Bounce a Safe Open (Bumping)

I have spent many hours both in the showroom and on the telephone fielding questions about small electronic solenoid safes and their ability to resist attempts by a thieves to open them. I have seen a proliferation of these safes with the majority being sold by Hardware and Liquidation stores. It is a very disturbing to see them advertised as either a Security safe or Safe as they offer very little if any resistance to a physical attack which is what safes were originally designed to do.

I purchased the demo safe for $39.95 and the rubber mallet for $7.00, I then cut a sizeable hole in the back to enable viewing the mechanism whilst I attacked it. The metal body measures just 2mm thick and would simply bend or fold if a small lump or sledge hammer were used. I chose to use the rubber mallet to demonstrate how easy it is to open this type of safe which leaves no evidence of damage. I could have just smashed it open however a business using one of these safes which is opened without damage has far greater ramifications . 

I then removed the panel covering the lock mechanism and placed the locked safe on a solid wooden bench. In a typical situation the safe would be bolted down which I believe would not make bouncing it open any more difficult. Using Sir Isaac Newton's principle which states for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction I bounced the safe open after about nine or so sharp blows to the top of the safe. After a few practice sessions I perfected the technique so I could open the safe with a maximum of 3 hits.

In the picture below you can see the circuit board, the key override lock, the sprung loaded solenoid, the boltwork, and the battery pack laying on the bottom of the safe. When the safe is struck firmly on the top the resultant kinetic energy is transferred through the body and door to the solenoid which then retracts momentarily. Because I am holding a small amount of pressure against the solenoid with the boltwork it then passes over the solenoid at this moment.

I strongly urge people who are using these safes to remove all valuables from them and seek an alternative solution. I regularly see clients who have lost all their valuables after these safes have been breached. Typically people gather their precious possessions and place them inside the safe, unfortunately when the safe is then breached the criminal gets a much bigger booty than if they had them hidden around their house.

When buying a safe, life jacket or any item which in an emergency will perform a critical role, do extensive research and most importantly talk to those who know. Hardware staff do a great job knowing a little bit about the thousands of lines in these stores but they do not possess the knowledge to correctly advise you about the best safe for your particular circumstance. I am also willing to put my money where my mouth is and I invite you to bring your solenoid safe in where if I cannot open it within 10 hits of my mallet I will give you $20. However if I do get it open I ask you give me $10.

I have a vested interest in seeing these safes removed from the marketplace however after 28 years inthe industry I am also here for the long haul and I do not want to see the safe industry driven by individuals who are pedaling second rate products to an ill informed public.

Click here do see the safe bumped 3 times (475 mb)
Click here do see the safe bumped 2 times (474 mb)
Click here do see the safe bumped 1 time (476 mb)
Click here do see the Video footage from inside (475 mb)
Click here do see another view of the Video footage from inside (475 mb)