Lockpicking Dictionary/Glossary/Terminology

[kates123]

Hi,Good work it is really very helpful for us.Thanks or giving this type of information we get all information.There are several meaning available for us and it is good.

[echelon5]

Thank for the glossary!

[cortz21]

Wow. This is gonna be handy for a newbie like me....who needs to know the jargon....thanks for the time and effort in creating this....

[krystal6481]

I'll be referring back to these for a bit, until I get the hang of 'em terms..

[keys861]

very useful information

[chieflittlehorse]

How about making a list of Master Keying terms.

TMK - Top Master Key
MK - Master Key
CK - Change Key
BP - Bottom Pin
MP - Master Pin
TP - Top Pin
BUP - Build-Up Pin
CP - Control Pin
CPMP - Control Pin Master Pin

Block Master
Horizontal Group Master
Vertical Group Master
Horizontal Line Master
Vertical Line Master
16-Line Master

[Evan]

@chieflittlehorse:

Here are the very basic master keying terms you would need to know...

They start basic and get more complicated with each subsequent reply...

~~ Evan

Master Key System: any keying arrangement which has two or more levels of keying used to compartmentalize access.

The three major methods of creating master keying systems:

-- Total Position Progression: a method of master keying where the process used to obtain the change key bittings in a system differ from those of the top master key in all bitting positions.

-- Rotating Constant: a method of master keying where the process used to obtain the change key bittings include one or more bittings identical to the top master key in those positions and the locations of those identical cuts are moved to different locations in a logical sequence.

-- Positional Master Keying: a method of master keying certain types of locks where only a limited number of the possible bitting positions in the cylinder have active pins installed in them. The locations of these active pins are rotated among all possible positions to generate the key changes/ Higher level keys have more cuts than lower level keys.

[Evan]

Terms associated with the Standard Key Coding System:

Levels of keying: the divisions of a master key system into hierarchies of access as described by the standard key coding system.

Standard Key Coding System (SKCS): an industry standard and uniform method of designating all keys and cylinders in a master key system. The designation automatically indicates the exact function ad keying level of each key or cylinder in the system without any further explanation.

Standard Key Coding System (SKCS) specifications on "levels of keying" which are as follows:
level of keying / (key name) / abbreviation: / key symbol

Two Level System --

level II (Master Key) MK: AA
level I (Change Key) CK: 1AA, 2AA

Two Level System Terms –

Master Key (MK): a key which operates all the master keyed locks within a group where each lock or group of keyed alike locks is operated by its own change key.

An MK is the TMK in level two master key systems and is one of the lower level master key in more complicated systems.

Three Level System --

level III (Grand Master) GMK: A
level II (Master Key) MK: AA, AB
level I (Change Key) CK: AA-1, AA-2

Three Level System Terms –

Grand Master Key (GMK): a key which operates two or more separate groups of locks which are each operated by a different master key.

A GMK is the TMK in level three master key systems and is an intermediate level master key in more complicated systems.

Four Level System --

level IV (Great Grand Master) GGMK: GGMK
level III (Grand Master) GMK: A, B
level II (Master Key) MK: AA, AB
level I (Change Key) CK: AA-1, AA-2

Four Level System Terms –

Great Grand Master Key (GGMK): a key which operates two or more separate groups of locks which are each operated by a different grand master key.

A GGMK is the TMK in level four master key systems and is an intermediate level master key in more complicated systems.

Five Level System --

level V (Great Great Grand) GGGMK: GGGMK
level IV (Great Grand Master) GGMK: A, B
level III (Grand Master) GMK: AA, AB
level II (Master Key) MK: AAA, AAB
level I (Change Key) CK: AAA-1, AAA-2

Five Level System Terms --

Great Great Grand Master Key (GGGMK): a key which operates two or more separate groups of locks which are each operated by a different great grand master key.

A GGGMK is the TMK in level five and six master key systems and is an upper level master key in more complicated systems.

Six Level System --

level VI (Great Great Grand) GGGMK: GGGMK
level V (Great Grand Master) GGMK: A, B
level IV (Grand Master) GMK: AA, AB
level III (Master Key) MK: AAA, AAB
level II (Sub-Master) SMK: AAAA, AAAB
level I (Change Key) CK: AAAA-1, AAAA-2

Six Level System Terms –

Sub-Master Key (SMK): the lowest master key level in a keying system of six or more levels of keying.

Terms Which Apply to all levels –

Change Key (CK): the lowest level key in a master key system which only operates one lock or a group of locks which are keyed alike.

Top Master Key (TMK): the highest level master key in a master key system.

[Evan]

Terms which apply to the Standard Progression Format:

Standard Progression Format: a systematic method of listing and relating all change key combinations to all master key combinations in a master key system. The listing is divided into segments known as blocks, horizontal groups, vertical groups, rows and pages for levels of control.

Incidental Master Key: a key cut to an unplanned shear line created when the cylinder is combinated to the top master key and a change key.

Block Master (BM): the one pin master key for all combinations listed as a block in the standard progression format.

Row Master (RM): the one pin master key for all combinations listed on the same line across a page in the standard progression format.

