eric343 wrote:Most if not all safe locks in the US use the same mounting footprint, so you can easily swap out locks without having to drill or tap anything.
The drilling and tapping mentioned earlier in this thread was for the keypad for a redundant electo/mechanical lock. The mechanical portion would use the case, spindle and dial holes as you describe, but the keypad wiring has to get out somewhere, and you have to stick the keypad to the outside of the door somehow.
One cool possibility I'd forgotten about earlier is the LaGard keypad/bolt handle mechanisms:
http://lagard.com/pages/index.asp?actio ... oduct&id=1http://lagard.com/pages/index.asp?actio ... oduct&id=2Generally speaking though, locks are interchangable between the major manufacturers without any difficulty.
External relockers that attach to the lock case may present a minor challenge.
eric343 wrote:for the record, many electronic locks these days have a dial you turn to power the lock -- no batteries needed.
Many?
The X-09 certainly works this way (as did it's obsolete predecessors).
But I think the reason it works this way has more to do with FF-L-2740A Federal Specification for Combination Locks which says:
"All energy required to retract or extend the lock bolt shall be derived from mechanical operation of the lock dial by the operator."
I don't think it was done for user convenience. Building in the mechanical parts for a generator and the electronic storage parts, then making it as reliable as necessary is way more expensive than 10 buttons and a battery box. Hence the reason these locks cost over $1000! (according to my cursory googling)
A quick glance through a recent MBA catalog shows that
every electronic lock from S&G, LaGard, GlobaLoks and Amsec require batteries.
/foo
