Easy fix The idea posted here makes sense that something is stuck inside that won’t release the handle fully. The cover is still popping out loose with wires hanging out with the battery pack. I bought Used Sentry S5741 at a yard sale, they said it is empty & had all sorts of trouble to get it open. Left the door open and worked the digital combination many times for a couple of days and it has seemed to solve the problem so far. Nada. TOP QUALITY!!! Even though I keep it in a room with controlled temperature and humidity it started giving me opening problems a couple of years later. Contents are safe and the offensive thing is removed from my premises! My safe’s actuator was trying to work. Now would one blame me for being nervous about this safe not opening again, as you and I are here on this site for the same reason !! Multiple user options vary by model. With the right number, the handle is jammed. IT IS STUPID THAT SENTRY SAFE DOESN’T GREASE THE GEARS SO AFTER A WHILE, THE GEAR CAN GET STUCK. Removed one screw off the actuator and then unplugged the actuator. Hi, No rubber mallet but a book works to cushion a regular one. wow this worked terrific – thank you for posting! And the hammer works again. The circuit board contained a voltage regulator, diodes, resistors and a transistor (surface mounted). I am not sure what to do I had it open once after fighting for a week with it but this time it does not want to give up. If the manual key lock button is pressed in – e.g., locked – the unit is manually locked. Went to the hardware store and bought a rubber mallet and came home, beat the non-existent life out of the door wherever I could without ‘damaging’ the keypad – it opened right up!! I bought the actuator on ebay for $0.99 with $2 shipping. It opened! After replacing batteries a few months ago cannot get the pad to work at all. To open a Sentry Safe with combination, you can follow the below steps: Open the door of the safe, and ensure those shipping screws have been removed (if any) Find the combination code on the user manual (usually there is a sticker on the user manual) If you are using a dual key/combination model of the Sentry Safe… It took a while to figure this out ( we haven’t pushed that button in for five years) after finding the key. It’s not stuck in the OPEN position. Thanks – Don. Thanks to all that suggest the use of the mallet (below the handle area) and apply WD40 (if it opened)! The safe has a electronic keypad…no manual dial. Several people have commented on the effectiveness of using a rubber mallet, but just wanted to add that this also worked for me. ), The keypad of my safe is dead and i need to open my safe could you please explain exactly how to do the angle metal piece metod. The safe opened after I gave it a couple good whacks. Nothing but the finest materials and reliability!! Emailed them on Saturday or Sunday, got call back Monday morning, new solenoid with directions in my mail box on Wednesday or Thursday. All, lots of good comments here. I first tested all four batteries with my handy-dandy battery tester and they all passed with flying colors. My safe finally opened after a lot of heavy jiggling of the handle. Nope This company sells nothing but junk! I own a Sentry Safe A3867, and after replacing the batteries, I couldn’t get it opened anymore. Then I stumbled upon this tread, hunted down the ole rubber mallet, gave it a good whack, just below the handle, entered the code and VOILA!!!! They are complete junk. when we punch in the code you can hear it click. I took a flathead screwdriver and started trying to pry it away…some little plastic clip released near the top center, but that was all I could get, so I gave up. I have no power to the keypad> I have changed the battery and tested the battery pack with a meter (all good) no lights no beeps , nada> Any ideas besides hammer and prybar> had the safe for many years no problems ?? Anyway I beat the crap downward on the handle on both safes they it opened right up. do yourself a favor scrap it. It is a little fiddly – you need to take the plastic wheel off (remove a spring clip), and make sure that the lock parts line up when you put it on again (3 of them have arrows to help you – the fourth doesn’t but its pretty obvious). To all who have purchased Sentry safes…you get what you pay for! this safe company should be held liable. I was told by a locksmith to turn 4 x to the left past the 1st number then 2x past the second # to the right then 1x past the third # back to the left. Thank you, This is the exact problem I think I am having. Hi, can someone help me? Well, the safe is open but, of course destroyed. It is quite disconcerting to have the very thing you bought for security be so unreliable. I AGREE THAT THIS SAFE IS MADE POORLY BY SENTRY SAFE, BUT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BUY ANOTHER SAFE, DO THIS WHAT I’M ABOUT TO WRITE AND IT CAN LAST YOU A LOT LONGER. serial inputs off of the keypad back into the safe. Enter your model number below to locate and download a copy of your product manual. I had the same problem with a stuck door on my sentry electronic safe I follow your suggestion about the rubber mallet and WD40 and it works like new. When I pried the back off, there was all kinds of plastic slag and crap sitting at the bottom on the ledge. we called a locksmith and he referred us to this site. Best way to get into your chintzy Sentry Safe (Know by experience) is a sawzall at the hinges and a crow bar on the side that swings open. The gear went back on as specified above with the small arrows lining up. If you don’t lock your safe with the key as well, anybody can simply kick the handle down and open your safe. THANK YOU for the mallet advice. Seems to be working fine now, I’m hoping this new solenoid is an improved model. Those wires connected to the actuator, can’t you just apply a voltage to them from the keypad on the front and get in rather easily?!?!? Request a key replacement and a combination recovery for your SentrySafe product with our quick-and-easy replacement and recovery process. I will try the rubber mallet thing when I get home. Near as I can tell, the silonoid was sticking and the higher voltage was enough to pop it. Any suggestions? We will never buy another SENTRY PRODUCT EVER. Just for fun, I hit the face of the safe (now facing upward) many times all over with the rubber mallet, then tried the keypad combination one more time. “…lift the handle towards the 10 o’clock position and punch in the code. how do I get the factory