counting.

 

[6518John]

Muss is dead on. Also PM Kanewpadle—http://smith-wessonforum.com/member.php?u=157690. I think this link will direct you to him. If not, look in my Freinds.

He is a professional locksmith. No one knows more about this area. He can advise on your cannon and a replacement.

Liberty Fatboy for me, BTW.

 

[Breakaway500]

I don't trust anything e-lectronic and given a choice,I will always take gears and levers vs. transistors and solenoids..

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

If it were mine, I would buy a B&G dial lock for you old safe and a new safe with a dial lock.

My Browning gun safe is a 22 gun safe (half shelves/half long guns) from 1984, with a dial. I have at times past, removed scopes from quick mounts, and bolt action bolts (place the in a velvet or fleece bag with model and serial numbers) and have gotten 37 long guns in there! I have the shelves spaced so I can get 3 briefcases per narrow shelf, leaving the top 2 shelves for handguns still in factory boxes. I consider this a form of deep storage, as the only way to get to most of the long guns is to remove them all. But I had a month of massive overtime before going on vacation, and when I got back I was busy with the holidays, so it was 2.5 months before I needed in there.

If you do the briefcase route, save one just for the wife to put her jewelry in, (And make sure she has some to put there) one for important papers, passports, birth certificates, & Photos. By including the spouse, it removes objections, and proves that you really are a responsible type.

[I recommend that any or most precious metals, and secret cash be kept elsewhere. So she doesn't can't use them against your further accumulation purchasing! (because we know, the wife's opinion of you gun needs differs from everybody's in this forum!)

Ivan

 

[chief38]

I too think Liberty Presidential series are a very good "Gun Safe" to own. I've had mine 23 years now and haven't had any issues.

As I ALWAYS advise guys here....... look into used JEWELRY Safes at your local safe dealer. The are way stronger, way heavier, have much better mechanisms & locks and will usually get you a better safe for the same money as a fancy finished pin-stripped gun safe will cost you. They also carry better Burglar and fire retarding ratings than "gun safes" usually do. The down side is you will have to customize the interior for guns instead of jewelry and you will have more of an "industrial" finished exterior since most are not too fancy. The bottom line is Jewelry Safes are usually much better! I always advocate installing your gun safe inside a locked and alarmed closet anyway, so the safe's finish is a non issue to me. Of course ALWAYS bolt any safe to the floor at ALL 4 corners!

 

[Kanewpadle]

Take the cover off the front of the lock and see if there is a model number. If not take the cover off the inside of the door and see if there's one there on the lock itself. Send me a PM with the model number.

I find it highly improbable that your cannot be replaced.

 

[loknload]

Have a Liberty and have never had an issue.

 

[Narragansett]

I have a 30 gun Browning silver series from the mid 80's. Never had a problem. However, as things turn out, I wish I had bought a bit larger. You should be able to get parts for a 4 YO safe. Call the company, and go beyond customer service, until you find someone that cares.

Years ago, I had a Cusinart 16 qt cook pot. The bottom fell off of it. I could get nowhere with customer service, so I went into the house, took a toilet seat off a toilet and went out and put it on the 16 qt pot on the front lawn of my house. Put a big sign behind the pot that said" This is a nearly new Cusinart pot and this is all that it is good for. Took a picture, and sent the picture to Cusinart, showing them what was on my front lawn, but they should not worry too much, as only about 300 people a day will see it. The point is..... That picture and letter, found someone that cared enough to fix the problem beyond customer service.

New cookpot in a week

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I suggest buying more capacity than you think you need. Safes have a way of filling up with all sorts of stuff (cameras, jewelry, coin collections, whatever), and if you are lucky your guns will multiply over the years.

 

[df06]

Safe manufacturers have different quality safes. Look at metal thickness, number of locking bolts and size of them, fire rating, etc. I have AMSEC safes and am pleased with them. Also you probably know, but gun capacity of safes is way over stated.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Your LGS may be able to find you a replacement lock.

 

[tlawler]

Take the cover off the front of the lock and see if there is a model number. If not take the cover off the inside of the door and see if there's one there on the lock itself. Send me a PM with the model number.

I find it highly improbable that your cannot be replaced.

What is involved in swapping a mechanical dial in place of an S&G electronic? I have a 25 year old Fort Knox with the electronic keypad. So far, I've never had any issues as long as I keep fresh batteries in it, but I just know at some point that solenoid is going to wear out and leave me locked out.

 

[Florida Guy]

I would also recommend a Liberty. I really like mine.
I bought a larger one that I really needed that replaced a cheap Harbor Freight $250 safe when I realized my guns are worth quite a bit, and a cheapo safe was a bad idea.
I now have plenty of room for all my handguns and ammo.
I bought mine from a Liberty distributor and price included delivery and bolt-down. I bought a year old model, and the only difference is the digital lock. This one works great so far, and I saved a bit by buying a leftover.

 

[windypoint]

When my "Bighorn" (cheap Costco) safe failed to open due to a internal mechanical failure the company sent out a local locksmith to drill it and replace the part. If you know where to drill it's not hard to open a safe They were pretty responsive but it is a drag to wait a week for parts and the locksmith.

 

[Golddollar]

I have 5 Champion safes. Definitely buy bigger than you thought originally, as scoped guns take up more space, and the safe will fill up fast. Think of how many times your computer freezes up or the internet goes down as a guide as to whether you want an electronic or dial lock.

 

[zonker5]

What is involved in swapping a mechanical dial in place of an S&G electronic? I have a 25 year old Fort Knox with the electronic keypad. So far, I've never had any issues as long as I keep fresh batteries in it, but I just know at some point that solenoid is going to wear out and leave me locked out.

It's not hard, I have done it a couple of times.

Just pull the inside cover and you can access the lock mountings. Undo the old ones and the new one should fit right in. I did have to trim the shaft the dial is attached to as they make them long to fit doors of different thicknesses.

I may have a leftover dial type lock in the shop if you need one.

 

[Rastoff]

I'll agree that mechanical locks are generally more reliable than electronic, but in my case it was a mechanical lock that failed.

I had an electronic lock on my safe, but I listened to a lot of people and decided that a mechanical might be better. So, I swapped it. It's fairly simple and anyone who is marginally mechanically inclined can do it, but it does take patience and you can screw it up. I didn't and the new mechanical lock worked for a while. Then it failed spectacularly and I couldn't get a lock smith to come fix it. In my case the dial slipped in relation to one of the locking dials. I managed to get it open, but only by blind luck.

What is involved in swapping a mechanical dial in place of an S&G electronic?

It will depend on the type of mechanism inside the safe. One thing that was an issue in my case was the length of the shaft on the dial. If it's not long enough, it won't contact the mechanism on the lock. With an electronic lock this isn't an issue because the wires are always long enough.



I'm sorry you had an issue with Cannon Capt. Bob. I had always heard they were a good company; I guess they're not as good as they used to be. I have a Liberty and highly recommend them. Even when the warranty on my lock expired, they still helped me. They took the time to explain everything about the lock and taught me how to install it. There are more secure safes, but I think Liberty has the best value for the dollar.