M.G.Dyke & Sons Pioneer

[MrMeshie]

Good Morning all,

I own this safe as pictured below. I'm not sure how old it is.

I bought it second hand from a business about 10 years ago in South Australia.

When I purchased the safe it came with two keys and I was told I didn't need to use the combination lock. I've been using it all this time however recently the thing wont open. The only thing i can put it down to is one of the grand kids moving the combination dial which has caused it to lock up. When both the keys are unlocked the handle moves only a fraction and sounds like it is making contact with something.

Anyway, I live in regional South Australia and I imagine the cost of a locksmith will be in the thousands to get someone here. Can anyone tell me anymore about the combination system used here? Or how old this safe is? I think i'll have to cut it open sadly.

Thanks,

[femurat]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have a very nice safe! It would be a shame to ruin it.

Have you further moved the dial after the lockout? If they moved it just a little, chances are that only the last number of the combination has been scrambled. A person competent in dialing a combination could be able to retrieve the other numbers by carefully rotating the dial and looking for the wheels being picked up. This can only be done once so I suggest you not to try it unless you know what you're doing. Once this operation has been completed successfully, you could retrieve all the numbers but one of the combination, and will be able to try all the possible numbers on the last one, opening the safe in less than ten minutes.
Of course if the dial was rotated two or three times, this trick doesn't work because all the wheels has been scrambled. But this is easy to notice since all the wheels will be picked up at the same number.

Another possibility is that the old owner got the combo reset before selling the safe. In this case you could get lucky by trying some default combos.

Good luck, and keep us updated

[stratmando]

Most here would hate to see it cut open, If Mine, would maybe try 2 small holes in the back, 1 For Camera, 1 for screwdriver. or a hole for your hand either through the back or bottom?
I'm sure has Femurat would have better advice, if his mentioned method doesn't work?

[Squelchtone]

Could you insert the keys and turn them to what you believe is the unlocked state and then turn the dial slowly clockwise while pressing the handle like you would if you were opening it any other time, turn the dial from where it is back to 0.

This is just an idea, I am not 100% sure what happened with your dial or if the kids did move it or not.

do you have any photos of the safe from when you first got it? could they tell you what the dial was set to?

[stratmando]

Personally I think Kids, Adults, People, Just like to Push Buttons, Turn Dials, Flip switches because they can and to see what they do. I am in the thinking it is Totally Scrambled by Now? Like to be Wrong on this.

[billdeserthills]

Personally I think Kids, Adults, People, Just like to Push Buttons, Turn Dials, Flip switches because they can and to see what they do. I am in the thinking it is Totally Scrambled by Now? Like to be Wrong on this.

When I sell a safe that is intended for key use only I like to disable the combo knob--not doing so is
really doing a disservice to folks.

If this safe company is still in business and you have
the serial number/model # for the safe, a locksmith registered with the safe company
may work with you 'over the phone', to retrieve the original combo the safe was set to
when it left the factory--I find this is the cheapest & easiest method in the US