# Breaking Into A Gun Safe?



## silentcrow

There is a long story behind some of this, but I'm gonna try to keep it short. I have 3 guns in a gunsafe that I no longer have a combination for. Not that it would do any good...Something is wrong with the tumblers so it wouldn't open. I tried to get a locksmith, but they won't do it cause I can't prove I own it. Well it was my grandfathers and he passed away! I have no paperwork on this thing and want my guns out of it!

Any ideas or suggestions on how to get this thing open? It's a small Browning (I believe). I contacted the company, but they were of no help at all, except to tell me the tumblers have a tendency to go bad! :help:


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## DocM

A gunsafe in your own home, and a locksmith won't open it? Call another locksmith. There's nothing on either of my gunsafes that would identify me as the owner, but considering they're bolted into the closet of a house I own, I'd assume that proves ownership....


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## silentcrow

Mine is in a storage unit. The thing weighs a ton, takes at least 3 people to move safely and there is no way I can get it up the stairs into the house! I had thought of having it torched open, but there is too much risk to the guns.


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## Bearfootfarm

If you cant get a locksmith you could probably use a metal cuttiing blade. It will be easiest to go in through the back

You can also rent motorized handtrucks that will "walk" a safe up a set of steps. Then you use teflon covered slides to move it inside, or you could use dollies, but they are rougher on your floors

My safe weighs 1100 lbs empty
A torch would be a waste of effort
Good luck!


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## ovendoctor

there is a way to open the safe[I cant post it on line]

my mentor Mr H was dealing with cancer and the treatments

he always sad that you have to be careful with the tumbelers [it was an old bank safe like ya se in the movies]

he got furstrated with the safe and took a ballpean hammer to it :baby04: 

he was trying to get 80,000.00 dollars of bonds out of it

we used several tools [including torches] to open it

got it open,NO BONDS

figured out Mr H had taken them out and set them on the hood of the 64 oldsmoble with a dust cover on it witch was parked in front of the safe in the shop,they were under some shop rags :shrug:


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## triana1326

silentcrow said:


> Mine is in a storage unit. The thing weighs a ton, takes at least 3 people to move safely and there is no way I can get it up the stairs into the house! I had thought of having it torched open, but there is too much risk to the guns.


I guess that would rule out dynamite or C4... :dance:


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## wogglebug

I'd ask the local police for advice and possibly a referral. No need to tell them you got anything more than a dinky .22 out of it when it was opened.


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## tallpines

We needed to break into our safe several years back when the tumblers went bad.

We needed to Knock off the "dial" with a chisel.

Drill a hole just along side the center.

Started with a small drill and kept enlarging it until the hole was about 1/2 to 3/4 in diameter.

And then----????????

Seems to me we were able to turn the tumblers with a pick until the thing opened up.

And the safe company replaced the door of the safe for us --- free of charge.


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## silentcrow

I'll start calling around and see what other locksmiths say. I'm not worried about someone saying the guns aren't mine, they are. A .22 mag registered in my name and a .22 single shot and 30 30 registered in my dads name. If nothing else, I guess I could try what Tallpines did.


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## pheasantplucker

Tell the locksmiths what they will find when they open it. That should prove ownership. If not, get a label maker, and make a label of your name and stick it on the safe. Proof!


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## Bearfootfarm

Browning safes are designed so if you knock the dial off , the entire lock mechanism drops down behind a larger plate of steel.

Try HARD to find a locksmith


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## Ed Norman

The better ones also have a glass rod and if you break it while tampering with things, it allows bolts to drop and pretty much lock it up for good. 

Good luck. 

Mythbusters filled one with water from a hole in the top, then blew it apart with explosives and hydraulic pressure. That shouldn't hurt the guns. It would be rough on the optics, though, along with any papers inside.


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## silentcrow

Exploding it wouldn't be a good idea...I think there is a full box of .22 mags in there.


