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HELP!!! Cannon Safe WON'T UNLOCK!!!

H

HOGTOOTH5R

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 25, 2011
1,156
2
DFW, TEXAS
Hi guys, don't know exactly where I should post this but I figure it'll get the most hits in the Bolt Actions Forum. I've got a Cannon Safari Series Safe that has the Digital Lock. Two weeks ago for some reason it just wouldn't unlock anymore with my Pass Code. I tried everything even calling Cannon Safe and gotten a Master Code and it still wouldn't unlock. Everytime I type in the pass code it'll beep three times and then Nothing. I try again it'll go in to lockout mode.

My question does anyone has a Cannon Safe that had this problem before? What other options do I have in terms of Unlock this safe? perhaps a Lock Smith? any input would be greatly appreciate it!

I need to get inside before the Hunting Season if possible...

Thanks guys and God Bless!

Sincerely

HOG.
 
This might help you. Take the battery out and leave for it be for an hour while you go get a fresh duracell battery. Replace and leave it sit for a few minutes after replacing. Then try it. My bet is your battery is getting weak or you're using a rayovak battery which doesn't have the juice to unlock. Duracell are the batteries with the most kick to get that lock to unlatch...

Now for the bad part. This will most likely get you into your safe but the problem will persist as your lock mechanism is failing. Contact canon safe company & get a key for that lock. The key slot is behind the numerical pad. Usually canon (or whatever maker of the safe) will sell them for $25.

Good luck.
 
Dials go bad too. I have a big dollar browning save and a pin sheared inside the lock assembly. Impossible to open. I had to get Browning to get a locksmith out to get it open. Took him over an hour. May be time for you to call a locksmith.
 
It sounds like the battery is going, the safe we have at work does the same thing when the battery is going bad. The key pad will beep three times and you can't open the safe until you replace the battery.
 
I got ELITE 54gun safe digital and it DID came with 2 master key or emergency key that can open safe trough behind digital keys incase digital goes bad or low batt and u.. dont all digital safe comes with key?
 
I had a 30 year TreadLock safe (now owned by Granite) with a mechanical combo lock that went bad. Sad part is it took only a few minutes to cut it open with carbide hole saw to release the locking pins.
 
Make sure the handle is cranked all the way clockwise as well. If I don't take the slop out and leave it counterclockwise it wont open
 
There is good advice here about the batteries. But I can tell you this as I work on locks for a living ( more bank vaults) but a electronic lock is more apt to fail than a mechanical is. If you want to know a fix if either type of lock has fails and need to get in to said safe pm me and I'll tell you. But you have to do this with the door open.
 
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Is the keypad removable from the safe? If so...buy an identical keypad on eBay. Make sure they know the code. I had a friend have a keypad unit of out and he couldn't get in his safe. A new keypad was shipped to him and fixed the problem. No locksmith necessary.
 
Javelin said:
This might help you. Take the battery out and leave for it be for an hour while you go get a fresh duracell battery. Replace and leave it sit for a few minutes after replacing. Then try it. My bet is your battery is getting weak or you're using a rayovak battery which doesn't have the juice to unlock. Duracell are the batteries with the most kick to get that lock to unlatch...

Now for the bad part. This will most likely get you into your safe but the problem will persist as your lock mechanism is failing. Contact canon safe company & get a key for that lock. The key slot is behind the numerical pad. Usually canon (or whatever maker of the safe) will sell them for $25.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I called Cannon and the Dealer multiple times now and never was told about this Key that goes in behind the kepad. I just checked to key pad and there's no slot for one either...

agbm said:
You should have been given a set of keys with the safe? The keys will allow you to gain access just in case the digital board malfunctions.
Owners manual: http://www.cannonsafe.com/media/manual_pdf/SafariOwnersManual.pdf
Click to expand...

This would've solved all of the problems but my Safe never came with the Said Key. Cannon customer service rep did not mention about this option for my safe either.

trevor300wsm said:
Three beeps on mine is a dead battery signal. It's a older Cannon.
Click to expand...

I only use Duracel Batteries and tried Several New ones and still it would not work...

dddoo7 said:
Is the keypad removable from the safe? If so...buy an identical keypad on eBay. Make sure they know the code. I had a friend have a keypad unit of out and he couldn't get in his safe. A new keypad was shipped to him and fixed the problem. No locksmith necessary.
Click to expand...

