Gun Safe Digital Lock Not Working

June 16th, 2010

Digital Lock for Gun Safe
Digital locks on gun safes are great…most of the time. They provide quick, easy access to your gun safe, jewelry safe, home safe or business safe with the added benefit of allowing you to choose your own combination. But, when they don’t work it can be very frustrating. The good news is that U.L. rated high security digital locks are extremely reliable and the most common problems are things that you can address yourself, without waiting for, or paying for a technician.

The 4 most common problems with security safe or gun safe digital locks are:

  • Low battery
  • Improper handle position
  • Delayed handle turn
  • Lock out mode

The most common problem in security safe digital locks is low battery. Most gun safes have high security digital locks that are powered by one or two 9-volt batteries and are stored in the external keypad. Batteries typically last 12 to 18 months, but can last shorter or longer based on usage. A low battery condition may offer enough power to generate lights and tones, you may even hear the familiar click as the lock attempts to open your security safe. But, a low battery condition does not provide enough power to fully disengage the lock. To solve this problem access the batteries by either rotating the keypad counter clockwise a quarter turn or by giving the keypad a slight upward push. This releases the keypad from the front of the safe allowing you access to the batteries. Be sure to use fresh Energizer or Duracell batteries and be gentle when removing the old and replacing with the new. Often the wires that connect the batteries are quite delicate. When new batteries are installed, reattach the keypad to your security safe and your lock should be ready to operate under full power and your custom combination should still be in memory.

Another common problem with non-functioning security safe or gun safe locks is related to the handle position. If the safe handle is pressed fully in one direction or the other it can jam the lock making it unable to release when the correct combination is entered. The solution is to find the mid-point in the play of the handle and enter the combination, your gun safe, jewelry safe or home safe should open.
Newer users of security safes and digital locks are the ones most prone to the problem of delayed handle turn.

One of the security features designed into gun safe high security locks is response time. Once the combination is entered the handle must be turned within a few seconds, the precise time varies by manufacturer but is generally in the range of a few seconds. If the combination is entered and that time passes the lock re-locks and the combination must be re-entered for the security safe to be opened.

Lock out mode is another safety feature designed into high security digital locks. If the incorrect combination is entered three or four times, the number varies by manufacturer, the security safe goes into lockout mode for 10 – 20 minutes. The combination is not able to be entered during this time. After the lock out period is complete a single entry of the incorrect combination will put the security safe back into lockout mode, but the correct combination, entered on the first try, will open the home safe, jewelry safe or gun safe.

High security digital locks and good quality security safes, gun safes, jewelry safes or home safes provide peace of mind that is well worth the investment. If you are not sure that your safe is good quality or if you need a safe, call or visit Maximum Security Safes. We are experts in helping you select the safe that best meets their needs at a price you can afford.

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Jewelry Safes and 8 Other Tips to Protect Your Jewelry

June 9th, 2010

Diamond ring for jewelry safe
Jewelry safes protect personal jewelry from damage, theft and fire. The key characteristics of a home jewelry safe include an interior that provides well designed, velvet lined organization for your jewelry and a safe itself that provides verified burglar and fire protection. Third party verification by a reputable testing agency ensures that the protection that you expect is indeed the protection that you are getting with the jewelry safe that you purchase.

In addition to jewelry safes there are several other tips to consider to protect your jewelry. Damage to jewelry is very common, but fortunately proper attention and care can limit if not eliminate the likelihood of damage.

  • Remove jewelry before playing sports, swimming, gardening or doing difficult chores around the house. Be sure to put it in a safe place, your jewelry safe.
  • Don’t leave your jewelry on an open surface such as a counter, near a sink or in a public area.
  • Jewelry should never be put in your pocket, it just isn’t worth the risk. Instead take the time to put it in a safe place, your jewelry safe.
  • Be careful when removing gloves as jewelry can easily become snagged or lost.
  • Personally inspect your jewelry regularly for missing stones or damaged prongs, especially immediately after you bump or catch your jewelry.
  • Periodically have your jeweler inspect your jewelry, especially the items you wear often. A jeweler can detect and repair small problems like a loose prong or faulty clasp before something is lost.
  • Consider insuring your pieces of most significant value. You may find that the cost to insure is reduced if you store your jewelry in a quality jewelry safe.
  • Using a home security system is always a good companion to jewelry safes. The sign on your lawn or window may cause the thief to pass by your house and if they do enter they will know their time is limited.

