I need a safe cracker

[ryanPSD]

For what it's worth, FYI, I was told S&G locks are now made in China... if this has any bearing on you.

[shinbone1]

Actually, their locks are manufactured in Kentucky and Switzerland for the European market.

[JDay]

I have a guy coming next week. He is quite confident that he can open it either by dialing or drilling. If he has to drill, the repair should be seamless. He also plans to replace my lock with a superior S&G. I have a LaGuard now. And he's also a lot more affordable than the previous quotes that I've gotten.

Thanks for the offer of the guy from Visaila.

I found this useful,

http://savta.org

As before, I will update as I progress through this conundrum.

S&G is not superior to LaGard. Those locks are pretty much equal. They both carry the same ratings. He probably just has a contract with S&G. However, if you're switching to an electronic lock, LaGard is more reliable.

[sigstroker]

I saw that too. The lock was modified to make that possible. Watch the video posted a couple posts up and you'll see.

You're saying all the safes he opens as part of his business had the locks modified to make it easier?

[JDay]

You're saying all the safes he opens as part of his business had the locks modified to make it easier?

No. I'm saying that in that video the locks were modified for the competition/demonstration. If you notice he's not feeling the lock, he's feeling the added items. Modern dial locks have no contact with the tumblers while the dial is moving. Locks that you "feel" the tumblers are actually simulating the feel to make you think that you're feeling the tumblers. This is done to trick you into wasting time on an outdated attack.

[StefanJanowski]

Sounds like your fishing. Living in the Bay Area you should know about googling, yellow pages, or asking SiRi. It cannot be that hard to find a local locksmith, may even be faster or more convenient than asking the Calguns population.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shinbone1]

I'm planning to stay with a mechanical lock. The Lagard is the brand that failed so I was inclined to go with a different brand. The locksmith that is coming next week told me that S&G is a better brand. It is also what the military, or at least the navy, used. I have a couple old safes, one of them off of a decommissioned carrier, they both have S&G locks. I have tried searching for any information on the top rated locks but have come up short. Yes, I even used google. Short of just calling a bunch of dealers or smiths and asking for opinions, I'm open to input on this subject as well.

[71MUSTY]

FWIW when my electronic lock failed the locksmith came out, removed the bezel on the lock, drilled a hols, used a piece of rod to pop the servo and opened the safe. Whole process took about 30 minutes.

Then he added a new piece of plating inside the safe to cover the drilled hole and upgraded me to a better lock. That part took a bit longer.

That safe has worked flawlessly ever since.


It's the old Sentry manual safe I'm about to black powder. J/K I'll probably just cut the dial out with my cutoff saw.

[RTE]

This help

[RTE]

My brother had a safe at one of the clothing stores not open one day....He called and said the dial seems to work and the handle turns......IT wont open.

I told him IF the handle moves the bolts should retract and open.
Sounds like something came apart inside.....
After the locksmith got done cutting,hammering and drilling.
Look at this quality welding job

Probably could have laid the safe on the right side and the bolts would have opened up. (BUT who knew)

After some quality welding and grinding and splash of paint, I now have a new to me ammo box.

[JDay]

This help[emoji14]

That's a terrible safe.

[RTE]

That's a terrible safe.

No argument there and it was something around $1000 delivered 15 years ago.
I'm sure it had a sticker on it Made In USA.
(I keep forgetting who made it)
Next time I see the guy that has it Ill ask the brand.

It seemed to work ok for a safe, but had a squeak one day and we pulled the back off the door.....The rest of the safe looks nicely made (with a S&G dial)

[dozer wright]

Eh, when ATF search warranted my house, one safe would not open. I had been warned not to spin the dials but I guess I did and the damn thing was not working.

They called a locksmith who drilled it out, did it very nicely and the new lock I had to buy covered up any evidence of the prior drill work. The cost was not too much.

Story behind this ?????

[shinbone1]

Ok so, Eric Swanson of Swanson and Sons safe and lock came over on Tuesday. It took him about an hour and a half or so to get into my safe. He had to drill and bore scope it. Another 30 min to install a new lock. The safe looks like it was never touched. It seems that the bolt on the original lock was bumping the cam inside due to a small amount of play. This small but constant impact is thought to have caused the post that the fence (the small hook thing inside the lock) rotates on to eventually snap. The spring that provides the downward pressure on the fence is anchored on this post. This had the effect of not letting it drop into the discs and pull the bolt back. I'm still hopeful that the safe maker will cover this considerable expense. Eric was great. Very proficient, nice guy. I'd recommend him for any job of this nature in the Sacramento area. His price was better than anyone else I called.

[sigstroker]

What was that price?