I have not try this yet but from the looks of it I don't think this one is that easy to change from the outside, I could be wrong. I will call Cannon tomorro again and ask about this backup key to see if there's even an option for one. Locksmith will be the last resort but this is definitely a Horrible Promblem to have at a Horrible Timming...

Thanks a lot everyone for your suggestions and responses!
 
Did you unscrew the front panel with the Phillips head screw, take out the battery and reach your fingers inside the panel push hard to remove face plate and look to see if there is a hole on the right hand side of the panel? It should have a plastic slot to put your key in there... My keys are long suckers. Not sure what lock you have exactly as there are many makers.
 
My Cannon safe would NOT lock a few weeks ago. I called Cannon (sounded like scripted overseas CS) and after about 2 minutes of her not understanding English and this problem not being in her data bank I hung up. The next day it finally LOCKED. You get what you pay for I guess. 20"x40"x5' FWIW
 
I always suggest a manual combination lock when buying a safe. They may be slower but they always open unless you quickly rather than slowly spin the dial. i know this is no help for you now but think about the slower combination dial in your next safe or when you do get it opened just sell it.
 
My Fort Knox did the same thing. They paid to have it "locksmith" opened, some kind of unusual malfunction
which took the guy 4 hours of cussing and drilling to get in. They had the most certifications of anyone in my
area so choose wisely for a locksmith, even the best can have trouble getting in your safe which is good to know.
Hopefully Cannon will pay your expenses. I am going to have a combo lock installed though, don't trust the
digitals any more, even though everyone says they are "more" reliable??
 
Javelin said:
Did you unscrew the front panel with the Phillips head screw, take out the battery and reach your fingers inside the panel push hard to remove face plate and look to see if there is a hole on the right hand side of the panel? It should have a plastic slot to put your key in there... My keys are long suckers. Not sure what lock you have exactly as there are many makers.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the instructions. I'm going to try this and report back!
 
Sometimes there is a sticker covering that screw. You're only removing the button faceplate and not the whole lock mechanism. :)
 
dddoo7 said:
Is the keypad removable from the safe? If so...buy an identical keypad on eBay. Make sure they know the code. I had a friend have a keypad unit of out and he couldn't get in his safe. A new keypad was shipped to him and fixed the problem. No locksmith necessary.
Click to expand...

that makes no sense. so you are saying you could take any keypad and open any safe as long as they are the same model keypads?
explain how that can be possible.
 
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mewillis said:
that makes no sense. so you are saying you could take any keypad and open any safe as long as they are the same model keypads?
I don't think so unless I'm missing something you are trying to say..........
Click to expand...

I don't know for sure. This is what worked for him and his safe. I don't know that it will work with all of them...but as long as the brand of keypad is the same I don't know why it won't work. Maybe I am missing something. This was a redhead safe...so nothing fancy.
 
White Mamba said:
Make sure the handle is cranked all the way clockwise as well. If I don't take the slop out and leave it counterclockwise it wont open
Click to expand...

When I got back from a vacation of my safe would not open. I tried a lot of things, new battery ect. still would not open. Too darn busy to call the dealer, each day I tried it as I walked past it. One day it finally opened. After It opened I took the lining off the inside of the door so I could watch the mechanism as I played with the lock. Their is a Pawl in a detant that has to slide to disengage. When the handle of the safe was positioned so that the edge of the pawl was in contact with the edge of the detant the friction held it enough so that the electronic mechanism would not disengage the pawl. I put some grease in the mechanism and it seems to work a lot better. But, I still play a bit with the handle wiggling it back and forth then leaving it in the center.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
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I've heard of guns falling against the door and wedging it so the mechanism wouldn't work. The fix for that is to get a ratchet strap and a piece of wood. Wrap the whole safe and put the piece of wood so it pushes the door in. Then give it a shot and see if the locks throw.

Sometimes you just need to take the pressure off the door and mechanism.
 
dddoo7 said:
Is the keypad removable from the safe? If so...buy an identical keypad on eBay. Make sure they know the code. I had a friend have a keypad unit of out and he couldn't get in his safe. A new keypad was shipped to him and fixed the problem. No locksmith necessary.
Click to expand...

