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With the flooding in Texas, I was wondering how safes, old and new, do in a flood. I see some modern safes brag about flood protection but often it is stated to be water resistant vs water proof. Any one have any stories to tell?

I think the only old safe I have that might withstand a flood is the Victor cannonball. The door wedges pretty tight designed to prevent nitroglycerin attacks but I doubt it fits tight enough for prolonged exposure under water.

Is the cannonball stainless?

The body and some of the door is manganese steel. Other parts are steel or cast. I'm talking a short term flood so corrosion shouldn't be a major concern initially.

I don't know how rust-resistant manganese steel is. I didn't even find out what manganese steel in safes really is, i.e. more detailed than "it is steel with manganese".

If the threading of the cannonball is oiled it might be really air tight.

Generally flood waters don't last long enough to cause any real damage to the out side.. Maybe surface rust.. The real damage comes from the safe not being water tight .. Look at most safes.. Do you see a seal on the door which means that water will leak through ..

After the tsunami in Japan there were safes washing up on the coast. I don't know how many found their owners but here is an article about it.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2011/04/10/s ... r-tsunami/

Matt, what an interesting article. Can you even imagine?!

I have a safe lock (S&G) that spent some time underwater, it didn't fare well!

A lot of the older strongrooms in basements Had rubber seals round the door edges to clench onto and watertight lock escutcheons that clamped down and sealed the keyways.

picture

From the impression in the rubber they look very tight indeed.