Safe Education

Lock Ratings Explained & List of Lock Options

Customers are generally not aware there are lock options when it comes to buying a safe. At most, they may think they can choose between an old fashioned “dial” or “mechanical” lock and a new “digital” or “electronic” lock. Visitors to most safe showrooms may even walk away with this perception intact, however the truth is there are many different locks made for specific purposes.

For most users, a simple dial or digital lock will suffice. Generally, the digital lock offers a little more security and ease of access while the mechanical lock offers reliability and the only true EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) resistance available*. A good rule of thumb is if you are going to access the safe more than once a week, go digital. If not, go mechanical. Likewise, unless you have a specific need, the standard locks offered are probably your best bet.

There are several neat features advanced locks offer, and most safes that accept a common “Group 2” pattern lock can be retrofitted with these locks, regardless of manufacturer:

  • A mechanical Group 2M lock offers excellent resistance to a common type of attack on mechanical safes — called a manipulation attack — for minimal additional cost.
  • A Digital/Mechanical combination lock like the ProLogic eXtreme series by SecuRam or the LP RotoBolt Redundant Lock can give you the best of both the digital and mechanical worlds.

Do you have multiple safe users?

Advanced digital locks allow different access codes for different users.  Some advanced functions include:

  • Multiple Users/Audit Trails – Know exactly who did what and when.
  • Multiple Safe Doors – Have a “safe in a safe”.  Kids can open the safe door, but the smaller inner safe can only be opened by Mom and Dad.
  • Integrate With Home Security System – Safe can only be opened when the home alarm is off.
  • Duress Alarm – Being forced to open a safe?  The safe can set off the home alarm for you – silently or with the alarm.
  • Remote Access – To be clear, you will NEVER be able to open a safe remotely.    However, you can remotely add/delete users, view audit logs and with the Cash Wizard even view the cash balances in the safe itself.
  • Time Lock – Safe can only be opened during specific times during the week.  This can be setup with or without managerial overrides.
  • Plus Many, Many More Options – There is scarcely a thing you would want to do with a safe lock that can not be done.  Please reach out to us if you have a specific need.
A quick note on “EMP Resistance.” Because of the mechanisms by which EMP’s damage electronics, most small electronics (like phones, smart-watches and safe locks) have a great deal of intrinsic “EMP Resistance.” The problem is, we’ve never been attacked using an EMP weapon, they have never been adequately tested to judge their effects and the source of the single largest risk of EMP damage – the sun – has never given us an indication as to what level of protection is needed. In summation; if you desire complete EMP resistance only a mechanical lock (or dual mechanical/digital lock) will suffice – or a redundant boltwork safe like the Amsec Redundant Boltwork Series; if you’re not concerned specifically about EMP resistance then most digital locks already come with a fair amount just by the nature of their design and don’t worry about specific performance claims.

UL Lock Ratings Explained

Hand opening a manual lock with a combination

Mechanical Combination Locks Can Have The Following UL Ratings:

  • Group 2:  A basic 3-wheel combination locks, common on most safes.
  • Group 2M:   3-wheel or 4-wheel combination locks with Manipulation Resistance.
  • Group 1: A better 3-wheel or 4-wheel combination locks with Robust Manipulation
  • Resistance.
  • Group 1R: Abetter 3-wheel or 4-wheel combination locks with Robust Manipulation Resistance and Radiological Resistance (X-Ray proof)
Hand entering combination on a digital lock

Electronic (Digital) Locks have ratings of Type 2 and Type 1

  • Type 2 Digital Locks:  Equivalent to Mechanical UL Group 2M
  • Type 1 Digital Locks:  Equivalent to Mechanical UL Group 1R

Notes:

  • Manipulation Resistance is the application of various mechanical methods to prevent conventional manipulation techniques.
  • X-Ray resistance was developed to prevent someone from "looking through the door face with an x-ray machine and using the image to decipher the combination.
  • Digital Locks are Manipulation Resistant by employing long penalty lockout periods for incorrect opening attempts.
  • Digital Locks are inherently radiological resistant as you can not see the combination stored digitally in a memory chip.

