Electronic unlocking mech on Gun Safe: Survive an EMP?

[Hunterpeaks]

O.k., so I am reading the book, "One Second After", which describes the world after an EMP goes off, killing the grid and all electronic gadgets. Quite fascinating and a good, quick read. And certainly makes you realize how posh our life has become.

Got me thinking though.... I have a Heritage safe with the electronic lock mech on it. Does anyone know if this would survive an EMP(electro-magnetic pulse)? Because if it can't, then a bunch of us would be really screwed as we'd have no access to our defensive weapons.

Any experts out there?

And if it can't, then anyone know if I could somehow retro-fit this thing with a tumbler lock mech?

Thanks.

[southjk]

I wondered the same thing when I got my safe and saw something along these lines when I researched it.

To generate an EMP with a high enough V/M to fry the tiny wiring in an electronic lock
you would have to be close enough to receive the equivalent high dose of ionizing radiation .

After that , getting into your safe is going to be the least of your worries

[jimbob86]

As I understand it, the stuff that is vulnerable is stuff connected to an antenna, or something that functions as one (electrical lines), and has semi-conductors/chips in it.

[johnwilliamson062]

The safe has chips in it and would be sensitive. It would not survive.

I believe there are some theoretical ways to create large EMPs that will not also expel deadly doses of radiation, but no one has actually done it. I believe there are small area EMPs, say the size of a room or maybe a house that do not use nuclear fission.

A small one is not too difficult.

The amount of power necessary relates to the volume of the area you want to have an effect on. I don't think there is any way to really pull the power required out of a municipal powergrid without damaging it in the process. Maybe if you hooked directly into a reactor or power plant you could make a decent sized EMP. Even then you aren't close to the power of nuclear bomb, so I doubt it would take out a city.

Park it next to a relay station or something and you MIGHT cause a rolling black out.

Nuclear fission reactors do have effects well beyond the dangerous radiation zone when used at altitude. They basically work on LOS(of course they can see through things like trees and houses), so the higher they are the farther they hit. SO you could be under their effects without radiation, but some other very bad things would be happening in other places.

Not like I am an electrical engineer or anything though.

[Hunterpeaks]

Thanks guys.

I called the safe company today and they confirmed it.
There safes and any that have these electronics in them will be taken out from an EMP.

They actually sell the old combo/tumbler mech still. They said that the local locksmith can install it as it has to be installed perfectly to work.

I ordered one. Calling locksmith on monday. I'll be damned if some electronic failure is going to lock me out of my safe.

[slim9300]

This is why I will either buy a safe with both options or only manual.


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