Milners Type "A" Safe Lock

[Timbo]

I have just had to gain entry to an old Milners safe with a jammed door and boltwork. This took quite a while as the safe was in an old shed in a garden and had rusted to some extent. I had a problem understanding what was happening lockwise as the key would not operate as expected. Then when opened, I realised why !!!
The safe was fitted with a Milners Type "A" Lockcase which I had not previously come up against before. For those who have not seen one, it operates in a reverse action. When the key is turned upward, the bolt shoots downward and vise-versa. Talk about confusing, but nice trick to fool attackers. Luckily, I managed to keep the lock and it has an original key too !!. Does anyone know how rare these are as I have been dealing with safe's for many years and not come accross this one before ?

[Dean Nickel]

Milner Type A

Here is some info. I will bet some others that know more will chime in.

Serial Number?> for dating the lock.
http://www.historyoflocks.com/lib019.html

[Timbo]

Hi Dean,
I have already looked this up and the details are as follows.
Lock number 149406
Dating letter "A". (Which I presume is Circa. 1889)
Prince of wales feather stamped on edge of case.
Milners Liverpool & London stamped on bolt.
This I understand is on the early Milners locks when they started making their own.
What's nice about it, is the key has all the numbers and lettering on the bow as well.
If I'm wrong about the date I would appriciate other opinions on this.

Nice one for the collection

[Tom Gordon]

MAKETYPESERIAL NUMBERDATENOTESMilnerKeys040000/1670001865 - 1880MilnerKeys115000/1330001870 - 1873MilnerKeys121000/1637031871 - 1877MilnerKeys156000/1707171878 - 1880MilnerKeys170718/1917501881 - 1882MilnerKeys191751/2069151883 - 1888MilnerA53681889MilnerB75491890MilnerC81301891MilnerD26371892MilnerE59951893MilnerF58411894MilnerG49731895MilnerH53401896MilnerI58301897MilnerJ62221898MilnerK78781899MilnerL77091900MilnerM80031901MilnerN69641902MilnerO37151903MilnerP66981904MilnerQ71301905MilnerR62831906MilnerS60801907MilnerT59821908MilnerU46851909MilnerV35591910MilnerW52461911MilnerX46391912MilnerY65901913MilnerZ43611914MilnerAA24221915MilnerAB20371916MilnerAC17911917MilnerAD6251918MilnerAE28091919MilnerAF21021920MilnerAG53701921MilnerAH40701922MilnerAI20011923MilnerAJ4641924MilnerAK4991925MilnerAL3441926MilnerAM16831927MilnerAN13901928MilnerAO12671929MilnerAP12051930MilnerAQ8701931MilnerAR5681932MilnerAS5621933MilnerAT5871934MilnerAU7171935MilnerAV2781936MilnerAW6111937MilnerAX6891938MilnerAY6021939MilnerAZ4381940Milnerfire resisting safes & doors0-2500March 1923-Nov 1926List1Milnerfire resisting safes & doors2501-5000Nov 1926-Jan1929List2Milnerfire resisting safes & doors5001-7500Feb 1929 - Aug 1934List3Milnerfire resisting safes & doors7501-10000Aug 1934- Oct 1938List4MilnerDouble shell safesDS.10011930Prefix Letters DS indicate 'A' Series SafesMilnerDouble shell safesDS.13501935Prefix Letters DS indicate 'A' Series SafesMilnerDouble shell safesDS.18501940Prefix Letters DS indicate 'A' Series SafesMilnerDouble shell safesDS.19641947Prefix Letters DS indicate 'A' Series SafesMilnerSafes and doorsBA.7271941MilnerSafes and doorsMA.373,WA.31741946Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)Prefix Letters WA/WM indicate Fire Resisting SafesPrefix Letters MA/ML indicate 'A'.'B' or 'D' Series SafesMilnerSafes and doorsBB.26,MB.827,WB.37021947Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBC.164,MC.590,WC.25861948Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBD.141,MD.405,WD.27791949Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBE.227,ME.268,WE.19301950Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBF.123,MF.270,WF.28181951Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBG.181,MG.517,WG.20741952Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBH.417,MH.657,WH.12471953Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)MilnerSafes and doorsBI.603,MI.412,WI.17211954Suffix 'D' - 'D' Series (anti-blowpipe)Suffix 'B' - 'B' Series (fire and thief resisting)Suffix 'A' - 'A; Series (fire and thief resisting)


Hmmmm that could have benefitted from formatting

[Timbo]

Thanks Tom, the info is quite helpful.
I will have to check out the other Milners that I have and see if there are any stampings on those, its a long time since they have seen the light of day.
Tim

[thecracksman]

i have just made a key for a type B . on the case i noticed that there was a stamp that looked like either a cog/gear or a sun about a 1/4 of a inch in diameter , anyone know what it means ?
it had a I for the date square body lock.
cheers,
James

[Tom Gordon]

I believe that means it was refurbed at some time at the factory

[thecracksman]

Thanks very much for the info i appreciate it . the levers where all over the place someone had been in there and messed about the top lever was the third up !!!! all the screws where chewed was a real mess !!!
thanks again
JP