If you need a safe...

[sigep1764]

If anyone needs a safe, Tractor Supply is having a sale through the 24th. I believe it's on all the safes they offer and if it's not in stock, they will 'Raincheck' it. Means you get the sale price no matter what when your safe comes in. Only have to pay when the order gets there, they give you two weeks to pick up. I was in need of another safe and they had a 23 gun Winchester for 350. I snatched a RainCheck.

[WILCO]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/winchester-gun-safe-20-gun-ts20-30

[Winger Ed.]

That's a pretty good deal.

I'm familiar with that electronic lock. There's a reason it has only a one year guarantee.

I'd replace it with a S&G spin dial combination lock.
2nd choice- if ya got to have a electronic lock is a AMSEC ESL-10 or 20.
(the ESL-20 is the commercial version that does lots of other things- time delay, using 2 combos., etc.

As light as it is, its probably a 10 guage or 1/8" body with a 3/16 or 1/4" door- which is normal
for home safes. also, as easy as it will be to move, I'd encourage bolting it down.
For commercial safes, we bolted down everything that weighed less than a ton.

[sigep1764]

Definitely planning on bolting it down next to my Liberty. The flood rating was what I was after as my safe is in the basement. Agree on the warranty for the lock. I'll use it for the year and get a better lock. The electronic lock on my liberty is going strong 4 years on. Replaced the battery once. Never thought I'd outgrow the Liberty but here we are.

[sigep1764]

The one I got is different than that link. It's bigger with a different lock and is grey.

[Winger Ed.]

The electronic lock on my liberty is going strong 4 years on. Replaced the battery once.

Unless it's a AMSEC- which are good for 6-8 years, you're on borrowed time.
They go out like a light bulb.

Our customer service dept. at the safe company had 2-3 people working the desk all day, and the phone
never stopped ringing. Almost all the calls were about problems with electronic locks.
I asked one of them one time how many calls they got for spin dial/mechanical mechanical locks.
The guy said in a month or so, he'd get 2 or 3.
Ones that had been in a fire, left flooded for several days, or they'd lost the combination.

We sold a lot of the big, heavy, high security safes. On the real high end ones like a jewelry shop would buy,
we wouldn't sell one with ANY electronic lock on it.

[Shawlerbrook]

How difficult is it to replace the electronic lock with a mechanical one ? Is it a DIY situation ?

[sigep1764]

The ourside portion of the lock just turns counter clockwise to remove, this is done for replacing batteries. Taking the interior panel of the door off allows you to remove the base mounting plate of the outside lock. The panel most of the time is held on with screws.

[Bmi48219]

For good prices on bargain safes TSS is hard to beat.
I’d be surprised if it was 10 gauge steel. In that price range 12 or 14 gauge is the norm.

Edit: just looked it up, 14 gauge.

[Winger Ed.]

How difficult is it to replace the electronic lock with a mechanical one ? Is it a DIY situation ?

Amazon has all the reto-fit kits. The prices aren't great, but they're not bad.
The one ya want is made by S&G. They are the bench mark for spin dial locks.
Just make sure you get the kit with a change key in it. It's the complete kit.

If you can operate a screw driver, and with a quick class from Professor youtube,,,, yes, you can do it yourself.