Homak & Sentry Cabinets - any problems?

V

VVG

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For a number of reasons, I have to buy a safe that can be lifted into place (although it can be securely bolted down).

HAs anyone ever had real-world experience with thieves breaking into these? We'll have an alarm system and live near a police station, so BG's won't have much time to operate on them.
 
I have one of those wall lockers myself. While I haven't had any break-ins, you give me a crowbar and 5 minutes and I'll take everything you have inside.

They're nice for kids and gangbanger smash and grab burglars, but they won't stand up for long against a determined "gun thief".
 
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Ditto.

Anything that can be moved into position by three guys and a hand cart can be moved out with three guys and a hand cart. The Sentry cabinets are held in place by two bolts throught the floor, which is non-reinforced steel, same as the walls. A little bit of prying, pulling and forcing will eventually get it loose. Also, a crowbar to the door and a good bit of effort will get it you into is as well.

However, the usual burglar is NOT well equipped and often acts on impulse. Plus, he wants in and out fast. Unless he is skilled, after guns, and knows how to get them, the Sentry will stand up ok.

I chose the Sentry because I live in a crappy hood, so I need to protect my stuff, but I'm also gonna be moving soon, so I really don't want to move in a 2,000 lb monstrosity. Its a trade-off.

Mike
 
I'm not familiar with the sentry, but I have a Homak ... but I'd have to agree that they are primarily to protect your visitors (and their kids) from your guns. My guess is that your insurance company and tyhe local LEO's would not be able to give you any grief if your guns get stolen out of one ... afterall they were locked up, but I wouldn't think that they'd "test" well under attack. Now ... if you could mount it somewhere where there was very little room to maneuver around it, like the recess inside the end of a closet ... they might not be too bad. FWIW, the Homak bolts to the studs in the wall behind it ... well, at least that's what mine does ... now that I think of it, that may have been my idea. Bolting to the wall AND the floor would keep it in place, but the doors themselves aren't bullet proof.
Saands
 
Sentry and Homak are completely different. The Homak is 12 gauge steel while the sentry's are 1/8 inch steel, the same as most gunsafes. The door on the sentry is 1/4 to 3/8 inch steel reinforced to 2.5 inches with at least 3 one inch locking bolts, you will never find that on a homak.

A friend of mine took 1/8 inch stainless steel plates, cut holes in them and reinforced the bottom mounting holes of his sentry which is bolted into cement. That puppy isn't going to come out unless you hit it with a truck.
 
Real World Experience

Has anyone ever had real-world experience with thieves breaking into these?
 
A friend of mine discovered it took about 15-20 minutes for him to break into his Homak safe.

Good thing, too. In another 10 minutes we would have left him for the annual hunting trip.
 
Homak

>>> A friend of mine discovered it took about 15-20 minutes for him to break into his Homak safe.

Thanks, it's for some long guns and ammo in the basement - and my Sawzall and drills! 15 minutes is plenty.
 
paint it grey
slap on a high voltage sticker
run some faux heavy electric cables to it
mount it in the furnace room

you prolly wont even have to lock it


:D
 
They kicked in my friends door, saw the Homack, went to the garage and got a 2 foot crowbar, and we guess they popped it open on the first try. There was only one pry mark.

Gunzo
 
Homak and sentry aren't in the same league, and shouldn't be lumped together.

The homak is about as secure as a locker in high school. Maybe a little less, since the lockers in high school are only exposed on one side.

The sentry has much thicker metal. The small models have 3 one inch lugs in the door, the larger ones have 5. No crow bar is going to open it up. You can also bolt it to the floor or the wall. Though they say not to, you can actually do both.
 
Idea for reinforcing the el-cheapo

Get a couple of steel rods, and epoxy them inside the thing - One at the door edge, and the other at the frame edge. Then drill a large enough hole, and run a large lock through the thing, so that while they may succeed in prying the el-cheapo locks, they won't be able to force past the rod/large padlock dealie...
 
Be advised!!

The Homak safes with the electronic quick-access keypad storage compartment on top of the safe where you would use for handguns and smaller items is only held locked by a plastic latch on the motorized lock that hooks into a metal hinge. All it would take to break this compartment is a simple flathead screw driver or knife.
How do I know this for sure? Because I have this type of safe and with stupid curiosity of how secure this safe was, I took a regular size screwdriver and without very much pressure, I pried open the top compartment breaking the plastic latch. So I pretty much FUBARed my own gun safe!
I seriously think that if someone wanted to break into the main/ rifle storage of a Homak safe, all would be needed is a decent pry-bar and bit of muscle.
I'm now shopping for a REAL gunsafe. You get what you pay for and with security of your firearms, it is better to invest a bit of money into it.

Stoli&Cranberry
MOLON LABÉ
 
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