Marshal Fire, SASS 10064 Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I bought a "Safari" brand safe 4.5 years ago. This safe is made by the Cannon safe company. Unit has an electronic lock that has functioned without problems in the past. This morning tried to open it and got a low battery signal. Funny I replaced batteries with new Duracells about 6 months ago. They provide an external battery device so I can supply current to the lock from the exterior of the safe to open when the batteries are dead. Tried this and the safe still did not open. Got out the instructions and called customer service ( Cannon Safe) They said too bad sucks to be you (not their words, mine). They no longer have parts for this safe and they do not stock the override key. He said that is is the only safe that they no longer have parts or service for. He said to call a lock smith and have he cut the safe open. I registered the safe when I purchased it. They said that the key was not sent with the safe and was a special order as needed and that as long as I have the external battery supply I should be set. Learned some lessons, 1. Stick with a good dial lock as they are less prone to failure and wear 2. When Cannon drops a safe they do not notice owners 3. It is expensive to have a lock smith open a safe that has failed 4. Never had issues with my older safe made by other companies ( they have dial locks) 5. Replacement safe will not be a cannon just my experience and thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I have a Cannon safe with a dial combo. I've always ben a little leery of the electronic locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennessee Trapper Tom Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I also have a Cannon safe with electronic locks. Found out the hard way that Durecel batteries tend to corrod the wires. Switched to everready. Even though it solved my problem, the damage is done and I have to now change batteries every two weeks. Samething happened to my thermostat for the house. Durecell corroded the wires. Cost me $165 to replace. It came with durecel, switched immediately to everready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Barrel, SASS 34765 Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Marshal, Have you gotten your safe open yet? DB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 My brother had the same problem, and couldn't find the override key. I have dials on my safes, they always work and never go dead. What is the advantage of an electronic lock anyway, faster access? I'm not in that much of a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czexican Dave Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 My first gun safe was a Liberty Fat Boy with an electronic lock. Went to retrieve guns for a CAS monthly match, but it would not open. Tried a new and a different brand of battery, but no luck. Called Liberty and they said to call a specific independent lock/safesmith in my general area, and don't worry, they would pay for his services. Took him about 2 1/2 hours to drill and open the safe. I inquired, and he said his bill private pay would have been about $400. He also said electronic locks fail on an average of 5 years, and warranty work on them helped keep him in business. He also said a dial lock might last 100 years. Part of his business is replacing new mechanical dial locks at customer request with more modern electronic locks, so he had a few with him and he installed one of those. That gun safe takes me less than one minute extra to open, and has been operating flawlessly since. My second Liberty Fat Boy has an electronic lock, simply because I haven't called him to take off the electronic and install a dial lock. Based on my experience, Liberty does seem to have a good warranty. I also have a 100 year old floor safe that belonged to my wife's grandfather. That dial lock still works fine. When I finish my walk in vault, it's going to have a dial lock. Your mileage may vary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Howdy, I was having problems with digital cameras. The battery was always dead. So one day I stopped and bought a battery tester. It isn't much advantage to replace a battery with a half charge battery. They all look the same. I have found batteries corroded IN THE WRAPPER. Duracell DID replace my lectrical earmuffs. GET A TESTER. Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
July Smith Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I learned my lesson about electronic locks on a cheap Stack-on safe. That electronic lock was terrible, it was actually quicker to just always use the override key. My current safe is a BF Amsec with a group II combination lock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coyote Kincaid Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I have three Cannon safes. First one is a dial and when you bring it back to 0 you have to hit it to get everything to fall into place. Second one is digital and haven't had a lick of problems. My third one is digital and it kept draining the battery and locking me out after only owning it for a week. Like you, I couldn't get my ammo out for a match the next day. Sent an email to the President of Cannon and I got a phone call within an hour from a service rep. Got my safe open and sent me a new lock. Haven't had any problems since and that was last year I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog McCoy SASS #5672 Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 My Cannon I bought last year has been doing strange things recently. I was sitting in my Man-Cave and I heard it unlock itself with nobody around. The last couple of times I tried to open it, had to enter the code 4 or 5 times and it seemed it I entered it fast, it would work but not if I entered it slow. I guess I had best call them before I get locked out. Maddog McCoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Big Box Residential security containers cut expenses by using cheap parts The lock is one of the easiest places to cut corners that is hard for the purchaser to notice. If it has an electronic lock that is not at least UL group II certified it is not worth having. Even then the rating only covers its resistance to compromise not reliability. IMHO when it comes to electronic locks you are operating on borrowed time. I still don't understand the purpose of a combination lock that can be bypassed with a key. Mechanical locks should have the same UL Group II rating at a minimum. S&G dial locks have an excellent reputation. Look at your lock and google the manufacturer. If they are less than 100% reputable have it replaced ASAP while it still works. Dial locks can outlast you but they need a little TLC to do so. So avoid rapidly spinning the dial. This places excessive strain on the mechanics of the lock and can lead to premature failure. The dial should always be turned in a slow and deliberate manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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