Sentry 1330 - Handle No Longer Opens the Door

[SongWriter Bob]

Hi. I have a Sentry 1330 I bought used, and changed the combination. It has worked great for a couple years, and just recently, last week, I went to open it and the handle goes all the way down like when you have the right combination, but I don't feel it physically moving anything like I did before and the door is stuck tight.

I googled and searched a few places and can find nothing except the very basics of the 1330 of like, L3-R2-L1, and how to narrow the choices if I forget the combination.

But I think something detached on the inside and I really need to get into my own safe. Like I said, I have the combination. The handle won't go all the way down unless the combination is entered correctly. And when I enter it, it just freely moves down and back up but the door does not unlock.

I called the local (State College, PA) key shop that also works on safes, but they said they are severely backed up and it would be quite some time before they could get to me.

Any advice from anyone??

Thanks!

[Visitor]

Has it been locked for a while and you've just come to it or was it used daily?
Is there a lot of stuff inside or mostly empty?
If something on the handle end has come unattached it would be floppy, the fact it moves more when the combo is entered means its at least connected to the lock.
The bolt work could be jammed by something pushing against the door on the inside maybe.

I feel giving drill instructions is too much on a forum so it might be a case of ringing around local safe engineers until you find one willing to come out in the time frame you require.
If the safe is not bolted in you may get it open by rotating it on to different sides.

[safecracker33]

you could also try tipping the safe on its side in case part of the boltwork has become disconected

[SongWriter Bob]

Thanks, guys, it opened!

Q: Has it been locked for a while and you've just come to it or was it used daily?
A: Locked for years, but opened about once a month. Never had problems with it.

Q: Is there a lot of stuff inside or mostly empty?
A: It was moderately full, but with important stuff we needed. Valuables and other things that need locked up.

Comment: If something on the handle end has come unattached it would be floppy, the fact it moves more when the combo is entered means its at least connected to the lock.
Response: Agreed.

C: The bolt work could be jammed by something pushing against the door on the inside maybe.
R: No, the inside has a cover over the locking mechanisms. There is nothing to obstruct even if something inside shifted.

C: If the safe is not bolted in you may get it open by rotating it on to different sides.
C: You could also try tipping the safe on its side in case part of the boltwork has become disconected.

R:

I entered the correct combination, pulled the handle all the way down and tried that. Door still appeared to be stuck tight.
Knocked it with a rubber mallet, nothing.
Flipped it onto its back with the front up. Nothing.
Knocked it again with a rubber mallet( ), this time the door moved, and then opened!

You know how when a regular door starts to get slightly out of alignment, and doesn't close quite right because it is cock-eyed? And you have to lift a bit on one side to get it to close completely, and opening the door sometimes is difficult without pulling up on the handle? That's the way the door is now. The hinges do not perfectly hold it to open/close perfectly, and the way the door recesses just a bit, it becomes stuck. Really stuck.

It's like the darn thing was dropped on its side or something, and there is no way possible that could have happened. It has been on the floor of my closet for years, and 1) no one could just 'pick it up' easily, 2) no one would have, and 3) it would have left a crazy hole in the floor!!

Unexplainable how the hinges suddenly went loosey goosey...

Just another unexplained phenomina in my life right now, but I am so glad to have gotten it open.

When they have time to see me, I will see if there's anything I can do to have the door hinges altered/repaired for normal use again without need to hammer it!

Thank you all, and hope this helps someone else maybe someday.

Peace Out ~ SGT Bob


http://www.SgtBob.Rocks

[jharveee]

http://keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=9956
This post has photos of the inside of your safe.
Normally there is a cover over the wheels. So unlikely, but possible objects inside the safe are blocking it from opening.
Try spinning the dial while putting pressure on the opening handle. It should bind every 5 numbers or so. Let us know what you feel.?
Maybe your combination number are off? Weather, Due to memory or mechanical? Try shifting the numbers up or down by 1 or 2 to see if that helps.

[GWiens2001]

See, no such thing as a Sentry "safe" which stays locked.



Gordon