There are plenty of myths about safes. Some can lead people to make the wrong choices about security and fire protection. At NW Safe, we hear these misconceptions every day, from backup keys and electronic locks to safe weight, fire ratings, vault doors, and burglary protection. In this guide, we break down some of the most common safe myths and explain what really matters when choosing and protecting a safe.
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Episode 73 Topics
00:00 – Backup Keys Aren’t Always a Good Thing
03:08 – Why Lock Quality Matters Over Time
06:52 – Magnets and “Master Codes” Don’t Open Every Safe
10:31 – External Hinges Aren’t a Security Weakness
12:49 – Taking the Safe Door Off Usually Isn't Easier
15:05 – Yes, Heavy Safes Can Go on Wood Floors
18:11 – Bolting Down Your Safe Makes a Big Difference
25:18 – Concrete Isn't Just Cheap Safe Filler
28:58 – There's More Behind a Vault Door Than You See
33:09 – There Is No Single “Best” Safe Brand
Episode 73 Discussion Synopsis
00:00 – Backup Keys Aren’t Always a Good Thing
There are a lot of myths about safes, even though safes may seem like fairly simple products. At NW Safe, we hear many of the same misconceptions from customers, online comments, and people calling our stores. One of the biggest involves electronic locks and backup keys.
People often see a backup key as an added safety feature. They assume that if the electronic lock stops working, they can simply use the key to open the safe. For a small pistol safe, a backup key may make sense. But for a full-size home or gun safe, we generally recommend staying away from electronic locks that rely on key backups.
The quality electronic locks we offer use an external battery. That means the battery can be replaced without opening the safe. The lock also remembers the combination when the battery is changed.
In our experience, a backup key on a full-size safe can actually be a warning sign. These systems are often found on lower-cost safes with lower-quality electronic locks. The manufacturer includes a key because the electronic lock may eventually fail.
A good safe should not need a backup key to make up for an unreliable lock.
Learn why a key bypass makes your gun safe extremely vulnerable. Simply put, a gun safe with a key bypass is a security threat.
03:08 – Why Lock Quality Matters Over Time
Another problem with many inexpensive electronic locks is that they do not use a standard lock footprint. Many quality safes from manufacturers such as Liberty, Fort Knox, and American Security use a standard lock mounting pattern. This makes servicing or replacing the lock much easier later.
With some lower-cost locks, that isn't the case. Manufacturers may change lock suppliers or designs. Years later, finding a replacement can become difficult. A safe technician may need to drill and tap new holes just to install a better lock.
That can turn a small upfront savings into a much larger repair bill. There can also be security concerns. Some inexpensive locks use simple solenoid systems, reset buttons, or other parts that may be easier to bypass.
Service is another issue. We regularly hear from people who purchased inexpensive safes online or from large retailers, only to discover that the manufacturer is no longer in business when something breaks.
When a safe does need service, choosing the right technician matters. A qualified safe technician may be able to open and repair a safe without destroying it. If someone immediately says the only option is to cut a large hole in the safe, we recommend getting another opinion.
There are three types of gun safe locks: biometric locks, keypad locks, and mechanical locks. Each type has its own, unique advantages. The following are our top picks for each type.
06:52 – Magnets and “Master Codes” Don’t Open Every Safe
We regularly see videos and comments claiming that electronic safes can be opened with a strong magnet. There is some truth behind this myth, but only for certain inexpensive designs.
A powerful magnet may be able to move the solenoid inside some cheaper pistol safes or lower-quality electronic safes. That does not mean the same trick works on a quality safe equipped with a UL-listed lock.
We also hear another common claim: electronic safe locks have a universal master code that can open every safe. That isn't how quality electronic safe locks work. Some locks may have a reset or recovery process, but any recovery information is tied to the specific lock or safe. There isn't one magic code that someone can enter into every electronic lock.
There are good reasons manufacturers have recovery procedures. People forget combinations. Owners pass away without leaving the combination with their families. These situations happen all the time.
However, someone cannot simply call us and ask for access information. Proof of ownership and other documentation may be required. Depending on the situation, additional verification may also be necessary. That's why we encourage safe owners to make a plan for their combination and access information. Make sure the right person can legally access the safe when necessary.
