I Can't Believe I Got This Home (Sort Of)

[djed]

Responded to a Craigslist ad for an old safe. The combination was lost but I wanted a new project. Well, the safe is heavier than I thought so I couldn't even use my come-along to pull the safe up my ramp into my truck. Not being one to give up, I realized the safe has wheels. That and the safe was located about a mile from a family friend's house.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

https://imgur.com/ulABLoC
https://imgur.com/x2oBq21

And in the garage.

https://imgur.com/aPIEuxP

I'm guessing it's a fireproof safe. The dial says model 3016 and the serial number is F11266

The "seller" doesn't think the tenant that lost the combination left anything inside but of course can't be sure. I sincerely doubt anything is in the safe.

Now I've got to figure out my next steps.

[averagejoe]

According to my info a Major 3016 is 38 1/2" tall, 25 3/4" wide, and 23" deep. Weight is ~1000 lbs

Body is sheet metal with fireproof insulation and was made in the early 80s roughly.

It should have a S&G 6730 combination lock on it.

[djed]

AverageJoe,

The dimensions you quoted are spot on, although I am surprised by the weight. I would have guessed closer to 600 lbs.

Knocking on the door produces more of a hollow sound than a solid thud you would expect if you were tapping solid steel. Thus, I believe you are correct about sheet metal filled with ??

The dial has some weird punch marks on it. There is a distinct click each time I turn the dial and pass 80 on the opening index. I'm guessing the click is the nose of the lever contacting the opening section of the drive cam. Does this "symptom" of clicking at 80 mean something? For example, does that mean the last of the three numbers is close to 90 (10 numbers before the point which would pull the bolt open)?

I hope to someday see the S&G 6730 lock you mentioned.

I've attached a few more pictures.

https://imgur.com/MEKd5A1
https://imgur.com/54hmmDJ
https://imgur.com/6tQ4n3E
https://imgur.com/9FRrUCB

The last picture shows what I presume is an alarm wire.

[Squelchtone]

The marks on the dial suggest someone used a dial puller to remove the dial so they could drill the safe in order to scope the combination during a past lock out. 80 might just be your drop in, it is doubtful that it is any of the numbers of the combination based on a click in that area.

That wire is probably the power cable for a plug in dehumidifier rod.

It's always worth dialing some common factory combinations, try 50-25-50, 25-50-75, 50-50-50, 25-50-25, 10-20-30, 91-71-14 (safe's serial number), etc.

The way you got it home is priceless, that's the kind of thing I would come up with!

Squelchtone

[Devhad]

Must have been around shift change for the local PD. That's awesome.

[averagejoe]

Well, the walls are 2 1/2" thick with mostly what ever they used for a fire retardant filler and my file says about 1000 lbs so that is what I went with.

The actual thickness of the door is 0.4"

The 6730 is the bog standard 3 wheel safe lock. There are a lot of posts here with them. Gwiens2001 posted a few threads recently using this lock with a ton of pictures.

[bitbuster]

80 is not the drop-in point on a RH 6730.

[GWiens2001]

Have the same safe at home, except mine is taller. My safe was somewhere in the 800-1000 pound weight range. (My bathroom scale does not go that high, so more of a guess).

The drop in for my lock was at 80 as well, but the spindle was splined at the wrong location. Had to shim the dial to correct it since turned one direction to line up RH would have the dial very loose and flopping, and the other direction to RH made the dial too hard to turn properly. Could have removed the lock body and shimmed out the lock body, but it was easier to do the dial.

Gordon

[Squelchtone]

Have the same safe at home, except mine is taller. My safe was somewhere in the 800-1000 pound weight range. (My bathroom scale does not go that high, so more of a guess).

The drop in for my lock was at 80 as well, but the spindle was splined at the wrong location. Had to shim the dial to correct it since turned one direction to line up RH would have the dial very loose and flopping, and the other direction to RH made the dial too hard to turn properly. Could have removed the lock body and shimmed out the lock body, but it was easier to do the dial.

Gordon

So when I say drop in, I probably should be saying contact area, or one of the contact points, right? bitbuster said the drop in isnt at 80, but doesn't that number change depending on LH, RH, VU, and VD lock case mounting?

*I'm PMing djed with some opening options.

Squelchtone

[femurat]

Squelchy, in case your question wasn't rhetorical, yes, it does change if the lock orientation and cam position aren't correct.

djed, great find, congrats for your new toy

Cheers

[bitbuster]

drop-in does change for each mounting position of the 6730 but 80 is not the drop-in for any mounting position the 6730 is put in. RH_LH_VU_VD.

[Squelchtone]

drop-in does change for each mounting position of the 6730 but 80 is not the drop-in for any mounting position the 6730 is put in. RH_LH_VU_VD.

Thank you, my next question was going to be what are those numbers.. cant wait to get home and do some tests =)

wonder what the "click" at 80 might be...

[djed]

I tried all the above referenced combinations as well as a few others. No success. Now that it's morning, I spun the dial again and the "drop in" or "click" as I call it is closer to 78. If this dial was previously pulled (which someone suggested it may have been due to the punch marks on the dial), I wonder if the spindle was inserted in the wrong position. I of course could be saying something that makes no sense but I thought the location of the drop in is dependent on where the spline in the spindle is relative to the dial.

Another dumb question, did the company that ended up with the Major Safe Company keep the old factory combinations? I'll do some research on my end and post if I have an update.

[bitbuster]

the compamy would not have kept the combo and yes, if an RH 6730 were incorrectly splined, then the DI could possibly be something other than the correct DI.

[Squelchtone]

I tried all the above referenced combinations as well as a few others. No success. Now that it's morning, I spun the dial again and the "drop in" or "click" as I call it is closer to 78. If this dial was previously pulled (which someone suggested it may have been due to the punch marks on the dial), I wonder if the spindle was inserted in the wrong position. I of course could be saying something that makes no sense but I thought the location of the drop in is dependent on where the spline in the spindle is relative to the dial.

Another dumb question, did the company that ended up with the Major Safe Company keep the old factory combinations? I'll do some research on my end and post if I have an update.

it just hit me.. when they pressed the dial back onto the spindle, they didnt put it on where it was originally, so it is off by a few numbers now.. dialing the test combinations might not work either if that's the case.

anyone following my logic? does what Im saying make sense?

Squelchtone