Do not try to force a safe open with a key, if you don’t seem to open it the normal way, just call QuickPro Locksmith, and our professional technician will be right there at your doorstep to get it open very easily without the need for a key. Sometimes, it can be very easy to lose the key to the safe or even forget the combination numbers, but you should have an idea about the procedures to take in order to unlock the safe without the need for a key, these options include;
- Drilling your way in to open the safe,
- Open the safe with the aid of a knife,
- Make use of a tool like a hammer,
- Make use of a screwdriver,
- Make use of a paper clip,
- Make use of a magnet.
Using a paper clip to open a safe
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to open a safe without a key is to use a paper clip. In order to use a paper clip to open the safe, just make sure the paper clip is straight, then insert the end of the clip into the upper part of the lock. With the aid of a tweezer, hold the paper clip in place, then insert the paper clip into the inner chamber of the lock- make sure the paper clip goes deeper into the lock. Turn the tweezers along with the paper clip in an anti-clockwise position and continue turning until the lock is opened.
Make use of a screwdriver to open a safe without a key
First of all, you need to place the screwdriver on a flat surface, then insert the tip of the screwdriver inside the keyhole. Rotate the screwdriver in a counter-clockwise movement until the lock of the safe opens.
Opening the safe with the aid of a knife or similar tool
Opening the safe with a knife perhaps is the easiest way. To achieve this, simply make use of the tip of the knife and insert it into the keyhole. Shake the knife a little and the lock will eventually open. This procedure should take few seconds or minutes to open the safe.
Drilling through the safe
Drilling is only recommended when there is no better option. Just before you consider drilling, you should call QuickPro Locksmith for an easier option. Drilling can be an option when you have forgotten the combination to the safe or you lost the key. In order to open the safe through drilling, all you have to do is drill a small hole in a position where you can view the lock inside the safe. Once drilling is performed, you can then insert your finger to unlock the lock inside the safe. One of the negative effects of drilling is that it can damage the safe. You must think twice before you take this step.
At ACME Locksmith we sell safes, repair and work on all kinds of safes. One frequent question we get is, “I don’t have the safe combination, how do I open a safe?”
There are several reasons why you might need to find the combination to a safe: the safe combination may have been lost or forgotten over time, the combination may be locked inside the safe (it happens more often than you’d think), or you may have bought a property where the previous owner simply left a safe behind without giving you the combination.
Here at ACME Locksmith, our safe repair service gets several calls a year where the new home or business owner has discovered that an in-floor safe is at the property they’ve just moved into, and they had no idea it was there.
There are several ways to get into a safe when you have forgotten the combination. If the safe is open, a new code can be set for you. If there is an override key you can get that key made by a locksmith. If the safe is locked, you can have a locksmith retrieve the safe’s original code from the manufacture. Or, you can have the safe professionally drilled by a locksmith so the safe can continue to be used.
Things to try:
- I lost my combination but my safe is open.
- Get as much info as you can about your safe.
- Is there a key override? How do I get a key to my safe?
- How to Open an Inexpensive Safe?
- How to Get a Safe’s Combination.
- Out of Options? How to Open an Expensive Safe
Customers calling have all sorts of images from the movies. Typically that a safe-cracker can use a stethoscope to get in, but that is the stuff of movies. A good safe is built with security features specifically aimed to keep people out and only the combination, or a few other things that your local locksmith is able, to do can get you in.
In this blog post, we discuss how safes work and what options you have available to get back in. If you have the combination
but it’s not working, check out our post “How to Dial a Safe Combination.” Let’s begin.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
I Forgot My Combination but the Safe is Open.
If the safe is open, this is the best case scenario. A local locksmith can decode or change the combination to a dial safe and often reset an electronic safe lock back to its factory defaults.
If you can bring the safe into a lock shop, you will save the most money (well under $100). Our Phoenix lock shop, Scottsdale lock shop , Mesa lock shop, and Gilbert lock shop can all retrieve and set save combinations, If you cannot, a service charge is standard in for safe service and would be in addition.
Tip: The door of the safe will lift off it’s hinges. So even if the safe is heave or bolted down, if the door is light enough it can be removed and brought into a locksmith shop to change the safe’s combination.
That’s all there is to it.
