Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Electronic lock failing on Browning safe

Didn't know where else to post so I thought the Campfire would be a good place to start.

The lock on my Browning Silver series safe started to act up. I enter the correct combination and only hear a faint click. Go to spin the handle and nothing. Wait a few seconds and enter code again. This time the click is louder and the handle spins to open the safe. Sometimes this cycle happens a few tomes before the safe will open.

Thought it was the battery at first. Bought a few replacements and still having the issue.

Safe is only 4 years old and the lock first gave me trouble about a year ago. Doubt the locks are covered under warranty. What are my options? Will a local locksmith be able to replace the electronic lock or fix the problem?

Photo of problem lock:

Contact S&G. On a Fort Knox safe they are covered for life. Change the batteries recently?

dye7barrel:

I have the same lock on my Browning safe. There's nothing wrong with your safe lock. You're just cranking the spin handle too hard. When you close the door and crank the spin handle to the closed position, spin it back half an inch or so and the problem will be eliminated.

KC

I talked to a locksmith before I bought mine and he said when an electronic pad starts to act up get it fixed right away, He said it is expensive when it fails completely so I would talked to a smith.

A few years ago I bought a rifle from a guy in another state. I sent him the money and when the rifle didn't arrive by the ship date I gave him a call.

He was very apologetic but said he was having a problem with the electronic lock on his safe, but not to worry, the locksmith was coming over and he'd get it shipped out.

A few days later I gave him a call and he told me that he had indeed shipped the rifle, but that the locksmith had to drill the lock mechanism out of the safe to get it open...took him several hours.

So I would recommend to take care of that little problem asap and replace the lock if necessary or do whatever maintenance it needs before a problem becomes a disaster.

My safe has a combination lock.

I've got the same electronic lock on my Liberty. This is exactly what I was worried would happen on mine. So far, so good, though.

sounds like it's time for a new 9 volt battery. Simple to do.

"Thought it was the battery at first. Bought a few replacements and still having the issue."

That's why I chose the manual one.

eyeball:

See my post above.

KC

My Browning Bronze safe, has the S&G electronic lock as shown. It does not have a wheel to open though, having instead, a single lever just below the lock.
When my battery ran down, the symptoms were exactly as Dye7barrel described. A new battery fixed it.

I have the same lock and on my safe there is a trick to getting the lock to unlock the lock.
If my handle is turned all the way counter clockwise when I put the comb in nothing will happen. I have pull the handle all the way to the clockwise stop position and no problems.

I was getting a little upset with the lock until I figured it out

Don't know why but it is an added little safety on mine.
Try holding the hand to one side or the other and see if it helps.

+2

-Ken

I almost did that, but I had several people who know safes tell me that a mechanical one is just as likely to go bad, and they're harder to resolve when they do.

Once you get it open, pull the back off the door and check the rods and links. A lot of those rods are connected by cotter pins that can rust and wear with time. My uncle was a locksmith and that was a common problem to fix, pray for help it one breaks while the door is shut and locked. I check mine about once a year.

The KABA electronic lock on my Cannon safe started acting up after it was about four years old (this was in 2008). I called Cannon, they immediately shipped me a new LP lock mechanism (lock has a lifetime warranty, but the labor is not included). I hired a local locksmith to install it - he told me I was lucky mine failed in the open position or he would have had to drill the safe. After watching him replace the lock (cost me $100.00) I could have done it myself (if I had known what to do). Yep, it could be the battery (you've ruled that out) or your technique - but you better be sure before you ignore what is going on.

I also have a Browning bronze safe; how often do others change the battery to avoid a problem?

I have had my liberty franklin safe since 92. I had to replace my electronic lock 3 or 4 years ago. Did it myself wasn't to bad lol. S&G was really good to deal with getting the lock. I don't recall how much it was, but I don't remember thinking it was too bad.

tom

I change the 9v's at time change(Daylight savings) on my two Cannons

I change mine when the sound of the unlocking starts to sound like it is getting weak.

tom