Ridgeline safe won?t open..

[Tinelement]

Just went down to open my safe and the mechanical lock dial just spins. Can?t feel it doing anything inside. Picked it up from our boy opie about 8 yrs ago, but I think he?s moved away. Couldn?t find ridgeline online either, they fold up?
Any suggestions. Thanks!

[Grant H.]

Yes, Ridgeline did fold.

Opie has moved away but I would message him and ask for a recommendation in the area. Last I knew, he still had contacts with folks in the area that would be a good resource.

[Tinelement]

Thanks man. I shot Opie11 a message, but doesn’t look like he’s been on in a while.
Any suggestions on a safe dude would be helpful.

[SideShow Bob]

Have you tried spinning the dial at least 5 complete rotations in either direction, then 3 rotations counterclockwise (anti clockwise for you Brits) Then stop on your first number then work your combination routine according to your manufacturers instructions.

[Tinelement]

Have you tried spinning the dial at least 5 complete rotations counterclockwise (anti clockwise for you Brits). Then try working your combination routine according to your manufacturers instructions.

Yes sir. I’ve spun it every way possible. Can’t feel anything engaging inside, like it’s in neutral free spinning.
Have all the paper work and the factory combination doesn’t work either.

[BushMasterBoy]

Canvassing a locksmith in your area is an option.

[SideShow Bob]

Harbor Freight has plug in saws alls, metal cutting blades and large pry bars on sale.
If the dial is free spinning, it is most likely disconnected from the internal mechanisms and cutting/prying is the only option.
Invite a few friends over, get a couple cases of beer and send the woman out for a few hours.

There are multiple you tube videos of breaking into cheap gun safes.

[Tinelement]

Harbor Freight has plug in saws alls, metal cutting blades and large pry bars on sale.
If the dial is free spinning, it is most likely disconnected from the internal mechanisms and cutting/prying is the only option.
Invite a few friends over, get a couple cases of beer and send the woman out for a few hours.

I have plenty of options for cutting metal.
I’ll call around to some locksmiths before I go that route.

[JohnnyEgo]

I doubt this is helpful, but I can tell you from first hand experience that if a Liberty safe goes over the second floor balcony railing, it will crack wide open.

[Great-Kazoo]

Try holding the "wheel" putting pressure on it as you spin the dial. I have to do that to my safe, occasionally. IF you get it open, remove the backing cover and relube the moving parts, especially the tumblers. You might find the nut holding them has come loose.

[Tinelement]

Thanks Jim. I’ve tried pressure out on the dial, pressure in on the dial. Wiggling the locking wheel while working the dial. Tapping on and around the dial. Prying around the door with a pry bar while spinning the dial. And combinations of all of the above. Have a locksmith I’ve used before I’ll call when they open. Says they do safes on his website.

[mb504]

Sounds like a good reason to buy more tools!

[Tinelement]

Sent all the info to a locksmith I’ve used in the past. Hopefully coming out Monday. Guess I’m not shooting this weekend! Can’t make any purchases either since the gun funds are in there also. [ROFL1][facepalm]

[earplug]

Cut now shoot this weekend.

[Ripper]

Arapahoe County Security Center, Inc. in Aurora are great and they carry a ton of new and used safes

[kidicarus13]

Something for the rest of us to keep in mind if you store all of your firearms in one locked basket.

Tin- Glad it didn't happen when you needed a firearm after hearing a bump in the night. Also, a credit card will let you obtain now, pay off with the funds in your safe after it gets opened.

[ray1970]

Probably not worth fixing. I?ll offer you $500 for it as it sits.

[Tinelement]

I’ve got my edc and that’s with me at night. So not totally disarmed.
I have really wanted to tare into it, but would rather have a locksmith give it an assessment. They may have an idea on how to approach it a little more surgical. I’m sure it will end up as a steel closet instead of a safe in the end.
I have a personal rule that firearms are not bought unless I can use cash. Keeps the impulse purchases away, especially in this amazing economy we currently have.

