Gun Safe! Electronic or Mechanical Lock?

[UserM4]

I wanted to buy a large safe but they didn't really recommend electronic locks and said that 99% of their warranty is from the electronic locks. They said it's not common but when they get a call, it's almost always from the electronics. But the convenience is just so nice! It's gonna feel like high school all over again, at the lockers, opening my padlock 5 or 6 times a day. UGH!!

[Ishooter]

Thanks for all of your responses, gents. It seems like most of you have a heart for the electronic lock. What if the key pad gets burned and you'll need to access it right away? It'll take a few days for the safe maker to ship you something. Is there a solution for this? This worries me the most.

Anything can happen in CA. We're waiting for a big one "Earthquake". The safe for me isn't just a gun safe, but it's part of my disaster prevention plan. Food & water storage..etc you name it..Of course, I don't store food or water in the safe. But who knows, eh?

[Cokebottle]

I like them both. For quick access electronic is the way to go.

Mega ditto.

For the primary home defense weapons, if you can't (or won't) leave the safe unlocked when you are home, then digital (or key-only) is the way to go. When SHTF and someone is coming through the door/window, you don't have time to futz with a mechanical lock... you're going to be half asleep, shaking like an 8.0, and will have ZERO fine motor skills.
You're going to be doing good to key in a digital combo... futzing with a mechanical safe, you're going to be dead by the time you get to the 3rd number.

For the majority of the collection and the safe queens? By all means... the biggest, baddest mechanical safe you can afford.

Personally, when I'm home, the safe is unlocked and the door cracked open (and it's a digital). When I'm not home, it's locked... but we don't have any kids left at home and nobody else comes into our home.

[Cokebottle]

Thanks for all of your responses, gents. It seems like most of you have a heart for the electronic lock. What if the key pad gets burned and you'll need to access it right away? It'll take a few days for the safe maker to ship you something. Is there a solution for this? This worries me the most.

Anything can happen in CA. We're waiting for a big one "Earthquake". The safe for me isn't just a gun safe, but it's part of my disaster prevention plan. Food & water storage..etc you name it..Of course, I don't store food or water in the safe. But who knows, eh?

Multiple safes.

One dedicated to personal documents. A safe deposit box is perhaps the best place for these, but access can be very inconvenient, especially for documents that you need semi-regular access to such as 03FFL, COE, and for some, passports. Social Security cards also don't belong in your wallet unless you are job hunting.
I also keep my gun receipts and my copies of the DROS in there.
The personal document safe doesn't need to be big, and you don't need to have quick access.... go mechanical, with the best fire rating you can afford, and of course, bolt it down.

Handgun safe for the home defense weapons... I use a Turner's $80 special... the ADG "Secure Vault" Medium.
It's cheap, it's electronic, and if the lock is damaged, I can pry it open pretty easily... WTH, it's only $80.
Yes, so can a burglar, but face it... locks only keep honest people out.

[n556]

He's completely correct.... a tumbler became misaligned on my safe which caused a number to change a few digits. So really mechanical safes are not always going to work like someone else mentioned, compared to an electronic safe.

I've had both. Mechanical is slow and the tumblers can become "misaligned" if you spin the lock quickly ( I was not ham handed in my opinion). That causes the combo to change by one to several digits. Not fun trying to figure out.

I have electronic now, changed to them. As long as you change your batteries you'll be fine.

[RUM]

I currently have both, but I have read there is some concern if an electronic will still work after an EMP blast. Right when you would need access to your stuff.

[JDay]

Electronic is the way to go, at least for me it is. Electronics usually come with a key in case battery runs out or it breaks on you like you mention. Should use standard batteries that you can buy at the store. Don't worry, you'll like it. Your probably going to keep on opening and closing it because of the buttons.

You want a mechanical lock due to Murphy's Law.

Everything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment.

You don't have to worry about the batteries on your combination dial dying on you.

[JDay]

I can't say which I prefer either. I like the simplicity of the dial but the speed and changeability of the electronic one.

Mechanical operated safes come with instructions on how to change your combination. The quality ones anyway.

[esskay]

Mechanical operated safes come with instructions on how to change your combination. The quality ones anyway.

I bought a safe from a locksmith who gave me a combo changing "key" and instructions for the dial lock... he said he assesses the customer first to decide whether to do this -- too many clueless customers who kept screwing it up and locking themselves out! LOL

[JDay]

I bought a safe from a locksmith who gave me a combo changing "key" and instructions for the dial lock... he said he assesses the customer first to decide whether to do this -- too many clueless customers who kept screwing it up and locking themselves out! LOL

Why wouldn't he want that to happen, its good for business.

[Mike's Custom]

Look, the electronic S&G locks are all inside except for the keypad and battery. even if the ace is burned off the plug is inside the safe. YOu remove the old face, pull hte wire out and plug in the new safe. The Liberty dealers or safe guys can use any face they have in stock and it only takes a minute to remove one from an existing safe and plug into the damaged one and your PIN is still good. The memory is all inside the fire-proof safe.

[esskay]

Why wouldn't he want that to happen, its good for business.

LOL, he was a really nice straightforward guy, guess he's not thinking like a capitalist!

[johnrunner89]

I prefer a mechanical lock on my big safe, but have a small electronic safe for the small pistol safe.

[WileyWilly]

My safe has an electronic keypad with a mechanical key backup. I didn't think too much about it when I bought it, but I have decided since then that it's the best compromise.
WW

[Ishooter]

Look, the electronic S&G locks are all inside except for the keypad and battery. even if the ace is burned off the plug is inside the safe. YOu remove the old face, pull hte wire out and plug in the new safe. The Liberty dealers or safe guys can use any face they have in stock and it only takes a minute to remove one from an existing safe and plug into the damaged one and your PIN is still good. The memory is all inside the fire-proof safe.

I'm thinking that I may need to buy a secondary key pad and build a little fire resistance stainless steel box for it, so I can plug it in right away. I can make 1 and ceramic coat it