How To Crack Open A Winchester Gun Safe

- How To Crack Open A Winchester Gun Safe Costco
- Forgot Combination To Winchester Gun Safe
- How To Crack A Safe
Crack Almost Any Electronic Safe with the Bounce Technique. 11/14/12 5:00pm. If you're successful, the deadbolts will recede into the safe's door and you'll be able to open it up. Safe-Cracking Made Stupid Easy: Just Use a Magnet By Eric Ramsley; 2/6/16 12:00 PM. How to Crack the Safe. All you have to do to open up the safe is take your trusty sock and magnet device, then attach it to the safe. Break into Almost Any Gun Safe with Straws, Paper Clips, Coat Hangers, and Even Children!
How To Crack Open A Winchester Gun Safe Costco
I felt compelled to pass this info along to others that may own this safe . . .
Back in 2013 I purchased the 2014 vintage model of this 24 gun Winchester safe from Tractor Supply:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr..g?cm_vc=-10005
The electronic lock on this safe worked flawlessly for 2 years, and then I started having to enter the correct code twice almost every time in order to gain access. After about a month of needing to enter it twice it started requiring the code 3 times. At this point I realized there was an issue and I should contact Winchester. Unfortunately, I put it on the back burner until the lock would no longer accept our code at all. I replaced the battery thinking that was the issue, but it wasn't. We continued to enter the correct code sporadically for 5 days until we finally got lucky and it opened for us. And VERY lucky we were, as there are countless stories out there of owners with this safe never getting back in and needing to have it drilled. (and then obviously replaced)
Once we got it open I called Winchester support first and they immediately said that it was out of warranty and that my only recourse was to call a locksmith. I called a local safe locksmith and asked if he could swap out the electronic lock with a manual one. He said it was no problem, came and looked at it, and told me that it would likely be around $380, but that he would get back to me in 24-48 hours with specifics. After 72 hours of nothing, I called him and he made it clear that he didn't want the job.
At this point I pulled the locking mechanisms apart to figure out the make/model of the electronic lock and called LaGard, the manufacturer. The woman I spoke with was very forthcoming once I won her over with 20 minutes of idle chitchat . . . turns out that the Model 3710 electronic dial that these safes shipped with have a high rate of failure, particularly when any number is used multiple times in the sequence of your code. She also told me that 99/100 times an electronic lock failure is due to the dial/push-pad failing, not the actual locking unit. (The locking unit on this safe is LaGard part #LG4200) Since the unit was out of warranty she referred me to a company by the name of TimeMaster that specializes in lock replacement parts. This company only sells to distributors and locksmiths, so you need to make it clear that YOU are doing the work, otherwise they won't sell straight to the consumer.
I called up TimeMaster, and they told me right off the bat that the 3710 unit is a piece of shit and they fail all the time. He told me that the 3710 unit is no longer manufactured and that the 3715 is the replacement unit*. The only issue is that the 3710 mounts with bolts at 3 and 9 o'clock and the 3715 mounts at 6 and 12. Because of this, I ordered the newest and most improved version that mounts up with both patterns, part #3750*. That said, my Winchester safe provided mounting holes at 3/6/9/12, so you can save $30 and just go with 3715 as a replacement. Once I got the 3750 ($90 shipped), I replaced the unit and found that the locking mechanism, NOT the dial itself, retains the code and decides whether to unlock the safe or not. I can't say for certain which was the offending unit, but after testing, I felt confident that the issue was with the locking unit and not the dial. With that, I called TimeMaster back up and ordered part #LG4200. This ended up being $100 shipped, but after a week of trial, everything seems to be functioning at 100% on the very first try, every time.
*Other members have reported that model #3750 has been supplanted by model #5715 as of 2019. Model #5715 will fit if you reuse the screws from the original keypad. (Thank you, KSco, for this info!)
It should be noted that we're in/out of the safe at least 4 times a day, so although we suffered a catastrophic failure before 3 years, I imagine the lock will last longer for most people. That said, as soon as you start having to regularly input the code two or three times, DO NOT WAIT, BUY THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. Trust me, it's not worth not being able to get to your belongings. In my case, I bolted the safe into the floor, and the locksmith told me that it would have run us $400-500 to drill it open, plus the cost of disposal and obviously a new safe. So instead of the worst case of over $1,200, or the $380 the locksmith wanted, I spent ~$190 and did it myself. I will not publicly disclose how to dismantle and replace the lock, but if you're in a bind, PM me. I will note that the 3750 dial unit seems to be built MUCH better than the 3710 from both a security and craftsmanship standpoint, so I'm glad I upgraded. Please feel free to ask any questions regarding this safe, at this point I can probably answer the majority of them.
******* UPDATE *******
It's been four years since I installed the replacement parts and they're still working perfectly!
If you have a digital safe with a passcode entry, a few things could go wrong. You could forget the code, the electronic mechanism could fail, or someone could change the code without you knowing. In the event you need to break into your own electronic safe, here's how to do it.

Forgot Combination To Winchester Gun Safe
The technique you use to crack an electronic safe is called safe bouncing (which is an accurate name once you see how it's done). It's apparently easy enough for a kid to do, but looks like it could take a bit of practice. As you can see in the video above, you literally drop part of the safe against the table (or whatever surface it's resting upon) while turning the locking knob. If your timing is right, you'll have turned the knob when the safe's lock bounces open for a brief moment. This works because many cheaper safes have locks that lift. Better safes have counterweight mechanisms so the lock is held in place even when the safe is moving. You won't be able to bounce those open, but you'll have no problem with the lower-end options. If you're successful, the deadbolts will recede into the safe's door and you'll be able to open it up.
Advertisement
While good for those times when you lose your passcode, it's not so great for those times when someone tries to rob you. If you're concerned about the safety of a given safe, you might want to try this bouncing technique before your purchase.
Safe Bouncing YouTube
How To Crack A Safe
This post is part of Spy Week, a series at Lifehacker where we look at ways to improvise solutions to every day problems Bond-style. Want more? Check out our spy week tag page.
Advertisement
Welcome to Lifehacker's Spy Week
Gangster organized crime manualidades. Welcome to Lifehacker's very first Spy Week. This week, we pay homage to spies and share with…
Read more