combo for my 1610 safe. This has happened many times in the last year. I tried the hammer on the front of the door. TOTAL PIECE OF CRAP!!! Never had to order any parts for one so I don’t have any experience purchasing a new actuator. Needless to say, I’ll be taking it back to Sam’s and getting my money back, regardless of whether it’s in or out of warranty. A power drill, chisel, hammer and 10 minutes of elbow grease had the door open with no damage to the safe’s contents. My Sentry OA3807 would not unlock despite the putting in the correct electronic combination for hours then I found your posting. Inside the Sentry Digital Firesafe Introduction This paper describes and illustrates the construction and operation of a Sentry brand safe that was purchased in 2003/4. Reccommendation: Have beer handy (it’ll make you feel better…). What a waste of money. The inner locking mechanism of the door failed dramatically. I just kicked the snot out of it in the front by the two posts that lock it and it gave up and opened. I agree that this safe is very light duty construction. I am in agreement that the components are cheap inside the safe, however its a cheap from a cost standpoint, and if you you should buy a safe of better quality. me and my husband have tried everything to open this safe for about 6 months still nothing. I bet there is some fine print saying “not for actual security purposes”. After a couple of whacks, the handle moved properly after getting the green light. Step by Step instructions for how to open a Sentry®Safe fire safe that uses an electronic keypad and dual key override locking feature. I wish I would have bought a Gardall Safe. Hi, given all the recommendations to dump the Sentry Safe and buying another, what replacement safes have folks purchased? SOMETIMES you can get it open … Used the rubber mallet trick and it worked on the first hit. Thanks for the mallet tip! It pulled right out from the mechanism. I hope this helps someone and saves them breaking in with a crow-bar (this was not fun). I got out the power tools, took one last look at the picture at the top of the forum to figure out where to cut or drill to disable the solenoid, punched in the combo a couple more times, beat the effin door a couple more times for good measure. Still not sure how to close up the battery compartment/keypad as we follow instructions to twist it anticlockwise from 2pm to 12 noon position. beeper Thanks. Then don’t blame me that I have done joke with you. Today, that workaround stopped working. NOTHING!!!! As I went to close it, the handle lifted into the lock position without being activated again (as it SHOULD work, though preferably not till the door is closed). Viola! Glad it worked as i wasn’t too excited about taking my grinder to it with hundreds of rounds of live ammo inside. Then last week even with both being present, the safe couldnt be opened any more. Twenty (20) seconds later I had it open, with very little effort. As you said when it is extended out it is unlockable via keypad. Self-Help How to Open a Sentry®Safe Touch Screen Lock Fire Safe. I tried this 10 o’clock thing and it immediately opened. My husband tried the rubber mallet and that didn’t work either, so he went at it with a hammer and crowbar. I can freely open the bolts without punching in the code, but using the key will lock it. I’m getting another brand. You can feel the crappy plastic parts give way as you try to open the handle. route to acess the works without a lot of damage. I did this a few times until no more rust/dirt seen on the rag. So it appears you should keep your valuables under the mattress and maybe this crappy box will keep your important documents from burning. Find answers to the most frequently asked questions. After another week of smacking it I looked at the batteries again. I found I now had to reengage the mechanism to LOCK the door–i.e., type in the passcode, apply mallet, lift handle. . The actuator made a nice “thunk” sound and the door opened. Nothing is working im getting pi$$ed. Thanks again for the detailed information. I’m here to validate the Sawzall solution. I beat the front of the safe mercilessly with a package of clorox wipes and tried the code until the low battery light came on. Good luck with that! I entered my MFG Code and tapped the safe below the lever and keypad area from left to right while pushing the lever up and down while the Proceed LED remained lit. (No cure to which I’d care to trust my goodies.). I didn’t have any wd40 so for about three hrs of trying off and on I bought some wd40 and sprayed the area around the handle. I've reached out to Sentry Safe a few times as a follow-up but I've had no luck. My Sentry safe has to 17 years old and it hasn’t been open for nearly 8. With mine, batteries were rarely the issue. Thank-You so much,m grab my rubber mallet and what do you know -have it open, cleaned it out and now its headed to the dump! The actuator is able to get a lot more voltage dumped into it giving it a much greater charge to move the rods. I am suspicious that the keypad is bad and not sure what to do next. I have the same problem, ERR message using the factory code. Now I have to figure out how to open the plastic cover and grease everything and maybe simply remove the pin from the solenoid. On another safe (same make and model) tested it. In short if your code pad fails and you want to drive the solenoid directly disconnect the wires from the code pad; connect the black and red together and connect them to +6V. Unlocked with key and entered the. I had to cut through the outer hinges with an angle grinder. Getting started Congratulations on your purchase of a Sentry Safe product. These safes are garbage. After trying several times and changing the batteries and double checking all the wire connections I went surfing to find a solution as to why the handle would not go down allowing for the door to open. I’ve been having trouble like the rest. Pry-resistant hinge bar reinforces the door of the safe for added protection against theft. First I removed the 4 AA batteries, put in fresh ones. I have had the same problems as everyone else who has left reply. Mallet didn’t work for me. Friday evening I needed the title for a car I was selling and I couldn’t get into the safe… ( Log Out /  Safe is working ok now, just would like to put all the parts back in. IT’S A LOT MORE THINNER SO LESS CHANCE OF BREAKING IT. We have tried a couple of set of batteries and wires seems intact. 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