10:31 – External Hinges Aren’t a Security Weakness
Another myth we hear is that external hinges make a safe easy to break into.
The argument sounds reasonable: if the hinges are outside, couldn't a thief simply cut them off? Yes, someone could cut the hinges. But that doesn't mean the door will open. Quality safes use active or fixed locking bolts to hold the door in place. Those bolts continue securing the door even if the external hinges are damaged or removed.
In fact, some of the highest-security safes in the world use external hinges. We often prefer external hinges for practical reasons. They can provide a wider door opening and better access to the safe's interior.
Internal hinges also require space inside the safe body. That can create hinge pockets where there may be less fire-protection material. Depending on the safe's design, those areas can become potential hot spots during a fire.
There are quality safes with internal hinges, but buyers shouldn't assume internal hinges automatically provide better security. The overall construction of the safe matters much more than where the hinges are located.
12:49 – Taking the Safe Door Off Usually Isn't Easier
Whenever people see us moving a heavy safe, someone usually asks why we don't simply remove the door first. We can remove safe doors, and sometimes we have to. For example, a very heavy commercial safe may exceed an elevator's weight limit when fully assembled. Removing the door can allow us to move the safe body and door separately.
But for most residential safe moves, taking off the door creates more problems than it solves.
Safe doors are extremely heavy and awkward. Once removed, they have a narrow balance point and can be difficult to control. Removing and reinstalling some doors can also take considerable time.
Certain internal-hinge designs can be especially difficult. Getting the door properly aligned again may require additional work, and there is always a risk of damaging the safe's finish while handling it.
There are smaller safes where removing the door can make sense, especially when carrying the safe by hand. But with many full-size gun safes, the weight savings simply isn't worth the added work. If a safe is too heavy to move with basic equipment, we recommend hiring professional safe movers instead of trying to take the safe apart.
15:05 – Yes, Heavy Safes Can Go on Wood Floors
Many homeowners worry that a 500- or 1,000-pound safe is automatically too heavy for a wood floor. In our experience, that usually isn't the case.
Weight is distributed across the bottom of the safe. Homes also regularly support other heavy loads, including furniture, full bathtubs, appliances, and groups of people standing in the same area. Over the years, our crews have installed tens of thousands of safes. Many have weighed 1,000 pounds or more and have been placed on wood floors or upper levels.
We've even had safes weighing close to 2,000 pounds successfully installed on wood subfloors when the structure was appropriate.
That doesn't mean every floor can support every safe. The age, condition, construction, and location of the floor all matter. Our installers sometimes arrive at a home and determine that a particular location isn't safe. Stairs can also have structural problems that make a move unsafe.
For unusually heavy safes or questionable structures, homeowners should consult a builder or structural engineer. This is also one reason professional safe installation matters. Experienced installers know what warning signs to look for before moving thousands of pounds through a home.
What to know about second story gun safe installations, which gun safes you can put on the second floor, and what it takes to safely move it up (or down) a flight of stairs.
18:11 – Bolting Down Your Safe Makes a Big Difference
One of the most frustrating myths we hear is that a heavy safe doesn't need to be bolted down. Some owners believe their safe is simply too heavy for a thief to move. Others say, “If they can take it, they can have it.”
We strongly disagree.
A safe is there to protect firearms, valuables, documents, and other important belongings. If bolting it down can make it harder to steal or attack, there is little reason to skip that added protection. People often underestimate how quickly a determined thief can move a heavy safe. Unlike a professional safe mover, a burglar doesn't care about damaging the safe, walls, floors, stairs, or doors. A safe can be tipped over, dragged, pushed down stairs, or forced through an opening.
Bolting also makes some safes harder to pry open. An attacker can gain more leverage when a safe is lying on its back. Keeping it securely anchored can make that type of attack more difficult.
Whenever the installation allows it, we recommend bolting a safe down. It is one of the simplest ways to dramatically improve the security of a safe you already own. We've seen examples where safes did not perform anywhere close to their advertised ratings during independent testing.