But if the safe is closed and locked, continue reading…
Get Your Safe’s Brand and Model, You’ll Need it
The first and most important thing is to determine the kind of safe you have. Why? It gives your local locksmith an idea of what they are looking at in terms of anti-theft measures. People place all sorts of items into safes it it’s these items that originally determined what kind of safe they chose to purchase. Safes not intended for expensive content are usually cheaply made. Safes meant to hold tens of thousands of dollars are usually, if you chose wisely, well made.
You will need to find the brand, model and serial number of the safe so we can research it.
The brand is usually the easiest to find. Most of the time manufactures put this on the door of the safe. Many manufactures also put the serial number on the bottom corner of the door. Finding the model for the safe can be a bit trickier. Most manufactures are placing model numbers on the back of the safe. So if your safe is bolted down or too heavy to move, you may not be able to find it.
If you cannot find the model number, but were lucky enough to find the serial number of the safe, your next step is to call the manufacture of the safe and give them the serial number, they will tell you what model it is from that number.
When you can find the brand, model, and serial number of the safe, a locksmith can determine the correct drill points of the safe and get into the safe without irreparable damage.
If you cannot find the serial number, you will need to send pictures of the safe to your local locksmith. From the images and brand name we can usually get pretty close to the correct model number.
How to Get Into a Sentry Safe When You’ve Lost the Combination
With the brand and model number, or often from a photo of the safe, the locksmith can determine the value of the safe itself. Here’s why you want that information. Safe crackers are expensive. To professional open a safe, and repair it, can easily exceed several hundred dollars.
If your safe cost less than $400, the best way to open the safe is to simply break in and buy a new safe.
At ACME Locksmith, we’ll come to your location and open a cheap home safe, like those sold by Sentry and Honeywell for under $100. We know exactly how to open them quickly. But once in, the safe will no longer function and will need to be replaced. You can save even more money by bringing the safe into your local locksmith shop by avoiding the service call charge.
Once the value of your safe gets over $400, it will depend on your end goal as to which action is best to take. Is it a floor safe that you want to start to use? Is it a safe that you just want to know if anything is inside of it? Etc…
If you simply break in, replace the safe with a good safe sold by ACME Locksmith.
How to Get a Safe’s Combination – Retrieve Combination or Override Code
You most likely will need to hire a locksmith in order to try these two things. Most safe manufactures will not provide this data over the phone for security reasons. Try the manufacture first to see if you get lucky. If they can’t help you, your local locksmith can.
Safe Dial Combination Retrieval
If the safe is a dial, and you were able to find the serial number, the locksmith will most likely will be able to retrieve the original combination to the safe. So long as the safe combination has never been changed, this will open the safe. The locksmith will then be able to set the safe combination to whatever numbers you desire. Or, if you’d like, the locksmith can replace the dial of the safe with an electronic safe lock.
Electronic Combination Override
If your safe has an electronic lock, the safe serial number or the serial number of the electronic safe lock itself, can be used to see if there is a master override code for the safe. Entering the override code will reset the electronic lock so that the locks default combination will work.
To perform these services at ACME Locksmith, or your local locksmith, we will need to go to the location of the safe and verify you are the owner of the property the safe is in. We will not attempt either of these two techniques to open the safe without this verification.
Drilling the Safe Open – Your Last Resort to Get Into an Expensive Safe
As a last resort, your safe can be opened by a professional when the combination has been lost. With the model and serial number, the locksmith (aka safe cracker) should be able to get the drill points of the safe and this makes getting into the safe more affordable than if this information were not available. The locksmith will know exactly where to drill as not trigger any of the safe’s security measures.
Opening a safe via drilling requires we pull the existing lock off and drill in through the front of save to take out the components keeping the door closed.
If you have not been able to determine the model and serial number, a locksmith can still drill the safe to get in and repair it after it is drilled so that it functions like new but it may be more costly. Typically it a pilot hole will be drilled and the safe scoped to determine where the drill point is. Without a drill point, sometimes a security feature will be triggered on the safe, such as a re-locker, and more drilling will be required.
When opening a safe by drilling, the safe’s lock body is destroyed and the safe lock will need to be replaced. Additionally, a hole will be in the door of the safe. This hole is plugged with a steal rod and ground off flush. Because this hole is under the old safe dial / safe electronic lock, the repair will not be visible and the safe will not show any damage or repair.