Gun Safe Electronic KeyPad Lock Failure.

[Bawanna]

I'm with Army, my combination safe has never failed in at least that long maybe longer. The digital key pad is faster and I can even do it without my reading glasses which is handy.
I figure I'll put the stuff I might need fast in there, like my AR. My daily social weapons never go in the safe, so if it mess's up, no urgent crisis.

I did hear someone say that you could put in a new keypad and just use your old combination and it would open.

Think that was in this thread in fact, I don't have that long a memory. Had to be recent.

[Ikeo74]

I have a similar safe with an electronic key pad. Same battery is in it for 7 years. It works great, but I saw a video on utube where they said it is better to change your combination once in a while because if you use the same one and open it often, you can wear out the number pads. Changing the combo to a different set of numbers makes the key pad last much longer. This is probably what happened to the original posters safe because he never changed the combination.

Now I am thinking I better change my combination because it is still the original. However I don't open it more that 2 or 3 times a week so it is probably good, but I will make the change anyway for safety reasons. I don't want to spend several hundred dollars if I can avoid it.

[kenemoore]

For the record, the keypad combination is stored in the lock, not the keypad.
When I replaced the keypad, I had to use my old combo to open it. Not the factory default. The little paper pad that came with it, explicitly stated you had to use the old combo. So swapping the keypad would not help a thief.

I usually open my safe twice a week. Once on Saturday, before range time, and again on Sunday, when I put everything back. Changing the keypad combo, might help if you only had one combo, but that's one of the great things about electronic locks. I have one combo, and my wife has another. We each picked our own, so we could remember them easier.

[Bawanna]

Didn't know you could have two combinations. I better read the papers again. I didn't see anything about that.

[kenemoore]

Mine has a "managers" combo, and a "user" combo.

[wyntrout]

Dang! I have a Winchester safe, too. I've had to change the battery once since 2012. Remember my adding a stainless steel doggy bowl to cover the electronic lock against EMP?

I would rather have had a mechanical combination lock, but I got my safe at Costco for about $300... just needed something for my pistols then, but now my 3-rifle lockable rack is too small. I don't have that many long guns, but will have to priortize which ones get locked up. The pellet rifle and the old .22 pump will have to take their chances.

That's a very helpful post about replacing the keypad! I'll certainly keep that in mind if I have any troubles.

[340pd]

I have an 25 year old American Securities with a mechanical lock which has never been anything but perfect. This safe is opened and closed at least four times per day.<br>
A lower cost one with a electronic lock that twists off and can be opened with a special key. I put no trust is this and it is used for airguns and paperwork.<br><br>If I were to do it all over again I would to straight to Liberty products.&nbsp; There construction and guarantee are unbeatable.