My daughter’s friend recently found her mom’s diamond, lost 2 ½ years ago, in the backyard at their house. It had already been replaced, at full cost. I had two of my mother’s rings stolen years ago when our home was burglarized, they were never found. Family heirlooms lost forever. The moral of the stories is take precautions with your jewelry before this happens to you. At Maximum Security Safes we have a full selection of jewelry safes and safes of all types and sizes with most items in stock for quick delivery. Check out our jewelry safes on the web or at our Santa Ana showroom this week!

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Home Jewelry Safes – Which Lock is Best for You?

May 10th, 2010

Diamond NecklaceHome jewelry safes are an excellent place to securely and conveniently store your jewelry.  First, select a good quality safe that’s the right size to meet your needs now and in the future.  Then you will likely have the opportunity to select the type of lock you want.  There are several things to consider as you select the lock for your home jewelry safe.

The three most common jewelry safe locks are the traditional tumbler style combination lock, the electronic/digital lock and the biometric or fingerprint lock.   The most important consideration is that the lock be listed by United Laboratories as a high security lock.  Anything less will not provide the level of security warranted for a home jewelry safe.

The high security combination lock looks very familiar.  It is the one you see most often in the movies where the thief turns the dial slowly listening carefully, sometimes with a stethoscope, trying to hear the correct combination.  These locks have the solid, traditional look that many people like.  They are however, cumbersome to open.  They are not like the old high school lockers that many of us remember, where you can dial in your combination with minimum precision, give it one good kick, and it opens every time.  With a high security tumbler you need to be very precise, dialing the lock four times one direction, three times to the other direction and then  two more times to the third number.    As we get older most of us will need to pull out our glasses to be able to accomplish this.  If you are off by just one tick mark you start all over again.  The traditional combination lock provides reliable, secure protection but not the most efficient access to your home jewelry safe.

The high security electronic or digital lock is currently the most popular lock on home jewelry safes.  These locks provide convenient, quick access.  When your home jewelry safe arrives you will receive easy to use instructions guiding you to set the combination of your choice.  Rather than a factory combination as with the traditional combination lock that requires a locksmith to change, you are able to select an easy to remember number that you can change yourself at will.  These locks are designed to prohibit a burglar from sequentially trying different combinations, hoping to get lucky.  After 3-4 incorrect attempts it locks out for a period of 10-20 minutes.  Following the lockout, if an incorrect combination is entered even once more, the lockout period begins again.  Batteries are typically of the common 9-volt variety and easily replaced from the outside of your home jewelry safe, in the faceplate of the lock.   The electronic locks provide convenient, quick access to your home jewelry safe at an affordable price.

The high security biometric lock is commonly known as the fingerprint lock.  The biometric locks offer all of the same conveniences as the electronic lock with the distinct advantage of not having a combination to remember.  While they are becoming much more reliable, as with any newer technology they are still a bit pricey.  Generally these locks allow several different fingerprints to be stored so numerous users can have access to the home jewelry safe.  The primary user or administrator is able to add and delete fingerprint users at anytime.  While the biometric locks are gaining ground they are still out sold by the electronic locks due to worries of reliability and price.

The locking mechanism is one of the key security components of your home jewelry safe.  While locks can be changed at a later date it is more cost effective to make the right selection up front.  Call or visit the experts at Maximum Security Safes and we would be happy to discuss this decision with you!

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How to be SAFE During an Earthquake

April 9th, 2010

Earthquake SafetyAs we finished our Easter meal a few of us around the table began to feel a bit woozy, soon we realized it was an earthquake.  Southern California had a little extra excitement this Easter.

