SentrySafe Black Home Safe with Shelf and Digital Keypad, Large Safe for Laptop, Documents, Money, Exterior: 10.6 x 16.9 x 14.6 Inches, X125

This safe arrived today. Well packaged an no issues with dents or dings. I have other Sentry Safes and like the others my new code was easy to set up on the first try. And the key works as well. Well built for what you pay for them.

First, let's dispell the myth of the "uncrackable" safe. Applying such an unreasonable standard is nonsense for any safe because EVERY safe is vulnerable in some way. SentrySafe specifically states that this is to deter the "opportunistic" thief, so this is not expected to thwart the professional criminal with power tools handy. Read my recommendations below and you will be able to keep your belongings secure against most minor to mid-level attempts at breaking into the safe.I was undecided on whether to select the SentrySafe X055 Security Safe or the Stack-On PS-514 Personal Safe with Electronic Lock and chose the SentrySafe because YouTube is LOADED with quick, easy ways to break into the Stack-on PS-514. More than likely, most of the same techniques are also easily applied to the SentrySafe, but I just went with the one that was less visible on YouTube. There was also a small price difference in favor of the SentrySafe. I did like Stack-on's time-out period that goes into effect after three failed entry attempts using the passcode, but with the modifications I describe below it is less important.Here is my recommendation to **REALLY** secure the safe:1. Bolt this baby to the floor! If you are burgled and this isn't bolted down, the burglers will not waste their time trying to crack the safe, they are just going to take it with them!2. This should be common sense, but do not make the passcode your birthday or your anniversary, or anything else so painfully obvious and easy to look up.3. Here is my modification: I added a Refrigerator Door Lock with Padlock - Black with a Sesamee K436 4 Dial Bottom Resettable Combination Brass Padlock with 1-Inch Hardened Steel Shackle and 10,000 Potential Combinations. This means that even if you can crack the digital padlock or keyhole on the safe, you still have to either cut the cable on the refrigerator lock or somehow break through the Sesamee K436 4 Dial Bottom Resettable Combination Brass Padlock with 1-Inch Hardened Steel Shackle and 10,000 Potential Combinations. I opted for Sesamee because of all the online videos on how to bypass a MasterLock padlock (it is easy). This will only slow down a burglar, but most teens or children (or other nosy family and friends) will be unwilling to actually damage the refrigerator lock or padlock in a way that makes it obvious that it has been tampered with.4. I keep the spare safe keys in a Master Lock 5400D Select Access Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock, 1-Pack discreetly placed in another room of the house. Yes, there are a total of three combinations to remember, but they are necessary for maximum security against unauthorized access.The modification is done for the purpose of keeping others out, and it does make it slower to get into the safe, so if you keep a loaded firearm in there in case of an intruder, you may not want to add an extra step for access that might slow you down. It depends on your priorities and what you are trying to keep safe.The refrigerator lock protects against typical break-in methods like lock picking, "bumping," and the way-too-easy paperclip tricks which these kinds of safes are susceptible to. It still isn't "unbreakable," but it is WAY more difficult to get into without the codes and is only a few seconds more for me to get into.For those of you who need a locked place to store things with very little threat of someone trying to pick the lock, this safe is fine as-is. If you have someone living with you or someone who has regular access that may be apt to try to break into the safe, I recommend this modification. There is additional security in redundancy.

I purchased this safe in spite of many bad review about the lack of security this provides. I've read that it's too light and that a thief can easily carry it off. I've also seen video and heard complaints that the lock can easily be picked with a set of jiggler keys.First off.... I did not purchase this as an alternative to renting a safe deposit box at my bank. I do not intend to store a Rolex, my wife's engagement ring or any thing of any value that I need to protect from thieves or a house fire. I purchased this to keep my firearms safely away from my 3 year old and still keep it at an accessible location that in the event of an emergency, I can easily access it.Fact is... it is very lightweight and it does not have insulation to protect the contents from fire. If your intention is to store away a $10K Rolex and your wife's $30K diamond ring, I would suggest that you purchase a more heavy duty safe for $700 or more. Those things weight a ton and if you bolt them to the floor, no one is carrying off with it. This item is $60 for God sakes!!I considered another popular brand called Stack-on. Then I saw videos of a three year old bumping it or lifting one side and dropping it and the lock would come loose and the door would open. That is something I cannot have around so I went with this Sentrysafe. As for the video with the guy opening this with jiggler keys.... I think it will at least 15 years until my 3 yr old is old enough to somehow get his hands on one and successfully open this with one. This item is $60 for God sakes!!For what I intend to do with this safe, I think this was a great value and the locking mechanism is very easy to program and use. I am very happy with this and it is roomy enough to store 2 pistols and several cases of ammo, but small enough to hide in the corner of my closet. I am very happy with this purchase.