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Antique Safes/TITAN II safe mfg. by GARY Safe Co.

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Expert: - 10/19/2009


Question
Good evening, we recently found a floor safe in the garage.  Can you date the safe by the serial number?  (14859)  This is a GARY safe not a Cary safe, so there will be no confusion....  The house was built in 1963 if that helps?  As far as acquiring the combination, a safe technician is what we have read in the previous Q and A's...   The cylinder only moves about an 1/8" either way, is there a key or trick to release the cylinder so that it may spin freely?  Thank you, Elliott.

Answer
Elliot,

The Gary Safe Company, City of Industry, CA was in business from the late 1950's until they merged with Allied Security in Seattle to form Allied-Gary in the late 1970's.  As there are no records available (to my knowledge) that would identify the manufacturing date by serial number, you will just have to extrapolate.  Most companies were making in the 3000 to 5000 safes per year range, so this would place yours at around 3-5 years after the company began.  Assuming they began around 1959 (I don't have the exact date), that would put the date of your safe between 1962 to 1964.  Since the house was built in 1963, this would coincide rather nicely.

Question:  Does the dial have a key hole in it?  If not then you may have a frozen dial or lock.  Sounds like you need a safe technician to work on the safe, especially if you do not have a working combination.

Andy

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Terry V Andreasen (Andy)

Expertise

Safe and Vault related Questions; Antique Safe Repair and Restoration; With over 40 years in the Safe & Vault industry, if I can't answer your question I know where to get the answer. Current Project: Restoration of two Tilton & McFarland Safes from the 1860's. Will answer Safe & Vault related questions concerning age, value, restoration, moving, opening & repairing, parts, operation and history. Note: It is not my intention to teach you to open safes or to provide information which may aid in the unlawful opening of a safe. I will not give out drill points or information which I deem inappropriate.

Experience

40 years in the Safe & Vault Industry. Service Manager for one of the largest Safe & Vault companies on the West Coast. Graduate of Lockmasters Safe Lock Servicing, Safe lock Manipulation and Safe Deposit Lock Courses. Graduate of Locksmith Institute. Certified Instructor for the California Locksmith Association teaching Basic and Advanced Lock Servicing, Basic Safe opening and Repairing. Factory Trained by AMSEC, LORD Safes, LeFebure, Mosler, KabaMas, LaGard and Sargent & Greenleaf

Organizations
Safecrackers International and the National Antique Safe Association

Education/Credentials
Graduate of Locksmith Institute 1972 Graduate Lockmasters Safe Lock Servicing 1974 Graduate Lockmasters Safe Lock Manipulation 1975 Graduate Lockmasters Safe Deposit Lock Servicing 1985 Instructor Certified - California Locksmith Association - 1985 Factory trained by AMSEC, MAJOR, STAR, Johnson-Pacific, Kaba-MAS, Allied-Gary, ISM, Lord, Brown Safe, EXL, Mosler, Diebold.

Awards and Honors
2009, 2010 & 2011 Listed in AllExperts top 50 Experts. All Experts Categories - Safes & Security Containers, Locksmithing, Antique Safes. Retired US Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer (CW3), with 32 years of total service. With numerous awards from Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. US Navy - 1971-1981 US Army Reserve 1984-2006 US Army Retired Reserve 2006-present

Past/Present Clients
US Secret Service, FBI, BATF, Local Law enforcment agencies, Diebold, Hamilton Pacific, Red Hawk Int., Chubb International, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, Mechanics Bank, El Dorado Savings Bank, many Credit unions and smaller banks. McDonalds, Togos, BurgerKing, TacoBell, Carls Jr. FoodMaxx, SaveMart, Lucky's, Albertson's, Raley's, Safeway, NobHill, Bell Markets, PW Markets. Great America, Century Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, UA Cinemas, and many homeowners and small businesses. Provide warranty service for lock and safe manufactures. Service area is Northern California - Fresno to Oregon, including western Nevada

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