Liberty Safes--Backdoor Combinations

[CZU]

If you thought your Liberty Safe was safe you might want to think again.

Liberty Safe Gives Feds Backdoor Access To Customer's Gun Safe

In my opinion, safe companies should not have any kind of access to YOUR property.

 

[tlawler]

Glad I don’t have a Liberty safe and now I’ll never buy one.

All the more reason to have a mechanical dial combo.

 

[ColbyBruce]

I read about this last night and couldn’t believe it. Liberty wasn’t served with a warrant to provide assistance in breaching the accused man’s safe, they voluntarily did so. It seems to me Liberty could and should be held accountable for their actions. The man taken into custody stands accused, not convicted of anything at this time.

 

[chief38]

Almost a moot point! An Angle Grinder with a metal cutting blade will cut through any safe's side wall in minutes. If they want to get in, they will - they don't care about ruining your safe or its contents!

"Gun Safe's" are really only meant for three basic reasons. First to slow down a thief's access to what's inside. Second is to protect against unauthorized access from children. Third is to protect contents against fire, flooding (if you have a self sealing gasket around the door) and natural disasters such as tornados. The truth is that any thief, LEO, or pretty much anyone with a little mechanical ability and an Angle Grinder can gain access faster than you would ever think! I'd bet it would take less time to cut a big hole in the side faster than Liberty could give the FBI an access code. Even Liberty Safes top of the line model (Presidential Series) has sides of only 7 gauge steel which measures .179" thick or less than 3/16". Child's play!

All that said, Liberty should be much more discrete about betraying a customer's trust! I am not a Lawyer and do not know what their legal parameters are for this type of situation. I do not know what other safe company's provide that we have not found out about yet. I'd be more concerned about them breaching your trust for scams, illegal search and seizures, etc. All in all - NOT a confidence building report!

 

[Rodan]

It says right in the article that the FBI provided Liberty proof that they had a valid search warrant. Liberty's statement indicates they have refused to provide access codes when agencies have failed to exhibit warrants.

You can make an argument that Liberty wasn't served with a warrant for the access code, but it's a distinction without a difference. Basically what they did is prevent the FBI from destroying the safe to enter it.

Hard to fault Liberty in this case, though it is concerning that some 'universal' access code exists at all.

 

[moosedog]

I don't see the problem with Liberty Safe Co. They verified a valid warrant and request before giving the combo and thus saving destruction of the vaults lock system. The owner should have just given them the combo as they would get in one way or another and the later would have destroyed his lock assembly possibly damaging the vault itself.
I have two of their safes and they are a great company.

 

[Breakaway500]

A lock only keeps honest people honest.

 

[tlawler]

It says right in the article that the FBI provided Liberty proof that they had a valid search warrant. Liberty's statement indicates they have refused to provide access codes when agencies have failed to exhibit warrants.

You can make an argument that Liberty wasn't served with a warrant for the access code, but it's a distinction without a difference. Basically what they did is prevent the FBI from destroying the safe to enter it.

Hard to fault Liberty in this case, though it is concerning that some 'universal' access code exists at all.

That was my point about mechanical vs electronic.

 

[BigBoy99]

The bean counters won! Liberty could have fought the request in court but that would have cost lose of money in legal fees. It was easier (and cheaper) to give in to the request, so that option was taken.

 

[Dave.357]

How safe is his stuff now.
If you need his property
Just call the FBI.

 

[CH4]

I had Liberty swap out the electric lock for a S&G 6730 before it left the show room

 

[jaguargolf]

How did they know he had a Liberty safe? Were they already in the house?

 

[Tom S.]

I do not see anything from Liberty that says they have a back door. They do keep a record of the combination the safe is shipped with, should the owner forget, but you can change the combination on a safe in about 5 minutes and the manufacturer would have no way of knowing what it was changed to.

On good safes (ones with dial locks instead of keys), regardless of whether they are electronic or manual dial, the lock mechanism itself is mechanical and as far as I know, is only capable of supporting one combination at a time, so there is no way the manufacturer could have a 'secret' code to open a safe. Of course that won't stop some journalist from misstating the facts.

Here is a more comprehensive article on the story: Gun Safe Manufacturer 'Liberty Safe' Gives FBI Access Code to a Protestor's Safe Who Was Arrested at Gunpoint Due to Involvement in January 6th Capitol Event (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft

Much ado about nothing....

 

[SMSgt]

That was my point about mechanical vs electronic.

Unless you change the combination the safe came with, they have that on record also.

 

[CH4]

I do not see anything from Liberty that says they have a back door. They do keep a record of the combination the safe is shipped with, should the owner forget, but you can change the combination on a safe in about 5 minutes and the manufacturer would have no way of knowing what it was changed to.

On good safes (ones with dial locks instead of keys), regardless of whether they are electronic or manual dial, the lock mechanism itself is mechanical and as far as I know, is only capable of supporting one combination at a time, so there is no way the manufacturer could have a 'secret' code to open a safe. Of course that won't stop some journalist from misstating the facts.

Here is a more comprehensive article on the story: Gun Safe Manufacturer 'Liberty Safe' Gives FBI Access Code to a Protestor's Safe Who Was Arrested at Gunpoint Due to Involvement in January 6th Capitol Event (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft

Much ado about nothing....

True
Mechanical safe locks can only have one combo.

 

[tlawler]

Unless you change the combination the safe came with, they have that on record also.

That’s the first thing I did when I got my safe. The S&G keypad would support several combos, one master and some slave combos. It’s not beyond reason that there may be an over riding master code only available to the manufacturer and S&G that can’t be changed or deleted that would be the back door.

 

[IAM Rand]

If I get a Liberty safe, will it come filled with Bud Light?

 

[prairieviper]

No problem here with Liberty supporting law enforcement instead of alleged lawbreakers. I am not aware of one instance here in cornfields and cows country where a company did not provide information requested by law enforcement when a valid warrant had been issued.

 

[Bald1]

Liberty should not be concerned about keeping the safe from being destroyed. It is the private property of the individual charged. He obviously doesn’t care if safe is destroyed. He’s not going to make things easier for investigators. In my mind Liberty way over stepped here.

 

[chief38]

Once again, while we are diligent in keeping our firearms out of the wrong hands and putting them in expensive fancy gun safes, ALL OF THEM are easily and quickly gotten into with an angle grinder or similar power tool.

When I moved two years ago I had to take down a very expensive and well made basketball pole, backstop and hoop installed on the side of my driveway. The contractor that put up the 1/4" thick 4" diameter pole also filled it with concrete! I cut through the steel and the concrete in minutes with my angle grinder. After it toppled over, I cut it into 2 foot sections with the same tool so I could dispose of it by bringing it to the dump in my car.

Gun safes are made out of cold rolled steel which is actually pretty mild steel. Not a major task to get into. Jewelry safes which are way way better constructed are a little harder but still no competition for an angle grinder. If one were to make a safe that was resistant to these types of tools, no one would be able to afford them! So wether or not Liberty had no choice or did this voluntarily is almost a moot point.

That is WHY it's important (at least IMHO) NOT to "display" your gun safe out in the open. I feel by installing it in a lockable closet that is alarmed and having it bolted into the floor is the way to go. I have also seen a few hidden gun rooms made of poured concrete that were so well planned out and hidden, they are probably way more secure than any conventional safe. The key is that no one would ever know they were there! Out of sight - out of mind. Many here don't have the luxury of doing that - but those who can might want to think about it. At the end of the day, NOTHING is absolutely secure and anything man made can be dismantled or destroyed by man.

Quite honestly, with what is going on today, his guns are the least of his problems!