The 7.2 quake centered in Mexicali shook the ground, long and hard.  Initially we took it in stride, but it continued and then grew stronger.  It got our attention.  While the earth was shaking we had enough time for a brief discussion around the table about what we should do and where we should go to stay safe.  None of us was sure.

School children in California know what to do in an earthquake, “drop, cover and hold.”   They do drills every year.  I guess this is one time when we really should be listening to our kids!

FEMA has some recommendations for us.  First, they warn that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger quake may follow.  Also, it is best to minimize movement to just a few steps heading toward a safe place and stay put until the shaking stops.

If inside:

  • Drop to the ground; take cover by getting under a sturdy table or other furniture and hold on until it is over.
  • Stay away from windows, glass, doors and walls, anything that could fall.  That includes light fixtures or tall furniture.
  • If you are in bed, stay there.  Hold on and protect your head with a pillow.  If you are under something that could fall, like a heavy light fixture, move to the nearest safe place.
  • Use a doorway for shelter only if it is close by and you are confident that it is strongly supported and load bearing.
  • Stay inside until the shaking stops.  Research suggests that most injuries occur when people are inside and try to move too far or try to get outside during an earthquake.
  • Don’t be surprised if the electricity goes out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms go off.
  • DO NOT use elevators.

If outside:

  • Stay there.
  • Move away from buildings, streetlight, and utility wires.
  • Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops.  The greatest danger is directly outside buildings, at exits and along exterior walls.

If in a moving vehicle:

  • Stop as quickly as safely possible and stay in the vehicle.  Don’t stop near Proceed cautiously when the shaking stops.
  • Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake.

If trapped under debris:

  • Don’t light a match.
  • Don’t move around or kick up dust.
  • Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
  • Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can find you.  Shout only as a last resort.  Shouting can cause you to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.

Most of us have never been hurt in an earthquake.  Let’s do our best to keep it that way by being well informed about how to stay SAFE the next time one comes along!

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Keeping Guns Safe and Accessible

March 18th, 2010

Gun safe needed

We are blessed to live in a country where we have so much freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility.  If you own, or plan to own a hand gun, rifle, or any type of firearm it is your responsibility to secure it.  Gun safes provide peace of mind that your gun will not be discovered by a child or stolen and used in a future crime. Securing your firearm does not mean it can’t be easily and quickly accessible.

The critical components to assuring quick access to your firearms are:

  1. locating the gun safe near where you are likely to be in the case of an emergency and
  2. a quick response locking device.

Some of the most popular pistol safes are made by GunVault. These hand gun safes have a fast access lock that is easily and quickly opened. even in the dark.  Upon entering the correct code the door is opens quickly and automatically.  The pistol safes are most often bolted down in convenient locations allowing the homeowner to be armed within seconds.  Our customers have attached hand gun safes to the underside of beds, to a bedside table, to the inside wall of a closet, in their vehicle and many other places.  GunVault pistol safes come in single and multi-gun sizes.  GunVault also has rifle safes with the same locking mechanism.  Prices on the GunVault pistol safes start at $99 and GunVault rifle safes start at $499.

Secure Logic makes some great wall safes that are approved for secure gun storage by the California Department of Justice.  I call these our 007 wall gun safes because of their high tech look with stainless steel exterior, electronic or biometric lock and internal hidden compartment. The door slides down to open quickly allowing convenient access to contents.  By placing the safe behind a picture it can be both discrete and out of the way.

Rifle safes come in all types and sizes.  The locking mechanism can be either a traditional tumbler style, electronic or biometric.   Tumbler style locks take time and precision, not the best alternative if you want quick access. The electronic gun safe has a 6-digit push button combination that allows the user to program their own combination and get into the safe quickly.  The biometric gun safe, also known as a fingerprint gun safe, is also a quick access safe.

When shopping for gun safes be sure to look for the Department of Justice label indicating that the safe meets the California Department of Justice standard for firearms security.  If your safe will protect high value guns or other significant valuables look for the United Laboratories Residential Security Container (RSC) label as evidence that the safe has passed this more demanding test.  Beyond these two tests additional features such as greater amounts of steel and/or more bolts can offer increasing levels of burglar security.

