As this was my safe and I'm the author, let me hit your points one by one.
Something isn't right.
The gun shop I worked at a couple years back was a Liberty dealer. Kept a couple dozen in stock, and sold three or four a week. I’ve been around my fair share of Liberty products and a couple things in the story just don't add up.
1) The whole "had to drive five hours for the serial number". Every Liberty safe I've ever seen has a small tag (on the side or back) with the serial number. I don’t see any mention of Liberty suggesting he look for the s/n there. I know from direct experience that’s the first thing they do when you call customer service. Liberty wants callers to provide serial numbers for good reason.
The serial number of this safe is contained within the inside of the door. Open the door, upper outer edge just above the fire tag I posted pictures of. They told me in the safe or on the packet of information. Further, prey tell, if it's on the back of the safe, how do I see it given it's bolted to the ground and there's a wall on the back side? It sure isn't on the left side or right sides of the safe either. Searching the left side was a real bitch but thank god for mirrors.
So tell me, other than the packet, where was I going to find this tag you speak of? They told me, on the inside of the safe or on the packet. Maybe they added this recently I bought my safe in December of 09.
Again as the safe hadn't been moved either way I'm still driving 5.5 hours to go find it right? So either way I'm screwed, but some how the serial being on the outside of the safe would have magically made that trip disappear? The point was I wanted to ensure I had the locksmith scheduled due to the fact I was going to have to travel no matter what. I had all the other information regarding the warranty of the safe. What was disturbing however was after giving the serial they were more than forth coming with my personal information. If it is on the outside of the safe as you claim, what's to stop a burglar from just using that serial number on the outside to get assistance?
2) A locksmith taking three hours to get into the safe? Anyone familiar with gun safes will be familiar with both mechanism types. They are common units used by multiple manufacturers. Locksmiths with any experience can work on them with their eyes closed. Also, even inexperienced locksmiths know to use tungsten bits. A genuine locksmith attacking a safe with everyday bits? I don’t think so. (tungsten carbide bits don't bend/beat up like in the photo, they chip) I've personally witnessed a locksmith drilling safe several levels better than the Liberty Presidential. Took him about 30 minutes.
Interesting. Maybe my smith just sucked. Though I do know he was using tungsten carbide. FIL who is a machinist even confirmed it. What you saw was from a bit getting extremely over heated and pushed well beyond it's point. If you look at the first picture you will see it's broken and chipped. The mangled bit is what happens when you end up right on top of a ball bearing and don't realize it till you hear the pitch change from failure. Doubly entertaining is I know the trick to get past the ball bearings and that takes at least 15 minutes to set. So you're guy punched right through in basically 15 minutes. Awesome. Maybe he can contact my smith and give some pointers. Obviously there's a new method to help with the bearings he doesn't know about.
Though interestingly I could have probably spent a day, just destroyed the safe and got my stuff out. The trick there is doing so in a fashion that prevents the destruction of the safe's contents. Also we could have probably drilled in a different area, unlocked the safe, gotten the stuff out but have rendered the safe useless.
But the real standout is...
3) The conditions he describes - beep, but no click - are indicators of a very, very common condition called “Low Battery”. The safe instructions cover it, along with directions to try a new battery. Actually, it’s the first suggestion for any mechanism problem. It's also the first thing Liberty will tell you to try when you call customer service. I don’t see any mention of the battery, nor an indication that he ever tried a new one. (Reminds me of a buddy who diagnosed a failed oil pressure gauge by replacing an engine.)
Maybe you missed the part where I said I tried all the standard troubleshooting methods, as a matter of fact I tried two different brand new 9 volts from two different manufactures, Duracell and Energizer. But what should I know about any of this, I must not have tried anything like that right? Oh wait, here it is from my article.
Try leaning on the door, doing everything in the list of stuff to do to get the safe open on their website.
Since you obviously missed that part let me quote the
website for you:
1. The locking mechanism of a safe can, under certain conditions, place pressure on the side of the lock's bolt. This is often caused by something inside the safe pressing against the door or by something caught between the safe door and its frame. When this occurs, the lock will not operate properly. To relieve side pressure on the lock bolt, move the safe's handle to the fully locked position, (for direct-drive locks make sure the keypad is turned counterclockwise to stop), then re- enter a working code. The lock should open.
2. If the lock "chirps" when keys are pressed, but it will not open, the batteries may be drained to the point that they will not operate enough to open the lock. Follow the battery replacement procedure in this manual.
So you really think that an electrical engineer, who has a firm understanding of how exactly electromechanical relays work and the fact that they are big fat current draws wouldn't try replacing the batteries? I did that before I tried anything else or even looked online. Then as an extra measure the locksmith also dropped in his own battery. But you were obviously there right, you know what happened better than I do obviously.
Not to mention I replace the safe batteries on the same schedule as anything battery related on my firearms, lights, lasers, EOTechs and red dots. I do it on Day Light Savings Spring and Fall. Same goes for smoke detectors and CO detectors. So the battery I replaced was a month old. Maybe overkill but I find it better than discovering a battery that went so dead it started leaking and causing corrosion.
The gap between the fireboards is a big, fat bowl of meh. The inner fireboard often free-floating, sitting in channels in the door frame. Some movement is normal. It’s the outer fireboard layers that are critical. Also, the only fireboard gap in any of the other pics is towards the bottom of the door, and doesn’t gape.
One discontinuity I could dismiss, but three pretty glaring ones makes me think there is a fair amount of smoke being blown.
Brad
Yup guess your right, didn't happen. Not at all. I shifted around my move schedule just for the fun of it. The fireboard gap I showed is the one towards the bottom of the door with a better angle. It may not be an issue, however you can come look at my safe and I'll take the back board off again and show it all to you first hand. That was the only gap I saw and the picture with my finger there was for scale.
Fireboards may not be a problem, at the same time it calls into question fit and finish. Given the price I paid for the safe I don't want it looking like it was hacked together when I get inside.
So, lets see here, you weren't there, but tried to provide information as if you were saying I never replaced the battery. That there is supposedly a serial number on the outside of the safe that I searched and couldn't find. But the packet they told me to get that has it, that evidently wasn't the correct solution. He makes claims that the drill bits used, weren't what was actually used. And lastly dismisses things I noted relating to fit and finish.
I think I'm going to just label you as a troll, because honestly that's exactly what you look like.