[beast556]

Just curious what brand is the mechanical lock, s&g???

[Tinelement]

Probably not worth fixing. I?ll offer you $500 for it as it sits.
That would be a hell of an investment. [ROFL1]


Just curious what brand is the mechanical lock, s&g???

I don’t know. No markings on the dial and no info in the paperwork..

[BPTactical]

I picked up a Bighorn from a member here a long time ago that had been damaged in a burglary and drilled by a L’smith to open it.
The unlocking was done via a single 1/2” hole in the side of the safe.
I hope you have the same luck.
I backed up the hole with a strip of copper and MIG’d the hole closed. I used a bit of Testors model paint to blend it in.

[Tinelement]

Update:
I was totally amazed this morning. Locksmith got her open.
Pretty crazy watching him feel that dial out. He tried a few times but it wouldn’t unlock. He felt it out one more time and asked me to try the keypad code, and Click! It was a complete backwards sequence…
Now that she’s open we are going to upgrade and replace the lock.

[opie011]

Glad you got it open. A little crazy the redundant system worked backwards....havent seen/heard of that before.

[Sawin]

That's great news! Glad you got it solved!
Please be sure to share who the locksmith was in this thread if you recommend them. I may have a reason to want to speak with them later this year too. We'll see.

[ray1970]

Dang.

I guess my deal to buy a large metal box full of mystery firearms fell through.

Darn locksmith.

[Tinelement]

Guys were from Jimmie Lock and Key here in Broomfield. They had done some lock work for me at the shop a few yrs back. Good dudes!

https://www.jimmielockandkey.com/

[Tinelement]

Glad you got it open. A little crazy the redundant system worked backwards....havent seen/heard of that before.

Thanks for chatting with me over PM man! Appreciate it. [Beer]

[asystejs]

Now that it is open, who made the lock ?

[Tinelement]

Now that it is open, who made the lock ?

No info on the lock. Owner’s manual says it’s an LP (Loss Prevention)

[SideShow Bob]

What the heck ??? In your original post you were talking mechanical dail, now you are saying keypad ??? Does it have both ?
If so is the mechanical dial still FUBAR or was the lock smith able to fix it , and what did he find wrong ?

[BushMasterBoy]

Probably looks like this. FM running


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2eQud4tbqw

[3beansalad]

What the heck ??? In your original post you were talking mechanical dail, now you are saying keypad ??? Does it have both ?
If so is the mechanical dial still FUBAR or was the lock smith able to fix it , and what did he find wrong ?The late John Williams hooked me up with this Ridgeline. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230302/5efd8155e34a04b2cc2f85d460ddca70.jpg

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[Tinelement]

^^^^
Mine is the same dual dial/keypad as above..

[rondog]

Damn depressing that a safe can just say "fuck you" with no warning whenever it feels like it.....

[Clint45]

Drill a few holes in the side so you can get a Sawzall blade in there.

You will probably need 6 blades, a crowbar, 12 beers, and a large pizza for this job.

[kidicarus13]

Update:
I was totally amazed this morning. Locksmith got her open.
Pretty crazy watching him feel that dial out. He tried a few times but it wouldn?t unlock. He felt it out one more time and asked me to try the keypad code, and Click! It was a complete backwards sequence?
Now that she?s open we are going to upgrade and replace the lock.




Drill a few holes in the side so you can get a Sawzall blade in there.

You will probably need 6 blades, a crowbar, 12 beers, and a large pizza for this job.

[eddiememphis]

Drill a few holes in the side so you can get a Sawzall blade in there.

You will probably need 6 blades, a crowbar, 12 beers, and a large pizza for this job.

My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it!

[Tinelement]

Well Gents, that’s a wrap.
New lock is installed and everything is functional.
I don’t know what the moral of this story is, other than things made by humans break.
I did take the opportunity to take some photos with the inner door taken apart. Figure that gives me an idea of what’s going on in there if something should ever happen again.

No more threads like this one moving forward, that goes for everyone! [Beer]