The code isn't actually in the keypad. There's a second circuit board inside the safe that keeps the code. Otherwise anybody with the same model could open your safe with their code..

The solenoids go bad. If you have the key you can get in and replace components.
 
So I did a Detailed Examination of the Lock there's no places for a Backup Key and I seriously don't think I can take the lock apart and not break anything, at least not with my Skills. I will contact Cannon again to see what other "Advices" they have for me. Below is a link of what my Safe looks like and the Model Number of it. If nothing else I have no other choice but to call a dam smith and detroy this safe and hopefully get Cannon to cover it since it is under "Life Time Warranty" with them or so I was told...

Costco - Cannon Safe Safari 5940 Wide Body Firearm Safe customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings
 
HOGTOOTH5R said:
So I did a Detailed Examination of the Lock there's no places for a Backup Key and I seriously don't think I can take the lock apart and not break anything, at least not with my Skills. I will contact Cannon again to see what other "Advices" they have for me. Below is a link of what my Safe looks like and the Model Number of it. If nothing else I have no other choice but to call a dam smith and detroy this safe and hopefully get Cannon to cover it since it is under "Life Time Warranty" with them or so I was told...

Costco - Cannon Safe Safari 5940 Wide Body Firearm Safe customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings
Click to expand...

Those reviews are so good... Did you get the number plate off?
 
Javelin said:
Those reviews are so good... Did you get the number plate off?
Click to expand...

Nope not unless I break something in the process from how it looks. I'm going to talk to Cannon one more time before I go and do something irreverseable on my own. I don't want risk anything that would give them any reason to void my warranty and then I will Really be SOL...
 
Did you find the screw behind the sticker? Once you've unscrewed the Phillips head screw, take out the battery, & this is important... put 2 fingers inside the battery compartment and use your man hands to push the face plate forward towards you to pop off the numerical pad...

Edited lol

Seriously you've got to put some pressure on there as there is sometimes a bit of glue around the key pad edges where it contacts the main cylinder plastic housing.
 
Last edited:
Call tech support and have them walk you through it in case I'm missing something. It's not that hard once you realize how it is put together.
 
Watching this thread for the outcome....

I have two safes with the standard S&G lockset (mechanical) simply because electronics always fail at some point. Hopefully they left a back door to get in.
 
Javelin said:
Call tech support and have them walk you through it in case I'm missing something. It's not that hard once you realize how it is put together.
Click to expand...

Called the "Tech Support" today again and was pretty given the Cold Shoulder. Told me if the Master Code won't work then I'm pretty much Shit out of Luck. I asked them about the so called "Life Time Warranty" and he told me to read the dam fine prints. Supposedly the Warranty only covers Fire/Water Damage or some crap in that regard. The Lock only has 1 year parts warranty which is over. Told me I should call a Locksmith to get it openned and replace the Lock while I'm at all, of course this will be on my own dime as they will not cover any of this.

I've been screwed before but this one was just uncalled for. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CANNON SAFE PRODUCT PERIOD. For All Those whoes even Considering this Brand just Walk away and spend a little more and get a Peace of Mind! And No More Digital Locks Either!

I'm quoted $500 for Labor and Replacement Lock. The smith will be here tomorrow to "Fix" it. I will let you guys now after it's fixed. Thanks for all the Help and Responses Guys! I really appreciate all of the Love and Support from this Forum!

Sincerely

Peter Z
 
HOGTOOTH5R said:
Called the "Tech Support" today again and was pretty given the Cold Shoulder. Told me if the Master Code won't work then I'm pretty much Shit out of Luck. I asked them about the so called "Life Time Warranty" and he told me to read the dam fine prints. Supposedly the Warranty only covers Fire/Water Damage or some crap in that regard. The Lock only has 1 year parts warranty which is over. Told me I should call a Locksmith to get it openned and replace the Lock while I'm at all, of course this will be on my own dime as they will not cover any of this.

I've been screwed before but this one was just uncalled for. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CANNON SAFE PRODUCT PERIOD. For All Those whoes even Considering this Brand just Walk away and spend a little more and get a Peace of Mind! And No More Digital Locks Either!

