Help needed to understand old Diebold

[amo]

My friend has an old Diebold safe. He lost the combination. It's like the one in the picture linked to below. He thinks it had a three number combination -- or was it three numbers and then it stops at 78? He isn't sure.

It has a handle separate from the dial. Does that suggest that it doesn't have a spring pulling the lever in? Does the dial stop turning when the combination is entered and then you pull the handle?

If anyone could help me and/or point me to information about this sort of lock I would appreciate it very much.

Amo

(https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=9 ... ACGAIgAigC)

[MartinHewitt]

Hi Amo,
The safe in the photo has a lock with three wheels and a spring loaded lever. The dial stops at its own when open. Often "the safe looks like this" does only show a similar safe because details are often not perceived to be as important as they are. So yours might be different.

[amo]

Thank you, Martin.

That's good to know. I was afraid I might get the combination right but not realize it. I'm glad to know the dial would stop. Then, I presume, I'd have to work the handle.
Any guess about how old it might be? It looks very much like the one in the picture. The dial is above the handle like on that model. If it is the same is there any risk in drilling it, like glass or poison gas?
John

[MartinHewitt]

The one on the photo looks like post-WWII. "looks very much like" sound to me very much like "different".

We are not into drilling here. See rule 19 D. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=715#p498242 Sorry.

[amo]

My friend's safe is 1000 miles away from where I am so I'm relying on my memory of what it was like. I've asked him to send a picture of it and a close up of the lock.

His is very similar, at least, to the linked picture. The orientation of the lock and the handle is the same.

I presume, because it has that handle, that, unlike my S and G 6730, turning the dial does not retract the bolt. Instead the dial stops and then you turn the handle. Is that correct?

Does the dial stop at the third number in the combination or does it stop somewhere else after you dial the combination?

[MartinHewitt]

In that safe the lock has a bolt and the safe door has bolts. The dial will retract the lock's bolt and the handle the safe's bolts.

In a lock like the 6730 with three wheels, a drive cam and a spring loaded lever the dialing sequence is 4L-3R-2L which positions the three code wheels. The a turn to the right turns only the drive cam, positions the gate of it under the lever nose where the lever can fall (if the code was correct) and then turning the dial more will grab the lever which is attached to the lock's bolt and pull it in.

This lock is set to all wheels with the same number, but you can see nicely how right turn pulls in the lock's bolt. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lfT2OS3BmqY

[amo]

Ah, thank you very much, Martin, for enlightening me!