Many gun safes also offer fire protection in addition to child safety and burglar protection.  If fire protection is important look for a label on the gun safe indicating that the fire rating has been verified by an independent third party.  This third party confirmation offers confidence that you are getting what you expect.

As a responsible gun owner you can protect your gun from the hands of children and burglars while still keeping it quickly accessible in case of an emergency.  Gun safes come in a wide range of types and sizes.  To be sure you get a safe that provides the kind of protection you need talk to a safe expert at Maximum Security Safes.  Call us at 714-550-4123 or 800-538-0600.

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Sad Story of a Home Security Safe Buyer

March 9th, 2010

Sean was in our store today looking at safes for home. After two bad experiences with home security safes from big box stores he has learned the hard way. The first security safe was too light weight and not bolted down; it was carried off by burglars with the wife’s jewelry and all their important papers inside while he and his family slept undisturbed upstairs. The second home security safe was larger and heavier, but not very good quality. Two months after the one-year warranty expired the handle malfunctioned. After several phone conversations with the manufacturer and hours of frustration he was still unable to open the safe. At that point Sean realized it was well past time to invest in a quality home safe and he came to visit us at Maximum Security Safes.

So, how do you buy a home safe? A security safe that will truly protect your valuables, not just give you a false sense of security? The first key is asking questions about the product you are considering so you know what you are buying. You are looking to protect some of your most precious valuables; this decision warrants careful consideration not a knee jerk response.

It is important to understand is that there is such a thing as too good a deal. We have a $285, 185 lb, 2 cu ft security safe in our store from a leading supplier of safes in the country. The inexpensive digital lock failed and the owner couldn’t find the back-up key. The security safe was then opened by an eager teenager with a home screw driver in 2 minutes. The owner brought the safe to us in disgust, looking for a security safe he could trust.

What questions will you ask to prevent this scenario from happening to you?

  • 1) Is the home security safe made of steel or plastic? (How much value will you entrust to a plastic security box?)
  • 2) Has this home safe been tested against burglary and/or fire by a responsible testing entity like United Laboratories (U.L.)? Be very careful if the sales person says “It’s just as good as…”.
  • 3) Can you get support from the place you are buying the security box, should you need it?

Obviously there are many more questions that you can ask, and you should, before you make this important decision. These considerations hold true regardless of the type of safe you are looking for, general purpose home safes, jewelry safes, gun safes as well as safes for business. If you have the opportunity, go to a store that has a good variety, 20+ security safes, on their showroom floor of various sizes and price ranges. Test the locks, open and close the doors and begin to get a feel for what you get at different price points. If the security safe does not have any labels on it from independent testing labs, buyer beware.

Don’t fall into the trap of learning the hard way like Sean and our other customer mentioned above. Learn from their mistakes and make an educated purchase.

Morals to the story.

  • 1) If you must get a small light home safe, bolt it down.
  • 2) Believe the truth of the old adage, you get what you pay for.
  • 3) Ask questions of a knowledgeable source before you buy.

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The New ExecuVault Gun Safes

March 2nd, 2010

ExecuVault Gun SafeWe are thrilled with American Security Products (AMSEC) newly configured 2-hour fire rated gun safe, the ExecuVault. This safe is perfect for the customer who has just a few rifles but also needs a secure place to store a variety of other valuables. The ExecuVault is actually a multi-purpose safe. It is a gun safe, jewelry safe, fire safe and burglar safe all rolled into one. The body is the AMSEC CSC4520 with serious burglar protection plus two hours of fire protection. The interior offers nicely padded shelving with slots for up to 6 rifles, 3 standard shelves for any number of other valuables and a Stor-It Pack door organizer with zipper pockets and elastic straps to make the most of your interior space. This safe also includes an electric dehumidifier included as a standard accessory. This safe is a great new entry into the gun safes market.

