Wanted: Opinions on Sentry Safes

[pbwalker]

Just stumbled across this one:

http://bit.ly/RV1I9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For the price, it cannot be beat. Does anyone have any experience with this brand? Sentry Safe 34.8 CuFt

$799 delivered

[A-R]

Don't have that particular safe (agree it's a good deal for the size), but have used a smaller Sentry safe (same type of electronic keypad) for a few months that I bought at Academy (they don't carry the model anymore). It holds 14 long guns and was about $450, IIRC. I built my own custom felt-lined shelves for it so it now holds 7 long guns, plus all my ammo and pistols.

So far the quality has been excellent. Door and handle are both very solid. Electronic keypad has never had a problem. The hard key override behind the electronic panel works well (just don't lose it).

[rmoraes]

B"H
I bought mine back in 98 from Academy (Cannon brand). It is not fire protected, and I paid about 700 delivered and bolted. I’ve seen the same price with fire protection on both Academy and Sam’s. And it is for 14 guns.

[ntexaschl]

I have a SentrySafe, too...may be the same model # as austinrealtor, based on his post/description. Made a few shelves for mine, too. It appears to be solidly built, and, I've had no problems with it.

[RiverRat]

I have one of the 14 gun ones from Academy, no problems.

[pfgrone]

I have a model (don't know model #) that is perhaps 2 ft x 2ft. - Keypad plus entry key type. Although not specifically for handguns, that is what I used it for plus some cash, passports, and jewelry. Bought it at Lowes. My only complaint is that the cash and passports started smelling moldy after awhile. I'm thinking about selling it.

[Locksmith]

I have been professionally opening, moving, servicing, repairing and retrofitting safes for 22 years now. I do factory warranty work for several major safe manufacturers, and national service providers for banks and commercial stores. I also do the safe work for several other local locksmith companies. Having said that, my opinion on Sentry safes is this: They are well known for their economical "fire safes" which do a very good job of protecting documents form burning up in a fire. If I was looking to protect some documents from fire I would certainly invest in a Sentry safe. Slightly off topic... but for those who do not know... I cannot stress enough not to place a firearm in a fire safe unless it is in a sealed container, or "IT WILL RUST". By fire safe I am referring to a safe which had thin sheet metal walls that are filled with a white powdery insulation. The way a fire safe works is the insulation produces moisture. In a fire it produces lots of moisture to keep papers inside from igniting. I have seen many rusted and pitted pistols that were destroyed by being stored inside a fire safe. If you buy a gun safe that also offers fire protection some have special door seals that expand to keep heat out, and many have sheets of gypsum board as well. It is a good idea to keep moisture absorbing granules or silica gel in the safe, or invest in a dehumidifier.

Here are some miscellaneous images some may find interesting:

Here is an older Sentry that was opened in 16 seconds with "A Highly Specialized Tool" :)

Special Opening Tool

Fate of a Gun Safe

Burnt

Fired Ammunition...

Well kind of

[RECIT]

I have been professionally opening, moving, servicing, repairing and retrofitting safes for 22 years now. I do factory warranty work for several major safe manufacturers, and national service providers for banks and commercial stores. I also do the safe work for several other local locksmith companies. Having said that, my opinion on Sentry safes is this: They are well known for their economical "fire safes" which do a very good job of protecting documents form burning up in a fire. If I was looking to protect some documents from fire I would certainly invest in a Sentry safe. Slightly off topic... but for those who do not know... I cannot stress enough not to place a firearm in a fire safe unless it is in a sealed container, or "IT WILL RUST". By fire safe I am referring to a safe which had thin sheet metal walls that are filled with a white powdery insulation. The way a fire safe works is the insulation produces moisture. In a fire it produces lots of moisture to keep papers inside from igniting. I have seen many rusted and pitted pistols that were destroyed by being stored inside a fire safe. If you buy a gun safe that also offers fire protection some have special door seals that expand to keep heat out, and many have sheets of gypsum board as well. It is a good idea to keep moisture absorbing granules or silica gel in the safe, or invest in a dehumidifier.

Here are some miscellaneous images some may find interesting:

Here is an older Sentry that was opened in 16 seconds with "A Highly Specialized Tool" :)

sledge.JPG

Fate of a Gun Safe

burned3.jpg

Fired Ammunition...

Melted-Ammo.jpg

First off those pics are awesome. I am in the market for a safe myself and have stayed away from the lower quality models I have seen at Academy. I am willing to spend up to $1000 on it. I hope it is the last and only safe I ever buy. I have been looking at Carter's Country they have a decent selection and fair prices. In the Houston area does anyone have any suggestions on safe shopping other than major retailers like Academy, Costco, Lowes.

[ELB]

Some notes from my research into gun safes...

Lower cost safes are built to be either fire-resistant or burglarly resistant. Safes that do both are going to be more expensive.

Fire resistance is measured as the ability to maintain a safe temperature inside of the safe for a given period of time, in a fire of a given temperature. As far as I can tell there is no required national standard; but UL does have standards to achieve a UL rating a safe manufacturer has to use a UL test protocol. Big note: A safe that is advertised as having been tested against a UL standard does not mean that it meets the UL standard - i.e. it didn't pass. If it passed, it will state the temperature it can withstand, and for how long, e.g. 1200 degrees F for 30 minutes. Fire safes may have a lock, but they are not rated or really meant to be burglar resistant.

Fire safes that protect paper documents have to keep the inside temperature under, if memory is correct, 400 degrees, and I believe most (good) ones aim for 350, again for a given length of time. Electronic media, like CDs, hard drives, and such, are more vulnerable to heat than paper -- I believe the threshold is 250 for them, and the safe will be specifically rated for computer media. I have not been able to find out what the accepted safe temperature for firearms is -- I would think a paper-rated safe would be good, but wonder about the finish on fine wooden stocks, or some the synthetics used in firearms.

Fire safes may also have a drop test rating -- they are heated to a prescribed temperature, then dropped 30 feet onto a pile of bricks resting on a concrete floor. This is to simulate falling from the second floor into the basement during a fire.


Burglar resistant safes are made do do that -- resist entry by burglars. With enough effort, any safe can be opened eventually, so the standards are for how long the safe will resist entry. "RSC" safes -- Residential Security Containers -- is the formal name for lockboxes like you buy at WalMart and Office Depot. No real standard, just a metal box with a lock. TL-15 rated safes are supposed to prevent entry by burglars using common hand tools (including hand power tools, I believe) for 15 minutes. TL-30 is for 30 minutes. Again a test that has been "UL-tested" but does not have a rating likely did not pass the test...

Again, safes that are both fire-rated and burglar-rated have to meet both sets of standards, and will of course, cost more. So depends on what you want.

You have to decide what you want, and then see if the Sentry safe for $799 does that. The ad says it is a "Firearm" safe, but given what Locksmith said about moisture and rusting, you may want to investigate that claim a little bit deeper. I see it meets the California rules for a firearm lockbox, but I don't know what those rules are, precisely -- I was under the impression it was to prevent child access more than burglar access, but I might be wrong.

Good luck!

elb

p.s. Here is an amusing video touting Ft Knox safes, where some guys drop a gunsafe with guns into a house with a crane, then burn the house down around it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9buR30A_0lk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stevie_d_64]

It is a good idea to keep moisture absorbing granules or silica gel in the safe, or invest in a dehumidifier.