Can anyone help with the age of this Meilink safe?

[Mrfoto]

I’m just curious what era this is from. I have 2 safes of this “style” and I just wondered roughly when they were made. Also am I looking in all the wrong places or is there not much info on older Meilinks? I found published data (weights, measures and fire ratings) for KC series and the like. But this style, I’m coming up empty.

[MartinHewitt]

For very few companies where manufacturing databases are available for some of their production time. Meilink is AFAIK none of them. Catalogs are also very rare. Never seen one from Meiling. And in addition most people who care about safes don't care about their age, but only how to get them open. What I can tell you is, that this is a fire safe and the lock inside should be the "Center Manufacturing #100" which has plastic wheels.

[Mrfoto]

You're right its not a big deal how old they are, I was just curious really. I have two from this "era", one is 35-40" tall and this one is 60". Both have S & G Group 2 brass 3 wheels in them.

[Mrfoto]

This is what’s in both safes. How there got there IDK, but they both have these S&G’s.

[MartinHewitt]

Then they have just the same dial and a "normal" lock. The S&G locks have usually date stamps. This should give you a best before date.

PS: My guess is, that this lock is from the 60s.

[MartinHewitt]

And be careful with the relocker if you open the lock. The arm on the back of the lock is holding it in the deactivated state. If you remove this and lock the door it won't open again. So fix it properly again when you are done, so it won't get loose. Then test the whole locking and unlocking procedure without closing the door at least three times.

[Mrfoto]

Obviously the tag doesn't have any date on this or the other lock. But do they date stamp any components? Im not afraid to dismantle this thing. I took the other lock completely off the safe once, but wasn't looking for any dates at the time. These dials are stupid rough and was looking for a way to smooth them out.

[MartinHewitt]

It should have a date stamp on either the (internal) relocker, in the case between bolt and wheel pack near the bolt or in the case beneath the wheel pack a bit towards the relocker. First number is either month or quarter and second number are the last two digits of the year.

S&G moved from Rochester to Nicholasville in 1975. I do have a lock with date stamp 1978, that has also Rochester, but I assume that is about the end of these stickers. So that is about the terminus ante quem. I do have a Mosler lock, without date, but I think it is from the end of the sixties. This has the black letter UL logo. My S&G lock from the 1978 has a 2-line UL logo with modern letters.

[MartinHewitt]

That is a date code from 1988.

[Mrfoto]

Bingo!!!! A little newer than I was expecting actually. Thanks for that info. I’ll have to dig up safe 2 and see what it has inside.

[Mrfoto]

Now we’re moving along to safe number 2 this week. Lol

[MartinHewitt]

Unless there is the invoice for this safe inside, the most helpful dating will be the information outside. UL786 1st edition is from 1953. So any lock with a UL label must be newer. The 1st edition of UL687 is from 1938, so this is not as helpful dating a safe. I don't know if there was a UL logo before the black letter version. The Star Safe label might provide more information to someone knowing the history of Star Safe and Amsec.

[Mrfoto]

I can't thank you enough for all the information!!!! I start on the Star in the morning.

[MartinHewitt]

It is difficult to find something about Star Safe. It seems Star Safe started to make safes before Amsec started in 1946. Amsec (or Glenn Halls) bought Star Safe at their very beginning, i.e. around 1946. (Paramount CA is the location of Amsec.) The push dial lock came later. Around 1950 the Star doors could be fitted with standard locks and apparently came with a Yale OC5. I could not find a patent for the push dial lock. My guestimation is, that this safe is from around late 1950s to 1960s. Is it possible that both safes were bought at the same time? The Meilink for books and the Star for cash?

[MartinHewitt]

Btw. there is a cutaway door from a Star:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaGm5Rsg35H/