Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Gun Safe Question

That's how you justify to your wife having multiple gun safes!

Have told this story before on the Campfire, but around 20 years ago bought a new safe with an electronic lock. It worked great until the battery failed "prematurely." The safe company to sent another, which after more hassles eventually got the safe to open.

Whereupon we had a local locksmith install a mechanical dial lock, which has been working perfectly for over 15 years now. But as others have mentioned, DON'T spin them!

I have an electronic lock on my biggest safe. The battery went low, and I tried several times to open it. After the third time the safe was even safer - IT WOULD NOT OPEN. This came at an inopportune time! I am friends with the county sheriff, and he had to testify to the safe manufacturer to get a secret cod to open it. I had to send the paperwork in three times because I didn't fill the form out properly or the sheriff made a mistake... GRRRR
Of course, I had to put in a new battery. After I got it opened, I tested batteries to see which had the highest voltage. I keep several of the highest voltage batteries ready to change out. If it fails to open once, I throw the installed battery away and replace it. I don't want to go through the 6-month process of getting the safe open. Of course, now that I know the drill, I probably could get it done in a few months. Imagine not being able to get your elk rifle out of the safe and the season is about to start.

I should have it changed out to the mechanical type. I'm glad to know the information about spinning the dial too fast. I never evidently did it on a mechanical lock safe I have.

My advice: do not buy an electronic lock style safe. If you do, be careful.

If you were closer, I could grab my torch and fix it for you. This one didnt come out too good, but I am getting better!

Don't put all your rifles in one safe.Have multiple safes in case one fails to open,you will have backups.

Or by a safe with redundant electronic keypad and mechanical dial.

Don't have to justify that my wife, because around a third of the guns in our safes are hers....

Of the urge doesn't go away after one drink, keep pouring until it does.

Not way I want an electronic locks on my safes.

I would keep it manual. Have heard bad things about electronic. Never heard of problems with manual.

For you paranoid types, electronic won’t work after an EMP.

Stray electrons do some strange stuff 😊

with my tinfoil hat on.this is the exact reason i went with a manual dial type vs electronic convenience.
Big Ed

My safe takes a 9 volt battery and a big key if battery fails, key is kept in safe deposit box at our bank.

What brand of safe? Sounds like a good compromise....

What happens if you need to get into the safe when the bank is closed?

Then you obviously break into the bank!

Or keep the key at home. Which is what I'd probably do....

Same here, except for key locations. I don't understand how this isn't standard practice.

Yup, same.

Safe deposit box would be a great place.
For a second "backup" key.
It would never get lost.

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