Standard Locks On Liberty Safes

Mechanical Locks

  • S&G UL Listed 6741 Mechanical Lock (No Key Locking Dial) Standard on Liberty Centurion
  • S&G UL Listed 6741 Mechanical Lock (With Key Locking Dial)  Standard on Liberty Colonial Series and Franklin Series.
  • S&G 6730 Group 2 Mechanical Lock (With Key Locking Dial)  More than two hours of manipulation resistance (Per S&G). Standard on Liberty Lincoln Series and Above, Including All National Classic, Plus and Magnum Safes.

Digital Locks

  • SecuRam TopLit Electronic Lock Optional on Liberty Centurion  Standard on Liberty USA
  • SecuRam BackLit Electronic Lock
  • SecuRam ProLogic Electronic Lock (Optional On All Liberty Lines Franklin & Above)

Combination Locks

(Both Mechanical & Digital)

  • SecuRam Secure Logic eXtreme

Standard Locks On American Security Safes

As a commercial security company, American Security offers a wide range of locks from AMSEC, LP Locks, S&G, LaGard and Kaba.   If do not see a specific lock you are interested, please contact us.

Mechanical Locks

  • UL Group 2 Mechanical Lock Front Read (With or Without Key Lock)
  • UL Group 2 Mechanical Lock Spy-Proof Dial, With or Without Key Lock (Standard on BF Series Safes)
  • UL Group 2M Mechanical Lock (Standard on TL Rated Safes)
  • 144 Hour Time Lock

Digital Locks

  • AMSEC ESL5 – (Found on Defense Vault).  Basic Electronic Lock.
  • AMSEC ESL 10XL – Basic Electronic Lock.  Standard Upgrade On All Safes.
  • AMSEC ESL 20XL – Advanced Electronic Lock.  Up to 8 users. Time Delay, Optional Duress Alarm.  Please See Manual Here For Full Features.
  • AMSEC ESL Audit II – Advanced Electronic Lock.  Up to 40 users, Time Delay, Time Lock, Alarm Integration.  2000 Event Audit Trail. Please See Manual Here For Full Features.
  • AMSEC ESL SafeWizard II – Most Advanced Safe Lock On The Planet.  Networkable, Cloud Accessable (Can Not Open Remotely). Controls Up To 12 Doors, 120,000 Event Audi Trail.  Please See Manual Here For Full Features.
  • AMSEC ESL CashWizard II – Most Advanced Safe Lock On The Planet.  Networkable, Cloud Accessible (Can Not Open Remotely). Controls Up To 12 Doors, 120,000 Event Audi Trail.  Please See Manual Here For Full Features.  Comes On CashWizard Safes Only.
  • S&G Titan – 8 Digit Combination.  Optional Duress Alarm. 9 Users.
  • LaGard Basic – Basic Electronic Lock For Those Who Prefer/Currently Use LaGard.
  • LaGard ComboGard – 8 Users, Time Delay, 60 Event Audit Trail.
  • LaGard AuditGard – 1 User, Time Delay, 500 Event Time/Date Audit Trail.
  • LaGard SmartLinc – Manager + 8 Users, Control Up to 5 Doors, Please See Manual Here For Full Features.
  • Kaba AudiCon 52 – Self Generating/Battery. 2 Users, Time Delay.
  • Kaba AudiCon 252 – Self Generating.  20 Users, 100 Event Audit Trail. Please See Manual Here For Full Features.
  • Kaba AuditCon 552 – Self Generating.  99 Users, 400 Event. Audit Trail.Please See Manual Here For Full Features.

Combination Locks

(Both Mechanical & Digital)

  • LP Locks Rotobolt – Dual Digital & Mechanical Lock
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