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  1. #1

    Default Here are just some of my Cannonball Safes in my collection. Looking for More1

    Here are just some of the safes in my collection. I have more and want more so keep me in mind if you have one for sale.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cannonball Safe (5).jpg   DSC02199.jpg   DSC02200.jpg   DSC02198.jpg   Salesman Sample Melink Safe.JPG  

    Salesman Sample Melink Safe (1).JPG   York Cannon Ball Safe (1).JPG   York Cannon Ball Safe (2).JPG  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    Do any of the cannonballs and similar have shooting bolts or do they ALL have a turning cam action to lock?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
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    1,433
    Country: United States

    Default

    Tom, if I understand your question correctly, most but not all of the cannonball type safes have rotating doors of with a lug or a screw thread to hold the door shut and one or more bolts to keep it from being turned. Andrews nice little red model Mosler is a double lug. The design was almost entirely to prevent the introduction of nitro glycerine. And as far as real burglary attempts go, the safes apparently were successful.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    Yes you did understand right- I was asking which ones did not have that type of mechanism -obviously round vault doors had multiple bolts shooting outward but which of the cannonballs did?
    Cheers
    Tom

  5. #5

    Default Cannonball Safe Question

    Almost every cannonball safe that I have seen has a cannon breach type of door that locks by screwing in while the door turns. I have never seen one that has standard pins like a normal safe.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    well........-


    Click image for larger version. 

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  7. #7

    Default CannonBall Safe

    Interesting Safe. I have not seen that one before. Who makes it? Looks very old. Can you post more pictures of it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    Chatwood 1928

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
    Posts
    1,433
    Country: United States

    Default

    Tom, glad to see the cannonball made to the UK. For starters the earliest one I know of also happens to be the truest to the name and that is the Marvin Chrome Iron dating to the late 1860's where the small door has a shooting bolt. Next in line is the Corliiss which I recently posted a bunch of pictures. Certainly the most interesting mechanically. That door recedes inwardly to open and is kept locked by a huge C-clip type of locking ring. Moses Mosler did patent a version of that safe after Mosler bought out the Corliss Safe Co. where the door unscrews as it moves inward. I believe it was made but have yet to see one. Another that comes to mind is Cramer Safe of Kansas City that had a three way boltwork. And there are a couple of other patent safes which may or may not have been made. On odd one, by Jos. Hall I think, was for a small round door where the door itself is turned to dial in the combination numbers. Doug

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Seattle WA
    Posts
    1,327
    Country: United States

    Default

    The sad part is that these safes were used as wrecking balls at times because these they are so heavy and tough. Somewhere I have a picture of a building coming down with one of these in use.

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