At Maximum Security Safes we have this new gun safe in stock on our showroom floor ready for you to come and check out. If you are not in the Southern California area explore the ExecuVault on our website.
The ExecuVault is dark gray with matte finish and chrome hardware. These gun safes have double steel walls and doors for secure protection. Fire protection is provided by the composite material that fills the steel frame avoiding air pockets that are prevalent with sheet rock style fire protection.

These gun safes come standard with U.L.Listed High Security Group II combination locks including chrome-plated spy-proof dials. Optional high security electronic locks are also available. The locks are protected by tempered glass relock devices and heavy duty steel hinges provide easy, smooth door operation. This glass relocking device is typically found on safes with much higher security ratings.

The ExecuVault is a two hour fire safe that has been tested in a furnace with temperature of 1,700 degrees. After the two hour test period the internal temperature remains below 350 degrees, well below 450 degrees, the temperature that paper burns. The safe is large enough internally that a second smaller fire safe can be placed to provide the best protection for your computer storage media.

The representatives from AMSEC advised us recently that the ExecuVault gun safes will have the UL Residential Security Container rating from Underwriters Laboratory in the near term without change to the design of the safe.

One of the primary differences and advantages of the ExecuVault gun safes is that they are shorter than the typical gun safe. With the standard casters this safe stands 54” tall; with the casters removed the safe is 50-1/2” tall. It can be bolted to the floor to provide additional burglar protection.

Maximum Security is a full service company that provides service, delivery and installation of any type safe, including the ExecuVault gun safes. We have been in business for nearly 30 years and the current owners have been in the same Santa Ana, CA store location for 15 years. We have hundreds of satisfied customers who have purchased safes and used our safe moving and delivery service locally in Southern California and across the country.

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Teen Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself

February 22nd, 2010

Enough! There are too many real life stories of young people harming or killing themselves or others while playing with guns. Guns are here to stay. Whether or not you have a gun in your home we should all be talking with our kids about guns. If you have a gun in your home, lock it up in a gun safe!!!

The most recent story I have run across took place just last week in Salt Lake City. A 16-year old boy was hanging out with a small group of guys at a friend’s home when he pulled out a gun and was “playing around”. Friends reportedly told him to stop, but he took out the bullets and put the gun to his head. The only thing was, not all the bullets were removed from the gun. Gruesome story I know, but as any of you who have had teenagers know, they don’t always think straight. They want to impress their friends. They think they are invincible. They, “just wanna have fun”. Please, if you have guns lock them up in a gun safe and don’t give the combination to your teen!

What do we say to our kids? How about starting with sharing this real life story. If you don’t like this one search the internet, there are plenty to choose from. Stories are a good way to get your point across, especially a story that involves another child near their age. This young man thought he was safe, but he should have known to NEVER point a gun towards himself or another person. It seems so obvious, but evidentially it wasn’t to this teen. Why wasn’t this gun locked up in a gun safe?

The NRA’s Eddie Eagle Gun safe Program suggests teaching your young child if they see a gun:
• STOP
• Don’t touch
• Leave the area
• Tell and adult

For teens a slightly more mature approach may be appropriate. How about teaching them:
• Assume all guns are loaded.
• Don’t touch a gun without a parent’s permission, and then never point the gun at yourself or another person.
• If a friend has a gun, leave the area and tell a trusted adult.

If you have a gun please, for all of our safety, store it in a secure gun safe. Gun safes come in a variety of types and sizes. You can get a hand gun safe, rifle safe, gun wall safe, combination gun safe, electronic gun safe, biometric gun safe, gun fire safe, used gun safe, new gun safe, the list goes on and on.

Visit Maximum Security Safes today to get expert advice on what kind of gun safe is best for you. You can find us on the web or reach us by phone at (800)538-0600.  Better yet, if you are in Southern California come by our large showroom where you can see over 125 safes on display.

What are your thoughts on how and what we should share with our kids about guns?

Bye for now. I’m going to go home and talk with my teen about having a healthy respect for guns!

