How Do You Open a Safe Without the Combination?
Safe Cracking in its purest form is an age old art. Traditional safe crackers rely on an intimate method of lock manipulation to open a safe without force. This process involves discovering the combination through sound or ‘feeling’ the mechanical actions of the lock within the safe. A stethoscope can be used to hear the subtle sounds of the lock’s movement or physical resistance can be felt as the wheels within the lock move.
This technique is favoured when attempting to open mechanical safes but can require a certain amount of time to complete. Today, specialised safe technicians can be called in to open safes in this manner when the combination to the lock is misplaced. This method allows the locked safe to be opened without drilling or defacing the safe, therefore leaving it in perfect working order with no need of repair.
Drilling, Scoping, and Other Forced Entry Methods
Other methods are not so pure and include scoping and drilling, cutting into, or prying open a safe.
If a safe is fitted with electronic locks or manipulation resistant locks, a professional safe technician can drill a strategically placed tiny hole into a safe to allow the insertion of a scope. Through the use of the precision instrument, the technician can gain visual knowledge of the lock. The technician can ‘scope the lock’, observing the changes in the combination lock wheel while spinning the dial. This process enables manipulation of the mechanical lock so the combination can be discovered. Today, most safes are protected from drilling by criminals, by the use of ‘hard plates’ or materials that form a barrier against drill bits. This method is beneficial when trying to maintain the integrity of the safe. With carefully placed drilling, the safe can be returned to use after some minor repair.
Cutting and Prying a Safe Open
If a safe is cut into, the safe is usually unable to be restored to its former self. Professional criminals favour this method of attack using a heat torch or a saw. But this method can also take a large amount of time to complete, especially with the use of composite barrier materials built into modern safes. For example, as well as creating a lot of mess and noise, cutting into the barriers materials can blunt a blade within seconds.
The oldest and most utilised method favoured by criminals is that of attempting to pry open a safe with something heavy such as a crowbar. This method also takes a long time to achieve and requires a certain amount of strength. To be successful, the bolt work needs to be pried out of the door frame, but again, today’s safes are constructed with reinforced door bolts rendering such attempts very difficult.
When You Should Call a Safe Technician
These are just some of the more common methods used to ‘crack safes’ without the availability of a combination. Other reasons a safe may need to be opened by a safe technician include a lock malfunction or a botched burglar attempt.
Need help opening or choosing a safe?
To obtain a safe that can resist criminal attack, and advice on which type of safe may suit your needs, please contact the team at Blacks Locksmith.
You can also browse our range of home and office safes online anytime.
