Some people like ease of access and others have far less pressing issues to do with guns and prefer to keep them locked away just for keeping them away from mischief. The time tried and tested older mechanism like the mechanical locks are recommended and have enjoyed stellar reviews lauding them as not perfect but better than the new “James Bond cool” type locks. The locks are taken apart to see what the pros and cons are. Let’s have a quick look at our list.
#1 Electronic Keypad Locks
- These are reliable when maintained regularly. They use a battery which is changed after a specified period of time depending on what the manufacturer specifies.
- These locks have been tried and tested and they have been improving with time. They are the most common ones in the market. Despite the competition from newer versions of locking systems, they still thrive.
- Certainly they have some flaws. In case of an EMP attack (Electro Magnetic Pulse), they will get short-circuited causing automatic dysfunction.
- There are brands of electronic keypad locks whish have been made to withstand the EMP shocks and are now becoming available for purchase.
#2 Mechanical/Manual and Dial Locks
These locks are from a different era but they do have some kick left in them.
- Manual locks require a key or in case of a dial lock, a combination of numbers that will allow you into the safe. Breaking in would require time and expertise if the body of the box or the plating is thick enough. Otherwise, it is near impossible to break in.
- The dial lock takes more time to open than any other lock because even the standard key locks take just a key.
- You would require precision to open dial locks and a key to open the manual locks.
- Due to their simple technology, it is easy to break into them but they can still withstand shoddy thieves.
Comparison Between Electronic & Mechanical Lock
This is a table comparing the features of the locks used in top rated safes. Electronic locks and mechanical locks are the most common and their features are discussed below.
This is a table comparing the features of the locks used in top rated safes. Electronic locks and mechanical locks are the most common and their features are discussed below.
| Electronic Gun Safe | Mechanical Gun Safe |
|---|---|
| Used to make 90% of all safe locks | Used in 10% of Gun safes |
| It is excellent if the rating is UL 768 Rated | Very good if UL rated 768 |
| Opened under 10 seconds | Opened in under 45 seconds |
| There is lockout for multiple wrong codes | It begs for precision and fine motor skills to open |
| It has its own lights and can be opened in the dark | Needs light and can be hard to see |
| The batteries are replaced every year | Needs lubrication every few years |
| It needs batteries and is not impervious to EMP | It has few mechanical problems |
| Generally electronic locks have 100,000 to 1,000,000 number of combinations | It can have 100,000 to 4,000,000 number of combinations |
| Most of them lasts for up to 3-10 years, few good quality safes have longer lives. | Lasts beyond five years and even a lifetime with the correct maintenance |
| Problems include forgetting the new pin or pass code when you change it and also keypad wears off | One can forget to turn the dial to re-lock |
The best lock for you would therefore be the redundant locks which have a back up. If one method of opening fails, it switches to the next one and in this way, the chances of you having a complete fail are incredibly reduced. Thanks for reading this article and now we hope you know the key factors of electronic gun safe and also mechanical gun safe. You can now choose the right type of lock which suits you most.