I'm quoted $500 for Labor and Replacement Lock. The smith will be here tomorrow to "Fix" it. I will let you guys now after it's fixed. Thanks for all the Help and Responses Guys! I really appreciate all of the Love and Support from this Forum!

Sincerely

Peter Z
Click to expand...

Peter what things did you try?
 
diverdon said:
Peter what things did you try?
Click to expand...

Multiple Batteries (Different Brands from Different Stores). Take out old battery let it sit while pushing the buttons to drain all of the power then insert fresh battery (Instructions from Cannon)
Master Codes from Cannon.
No slot for backup key
No screws showing anywhere under the cover. Tried to pry open the cover and only wires are exposed. Keypad stayed with the cover unit. No access inside of the Safe wall. Don't want to go any further since I know anything I do probably won't fix it. The warranty is expired anyways and by breaking the cover I've voided whatever warranty I could've claim.
 
It's times and issues like these that I am glad I went with a Liberty safe (and an old school tumbler lock, which they recommended over the digital)...
 
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Seriously, Cannon cheaper out and didn't include a backup key on an electronic locking model? WTF:confused:

Sucks to hear, unfortunately it is yet another painful lesson on why those electronic locks suck. Sounds like it is time to call a locksmith to have it drilled and fitted with a new lock.
 
If the lock is good and hosed with new battery, you could try rapping on the door with a sand filled mallet or maybe your fist with a sharp blow. Reason being some lock mechanisms may be sticking and a hard strike may free it up to open. If you have a cheap safe with thin skin steel, be sure not to do it too hard to dent the thing.

If the smith comes out, make sure they can work on electronic locks and have correct gear so they don't butcher your safe. Ideally, they'll have a spare keypad they will try first as that often is the next easiest thing to do after a battery swap.

Most gun safes are easy to drill open with correct tools and should not take more than 5-30 minutes tops to open. Have them replace the lock with a mechanical for better reliability.
 
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Shouldn't the ball bearing plate make drilling a safe pretty useless? Or is that a gimmick?
 
I had this happen on a Sentry rifle safe. Sentry paid for the local locksmith to come out and check on it, and then paid the locksmith to replace the whole electronic dial mechanism. The mechanism just went out. Check if Cannon will do the same.
 
Not same brand, but I had an electronic keypad fail on a gun safe with the door locked shut. Got a replacement keypad, used my old code, and it worked. Since then, I bought an extra keypad for ~$30 as a backup in case it ever happens again.

What I don't remember was whether I spoke with only the safe manufacturer, or also the digital lock manufacturer. But I do remember that I had to prove that I owned the safe by faxing or mailing a copy of the original sales receipt.

Basically, if the digital keypad failed, it can be replaced and your own original code can be used.

And FWIW, my brother had an old style manual combination dial lock fail, and had no options except to get a locksmith. A digital electronic keypad can be user replaced in a minute or two.
 
JMGlasgow said:
Apex,

His warranty is expired. They won't pay for a locksmith. He stated that in an earlier post.
Click to expand...

Sorry, didn't see that one. Just read it. Locksmith is the best to get it taken care of, looks like the OP already has a locksmith scheduled.
 
I've worked in a lot of places, almost all of them required the use of a combination lock to get in them. Even today that holds true. In addition to that, are the (literally) hundreds of safes we use for storage of items. Talk about trying to remember combos (there's a reason there's a magnetic picture of a phone pad on these things; you remember code words that translate into numbers for them versus combination numbers).

In all of the 20+ years now of working in these environments, I have only seen one mechanical/non-electronic tumbler combo (Sergeants & Greenleaf) fail. Fortunately, it was on an alternate entry door, so was easily replaced. The electronic locks however, I have seen fail time and time again. Once, it was on a single entrance door to an area that was previously a SAC command post headquarters (think cave, nuclear hardened, massive steel vault door, no way around it). We waited 3 days until they could get a crew in (with the right clearances) to pull the vault door (but hey, we got three days of leave free, since we couldn't get to our work).

I've seen probably eight of the electronic locks just give up the ghost. No doubt, they are easier to open (hey if you miss the number, just keep going around until you hit it again), but just not worth the risk to me for my own personal safe. S&G tumbler lock for me...
 
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