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Inside the Mind of a Burglar

February 9th, 2010

My family home was burglarized when I was a teenager, but that was a long time ago. It’s easy for me to get complacent after so many years of feeling safe. We don’t have a lot, but we do have a few special things that I would hate to have taken. Some of these I keep in our home jewelry safe most of the time. Other items I put in when we are away from home on vacation. Our jewelry safe is great for all kinds of valuables. Because it has burglar and fire protection I can keep our important papers in it as well as jewelry, silverware, cameras, photos and the like.

Getting inside the mind of a burglar can alert us to ways we can protect ourselves. Taking some basic precautions along with installing and using a good home security system and a jewelry safe or other good burglar resistant safe will go a long way towards protecting us and our valuables.

Thoughts from the perspective of a burglar…

  • You live in a “safe” neighborhood where you don’t even need to lock your doors. Thanks for making it easy for me to make myself at home.
  • It’s a beautiful spring day and you leave the window open. Just what I need for a quick entrance.
  • Don’t have time to set the alarm but think you’re safe because the house is all locked up. I won’t hesitate to break a window to get in. It may get your neighbor’s attention for a minute but if he doesn’t hear it again he won’t give it another thought.
  • I love when I can see right in through your windows, it gives me a sneak preview of what I can pick up when I visit.
  • Yes, I really do notice those newspapers collecting in your driveway. I may even put a gardener’s flyer on your door to see when you take it down.
  • Do I look familiar? I was at your home last week delivering your new sofa, cleaning your drapery, or painting your home.
  • Today I’m carrying a clipboard, tomorrow I will carry a rake. I enjoy dressing the part of anyone but a thief.
  • Loud dogs or nosy neighbors, either of these often keep me away.
  • It’s great when you post your vacation on Facebook, sometimes I am able to look up your address.
  • Think you’ve found a great hiding place for that jewelry? Sorry, I won’t hesitate to look in clothes pockets, sock drawers, medicine cabinets or inside the piano, to name a few.
  • I don’t have time to break into that home jewelry safe, but I will take it with me if it’s not bolted down.

    • Though it has been many years since my family home was burglarized I will always remember that terrible feeling. The knowledge that someone had come into our home and gone through our personal belongings is awful. That coupled with discovering they had taken the special ring my mom passed down me made for an experience I don’t want to have again.

    Call or come by Maximum Security Safes and let us help you protect your valuables.

    www.maximumsecuritysafes.com
    (714) 550-4123 (800) 538-0600
    1415 E McFadden Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705

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    I Wish I Bought A Bigger Safe

    January 22nd, 2010

    The most common complaint we hear from our customers is that they have run out of room and wish they had purchased a larger home safe. Safes are like closets, you generally fill up what you have, and fast! Over time we realize more and more things that we want to secure. To help minimize the running out of room problem review the following list of items that many folks keep in their home safes. Make a list of what you want to put in yours and use that as a starting point, then if possible, select a safe one step larger. The price differential between sizes is relatively small, especially when you consider the lifespan of your safe.

    Monetary Valuables
    Cash
    Precious metals
    Jewelry
    Collectables
    Silverware
    Fine china
    Fine crystal

    Sentimental Valuables
    Photographs
    Home videos *
    Collectibles
    Scrapbooks
    Journals
    Personal letters
    Awards, trophies & metals
    Genealogical records

    Firearms & Accessories
    Rifles
    Pistols
    Accessories
    Ammunition

    Critical Documents
    Financial records
    Warranties
    Receipts
    Insurance documents
    Tax records
    Contracts
    Deeds
    Stocks & bonds
    Birth certificates
    Passports
    Wills

    Electronic Equipment & Media
    Laptop computers
    Hard drives *
    Back up disks *
    Flash drives *
    CDs & DVDs *
    Software *
    Cameras
    Lenses
    Video equipment
    Video tapes *

    The List Continues…

    You probably have other things that you would benefit from securing in a home safe. Consider this question carefully before committing to a safe that is too small!

    Call or come by our store, we would be happy to help you evaluate what would be the best home safe for your needs.

    * Electronic media needs special handling. Talk to one of the experts at Maximum Security to learn more about protecting these items.

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