Horizontal Group Master (HGM): the two pin master key for all combinations listed in all blocks in a line across the page in the standard progression format.

Vertical Group Master (VGM): the two pin master key for all combinations listed in all blocks in a line down a page in the standard progression format.

Page Master: the three pin master key for all combinations listed on a page in the standard progression format.

Four Pin Master: the four pin master key for all combinations listed on each of the four pages of its group in the standard progression format.

Five Pin Master: the five pin master key for all combinations listed on each of the sixteen pages of its group in the standard progression format.

Six Pin Master: the six pin master key for all combinations listed on each of the sixty-four pages of the entire master key system, it is the top master key in the standard progression format.

[Squelchtone]

Nice write up Evan!

This explains why our work Medeco's are often called the "A Master" (has A stamped on it, but some have GMK stamped on them) and our buildings have the AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF stamps on them and I know of one change key that is AD4 Any door that is super sensitive such as the server room which is not on the GMK system is stamped SKD-x where x is a number. (SKD9 for instance) I know the building with the AD4 change key also has floor masters, but I don't remember their key codes. I think we have enough buildings where one building's keys start with BB

I'll be reading your posts in more detail soon, getting late, but thank you for the detailed explanation!

Squelchtone

[chieflittlehorse]

The terms I learned in school has since changed and even when dealing with a 16-page MK or a 64-page MK system the order of counting the pages has changed.

Is there any reference books for these changes. I'm sure there must be something from DHI and some other groups out there. I written some computerized MK systems using MS Excel and I know there are MK's available that I believe don't really have a name to it.

I'm going to be in the process of working on the 64-page MK system using MS Excel again but have all MK's available for view and their corresponding CK's.

It's going to take a while but I've done it before but the computer I've done it on crashed and I had no back-up.
-Ken

[Evan]

@chieflittlehorse:

There are few standard terms for four pin master or five pin master keys within the Standard Progression Format. I have seen the terms “segment master” and “quadrant master” used on keying records from Schlage but not on similar documents from other manufacturers.

The Standard Progression Format is basically a Total Position Progression keying system specified out as 64 master key groups of 64 change keys each before filtering out MACS rejects… This means that all of the math is based on groups/divisions in powers of 4:
4, 16, 64, 256 and 1,024 and a TMK of 4,096 with a six pin system.

The “true” or “designed” master keys within such systems are the Page Masters. The use of any other “master” is an Incidental Master Key. This means that in asymmetrical systems there are a lot of keys which can not be cut or used when you have master key groupings which are not the same as the powers of 4 listed above to prevent unintended key interchange… You must take special care to not use any master keys which overlap and operate the same change keys unless it is a specifically planned for an intended condition…

The terminology I discussed previously as far as the SPF is concerned only shows the Incidental Master Keys in the X-axis and Y-axis of the system if you look at it from the perspective of the system existing in a Cartesian space:

X-axis keys: Row Master Keys and Horizontal Group Master Keys
Y-axis keys: Block Master Keys and Vertical Group Master Keys

Any key which operates combinations on more than one page is in the Z-axis and the SPF only barely touches on those types of keys and how they can be used.

Previously discussed Z-axis keys: Four Pin, Five Pin and Six Pin (TMK) Master Keys

Special Z-axis keys:

“Depth Master Key” a three pin incidental master key which will operate all change keys in a system which appear in the same location on each of the 64 pages of the system.

“Depth Block Master Key” a four pin incidental master key which will operate all the change keys appearing in the same block on each of the 64 pages of the system.

“Depth Row Master Key” a four pin incidental master key which will operate all the change keys appearing in the same row on each of the 64 pages of the system.

“Depth Vertical Group Master Key” a five pin incidental master key which will operate all the change keys appearing in the same vertical group on each of the 64 pages of the system.

“Depth Horizontal Group Master Key” a five pin incidental master key which will operate all the change keys appearing in the same horizontal group on each of the 64 pages of the system.

The Special Depth Master Keys use the first three cuts from the TMK and the last three which are specific to a change or incidental master’s location on each page.

Personally I strongly dislike math but let’s review powers of four/total position progression two step math: 4 ^ 6 = 4,096 change keys but with the SPF it is really 5 ^ 6 or 15,625 since the use of incidental keys is a factor in such systems… If you subtract 4,097 (change keys plus TMK) from 15,625 that leaving a total of 11,528 incidental master keys to choose from…

2,560 @ 40 incidentals per each of 64 pages
104 @ 64 "depth" masters plus 40 higher level "depth" masters
64 @ 1 page master per page
16 @ “normal” four pin four page masters "segment"
4 @ “normal” five pin sixteen page masters "quadrant"

2,748 “normal” and “depth” incidental masters leaving 8,780 incidental master keys which would be difficult to display/describe/name using the SPF.

~~ Evan

[Zanazyr]

What do you (masters ;) ) mean with ukp locks? I saw somewhere for beginning picklockers a ross ukp4?!

[1967pontiacfirebird]

THANKS!! this helps alot when trying to understand others posts

[RubberBanned]

This is so gratifying to find. I was having a heck of a time trying to learn all of these on my own merit. Great work.