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## crafty2002

If you don't care about the safe, get a skill saw with a carbon tooth metal cutting blade, lay it on the front and cut it from the back. 
Make sure you wear goggles and a face shield, and also good clothes and gloves because there will be some red hot sparks flying. I am a welder and those sparks burn me enough I have to stop and to rub them off. 
Just ease the blade down into the metal and cut really really really slow or you will bust the teeth of in a heart beat. But if you take it slow you can cut open a large hole int the back of it. 
It will be more than than one layer thick but just cut one layer at a time. And one the last layer, might be two ir three keep the blade set low.
Dennis


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## agmantoo

I had a true safe opened, much harder to open than a gun safe. The locksmith drilled a hole at a specific location about 3 inches off center from the dial. This hole was rather small (~3/8 inch) and he then took a pick and aligned the disc that rotate when using the combination. Once he had all the disc aligned all he had to do was to use the handle as per normal to open the door. Afterward he welded the hole shut, ground the weld smooth and applied a new plate with the numbers, reset the combination and stated he needed $235. Knowing where to drill the hole is the solution. The safe manufacturer will share that info with certified locksmiths only. PS.....I took the safe to the locksmith. Possession was all the proof he needed to open it.


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## scorpian5

first drill a hole big enough to get a small hose in the safe and take a small garden sprayer fill it with water, moisten inside of safe. Take plasma cutter make hole. Surre the guns will get wet


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## alabamared

Metabo. That's all ya need.


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## CSA again

Gun safes are so easy to get into ...just flop it over on its door , to expose the back , then use a grinder to cut a hole in the much thinner back plate of steel. A skill saw with a metel cutting blade works good too but dont use the carbide teeth ones , use the metel cutting blades that look like grinder blades. just ask for them at home depo or lowes. My father in law has a concret saw it will split one open in 2 min .
Just don't try this with my safe cause I have 10 lbs of 2F black powder rapped with 100' of cannon fuse in there!!!! hee hee


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## silentcrow

CSA again said:


> Gun safes are so easy to get into ...just flop it over on its door , to expose the back , then use a grinder to cut a hole in the much thinner back plate of steel. A skill saw with a metel cutting blade works good too but dont use the carbide teeth ones , use the metel cutting blades that look like grinder blades. just ask for them at home depo or lowes. My father in law has a concret saw it will split one open in 2 min .
> Just don't try this with my safe cause I have 10 lbs of 2F black powder rapped with 100' of cannon fuse in there!!!! hee hee


I knew the top and bottom may be thinner, since they had bolt holes. Didn't know the back was also thin. Now if I can just find someone with a saw.....


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## Keeys

I am a locksmith, I need to see the front of the safe to give any ideas that might work.
and a guess how old it is, some of the safe have glass relockers if you drill into it breaks the glass set off the relockers, all safe have case relockers so don't drive the spindle into the lock case. post a picture I will see if I can help you.


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## silentcrow

I'll try to get a pic of it...it's in a storage unit. What I know is that it's a Browning, guessing at least 10 years old. It doesn't have the "wheel" type handle, just a plain straight one that lifts/drops. I tried running a search to see if I could find a pic, but no dice.


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## Keeys

No wheel is good, simple bolts guessing the handle is below the dial.
If that is the case the lock body would be pointing down.
do you want to try to save the safe or just get it open is the next question.


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## js2743

i have one and the papers that came with it said to drop the middle number by 1 and it should open when they get out of whack so if you know the combo try that


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## zant

Wrap a short section of det cord around lock(after taping in place)and clack it off...Most personal problems can be cured with the proper application of explosives..


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## silentcrow

Not worried about saving the safe, just the guns. I don't have the combo anymore...It was lost when I put everything in storage. I'm not positive, but I think the handle was to the side of the combo dial.


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## Keeys

PM me your email address the rest of the info does not need to be seen by everyone, 
security issues I don't think browning would like for me to make public how to open their safes.


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## Marie Annette Denman

I have a Browning safe that was my brothers, sister-in-law can't remember the combination it's a Browning gun safe. I don't want the safe to be ruined can you help us


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## RonM

Get the serial ## on the safe and call the company..


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## Marie Annette Denman

Already did that. Got the police to say that it was his gun safe. Called some locksmith can't seem to help us.


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## Seth

Sides are 10ga metal. Chisel a hole in the side and use a pair of pliers to peel it open. Seth


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