40 KEYNOTES APRIL 2023 WWW.ALOA.ORG a bank’s corporate offices, so I assume there are no unknown issues; just safes with no code and a remote-mounted lock. In most cases, the lock body is directly behind the keypad or dial. For an elec- tronic lock, simply follow the wire and ID the keypad and lock body, and you’re all set. Even in cases where the electronic lock is not mounted directly behind the spindle hole, with a scope and some bent wire, you can estimate where the lock is mounted on the door and start there. A mechanical dial is similar, but unless you know the handing of the lock, you have a one-in-four chance of drilling it in the right spot. A little searching under safes of the same manufacturer may reveal a pattern or preference for a particu- lar handing, but an educated guess is still a guess. Fortunately, even if you’re wrong, the numbers can be transferred to the correct drop-in location with the use of an emergency dial and a great deal of patience. These two safes are perfect for this experiment because they present the worst-case scenario for an unknown safe: a blank door with a handle. I don’t even have a spindle hole to work with. If I wanted to, I suppose I could flip the safe on its back and peek through the bolt holes in the bottom, but I’m trying to sim- ulate a real-world experience. If I really wanted to make this more like being in the field, I could ask my wife to hover too close over me and ask stupid questions like, “Have you seen The Italian Job?” or “Where is your stethoscope?” Or perhaps diagnose the problem over my shoulder with: “Feels like the handle is jammed” or “The tumblers must be misaligned.” (And after telling me all this, offers me some C4 to finish the job.) As I want to concentrate and analyze the process I go through, I opt not to go with either of these options. I started with a smaller RCM1000 safe. My first instinct when tackling an un- known unit is to side drill. This will give me the best view of the insides to deter- mine what I’m working with, with the added bonus of not having to deal with hardplate should I actually drill near enough to the lock to hit it. The chal- lenge is to place the hole between the back cover and the lock mounting plate, as sometimes this can be a very narrow win- dow. This safe is installed in an outer shell held in place by a Medeco cam lock. I was gifted a gigantic ring of keys from the manufacturer years ago to make work- ing on these easier, so I actually would have access to the sides were this a real- world job. This also makes hiding the holes easier since it will be concealed be- hind the outer shell once reinstalled and locked in place. Sizing Up the Opponent As with any fight, you have to size up your opponent. I like to start by gaug- ing the thickness of the door and locat- ing the bolts when possible. By using a folded piece of paper, I can work it into the open edge of the door. Then, by slid- ing it up and down its length, I can get a rough idea of where the bolts are located. Also, by going straight into the open edge until I hit the frame stop, I can figure out how thick the door is too. Using this method, I determine the door is about 3/8" thick, and I was able to locate two bolts and roughly determine their thickness (Figure 3). After getting the safe open, I discovered there was a third bolt near the bottom that I had missed (Figure 4). This goes to show that this is a very im- precise method, but it will get the job done in a pinch. Keep in mind there are some safes this will not work on: fire safes that have an interlocking frame and door, full-length bolts and doors with anti-pry pins. Also, Figure 3. The author was able to locate two bolts and roughly determine their thickness. Figure 4. After getting the safe open, the author discovered a third bolt near the bottom that he had missed.
