Victor Patents 1904 Safe

[Elya]

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Hi Andy,

I read some of your other Q&As and was hoping you could help me with a 1904 Victor Patents Safe. It has not been opened in almost 20 years and I don't have the combo either - no idea if there is anything inside. I have attached some pictures, but this is a larger safe - 22" x 23" x 27" high(not including the wheels). The 100 number dial is stamped with 308401 on it. I read that some of this company's safes engaged the bolts with the dial itself - this is not one of those. It has a separate handle to retract the bolts.

It had a very old label adhered to the front with some writing on it. I couldn't make much out, but it appeared to have ' L1 R54' written on it(couldn't make out the rest). Could that have been part of the combination?

Besides hiring a safe cracker is there anything I can try to open this? When I turn the dial I can hear and feel a lot going on inside. Can that be used to guess at potential combinations?

From other posts I've read that the dialing sequence would be 4 turns to the left to the first number, then 3 to the right to the second number, then 2 to the left to the final number, then 1 to the right to the fixed unlock number. Is that right?

When we say 4 turns to the left, does that mean 4 complete revolutions of the dial, or 3 complete revolutions, hitting the combination number on the 4th revolution?

And which way would the handle turn to unlock the safe? Towards or away from the dial?

Finally - I see you're on the west coast - can I ask what city? I am in the Bay Area and woud love to hire someone to crack this(without drilling ideally). Thanks for any insight you could provide.

Cheers,

-Alex

[Mansell]

Alex,

This is a "SMALL" personal or small business safe for use in document protection(Fire Resistance".

While this was built under a 1904 patent, your safe was actually built in the mid 1920's(1920-1926).

Generally people do not abandon safes with "stuff" inside, with the exception of a death in the family.  Chances are there isn't anything inside.

The noises that you hear, coming from the lock are simply mechanical noises, and DO NOT indicate the combination - unlike movies on TV - the clicks do not indicate the combination.

The dialing sequence for your safe would be:

4 times left to the first number,

3 times right to the second number,

2 times left to the third number,

1 time right until the dial stops.

NOTE:  Left is counter clockwise, Right is clockwise.  DO NOT count the revolutions of the dial, count the individual number as it arrives at the 12 o'clock index mark.

As people do write "stuff" on safes, it could part of a combination, or it could be something else.  

Without having a combination, your options are limited to trying all of the possible combinations until you find the right one, or having a safe technician open the safe for you.  While manipulation is very possible on this safe, manipulation is also NOT guaranteed, which means that you MAY wind up paying for the service NOT the result.

Opening the safe by drilling, when done by a professional safe technician will result in a very small hole, less than 1/4", which is easily repairable and does NO damage to the safe or the lock.

Our shop IS in the Bay Area - Hayward, and we can open the safe for you.  I may have a couple options for you so feel free to give me a call to discuss your safe.  510-732-8710