That's why the highest advertised fire rating doesn't automatically mean the best fire protection. This ties into an even bigger myth: all safes are basically the same. They aren't.
A lock, handle, and heavy-looking door don't tell you how much protection you're actually getting. Safe construction can vary greatly from one model to another. More importantly, the safe should match what you're protecting. Someone storing more than $100,000 in valuables needs a very different level of security than someone protecting a few important documents and a couple of firearms.
Do your research, understand the construction, and choose a safe that provides the right level of protection for the value inside.
Discover why you should bolt down your safe, the dangers of not bolting down a safe, and our go-to alternative if bolts aren’t an option.
25:18 – Concrete Isn't Just Cheap Safe Filler
We also hear people say that concrete or composite material inside a safe is simply cheap filler and that manufacturers should use more steel instead. That misses an important part of how high-security safes are built.
Composite construction can provide both fire and burglary protection. Compared with a plate-steel safe, a thick composite wall can offer much more material for an attacker to work through. Think about an angle grinder. On a thin sheet-metal gun safe, the cutting wheel may be able to cut directly through the steel. A plate-steel safe is much harder, but the cutting wheel can still reach through the material if enough time and the right tools are available.
A composite wall can be several inches thick. A cutting wheel may not even have enough depth to make it through the entire wall.
There can also be much more inside the wall than concrete. Depending on the manufacturer, composite materials can include steel mesh, ceramic pieces, and other materials designed to make attacks more difficult.
The concrete itself isn't necessarily the same material used for a basic home project, either. High-security manufacturers can use much stronger mixes.
Different tools also react differently to these materials. A cutting torch that works against plate steel may perform poorly against a thick composite barrier. That's why more steel doesn't automatically mean more security. The entire construction of the safe has to be considered.
28:58 – There's More Behind a Vault Door Than You See
We get a surprising number of comments on our vault door installation videos from people who think they could simply break through the wall next to the door. What viewers don't always see is what's behind the finished wall.
Whenever possible, we like installing a vault door directly into concrete. But homeowners usually don't want bare concrete walls throughout a finished room. Concrete can be covered with drywall, trim, or other finishes, making the room look like a normal part of the home.
Wood framing visible in a video doesn't necessarily mean the entire vault room is made from standard wood framing, either. There may be reinforced steel, plywood, ballistic panels, concrete block, or other materials hidden behind the finished surface.
We have also installed vault doors in wood-framed rooms. These rooms serve a different purpose than a true concrete vault. Just like safes, vault rooms can provide different levels of protection.
The important thing is matching the door to the structure. You don't want to spend heavily reinforcing a room and then make the door the weakest point.
This is part of why we try to show real-world testing and explain what different products can actually withstand. Most safes aren't UL-rated burglary safes, which can make it difficult for buyers to understand how much cutting or attack resistance they're really getting.
Our goal is to give people realistic expectations so they can choose the right level of protection for what they're storing.
33:09 – There Is No Single “Best” Safe Brand
We often get asked which manufacturer makes the best safe. There isn't one answer. Nearly every major manufacturer offers several levels of safes. A company's high-end model can perform very differently from its entry-level products.
We saw this firsthand with safes recovered after the Spokane fires. An American Security BF model performed extremely well. But that doesn't mean every American Security safe will provide the same level of fire protection. Different models use different materials and construction methods.
The right safe also depends on where it is going. Someone who needs strong fire protection in an upstairs bedroom may need a lighter safe than someone installing a high-security safe on a concrete garage floor.
Budget matters too. Certain manufacturers offer excellent choices at one price point but may not be our first recommendation at another. That's why questions like “Is Champion better than Liberty?” or “Who makes the best safe?” don't have simple answers.
We start by asking what you need to protect, where the safe will be installed, what threats concern you, and what your budget looks like. From there, we can recommend a safe that fits those specific goals.
The same principle applies to many of the myths we've discussed. Bigger locking bolts don't automatically make a better safe. A higher fire-rating sticker doesn't always mean better fire protection. More steel doesn't automatically mean better burglary protection.
Instead of focusing on one feature or brand name, look at the safe as a complete security system and choose the level of protection that matches what you're putting inside.