The lock does work. And it is made so it will lock, permanately, if the safe is moved (stolen), while locked. We actually had to call a locksmith once because this happened. We were moving it from one house to another. It's a pain in the butt to open it if this happens. There is a mechanism inside like a maze, and we had to roll the safe over side to side, and end to end, following the locksmith's instructions, to unlock the mechanism. Keep in mind, this safe weighs hundreds of pounds! It took 5 men just to lift it into the back of our pick up. LOL! We learned our lesson, that's for sure!
Thank you, both, for responding! I do love this safe. My mom bought it at an auction over 35 years ago, and I could never sell it. It's a part of my childhood.