Penn rim cylinder lock?

[Mattches]

I'm trying to help my neighbor find a lock for his garage that matches the door on his house. His house has a Penn mortise cylinder, but his garage (as it's currently set up) needs a rim cylinder. Does anyone know if Penn made a rim cylinder lock?

[Tyler J. Thomas]

I can't really make out the keyway fully. Looks like 1016N, which is a Penn keyway. Got a picture of the key or can you take a better picture of the keyway (part where the key goes)?

[spuds]

best i can do with photo

[Mattches]

best i can do with photo

Jim, Thanks for the reply. You are correct, it's a 1016N!

[Tyler J. Thomas]

I don't know of anyone that currently makes or sells aftermarket rim cylinders in the 1016N/P2 keyway. You may be able to find one on eBay.

[Squelchtone]

It seems like it would be easier to just get a new mortise cylinder with the correct cam for the house in a keyway that is more common and get a rim cylinder in the new keyway as well.

Squelchtone

[dll932]

It seems like it would be easier to just get a new mortise cylinder with the correct cam for the house in a keyway that is more common and get a rim cylinder in the new keyway as well.

Squelchtone

Seconded. Penn locks are OLD and weren't real common.

[Mattches]

It seems like it would be easier to just get a new mortise cylinder with the correct cam for the house in a keyway that is more common and get a rim cylinder in the new keyway as well.

Squelchtone

I agree, but I think my neighbor wants to keep the original lock on his house. If I can't find a lock for him, perhaps I'll try to find a rim cylinder with the same pin spacing as the Penn and just swap out the plug.

[Squelchtone]

It seems like it would be easier to just get a new mortise cylinder with the correct cam for the house in a keyway that is more common and get a rim cylinder in the new keyway as well.

Squelchtone

I agree, but I think my neighbor wants to keep the original lock on his house. If I can't find a lock for him, perhaps I'll try to find a rim cylinder with the same pin spacing as the Penn and just swap out the plug.

I guess nobody's asked this yet, but why can't he just carry 2 different keys, one for house, one for garage? The Penn lock is not a valuable antique so unless the neighbor is really really sentimental about the Penn, there's no real reason to hang on to it. I'd suggest to him that getting a new mortise cylinder would be a much easier way to go.

I'm just speculating here, but did you possibly already sell yourself as being able to get him a cylinder to match his existing one? No shame in telling him that its a harder task than you both thought it would be.

As for getting the same pin spacing, you still need to find a cylinder where his existing Penn key will be able to insert into whatever keyway the new rim cylinder has. you mentioned swapping out the plug, where would you get a plug that has the same keyway as his house mortise cylinder?

good luck
Squelchtone

[Mattches]

It seems like it would be easier to just get a new mortise cylinder with the correct cam for the house in a keyway that is more common and get a rim cylinder in the new keyway as well.

Squelchtone

I agree, but I think my neighbor wants to keep the original lock on his house. If I can't find a lock for him, perhaps I'll try to find a rim cylinder with the same pin spacing as the Penn and just swap out the plug.

I guess nobody's asked this yet, but why can't he just carry 2 different keys, one for house, one for garage? The Penn lock is not a valuable antique so unless the neighbor is really really sentimental about the Penn, there's no real reason to hang on to it. I'd suggest to him that getting a new mortise cylinder would be a much easier way to go.

I'm just speculating here, but did you possibly already sell yourself as being able to get him a cylinder to match his existing one? No shame in telling him that its a harder task than you both thought it would be.

As for getting the same pin spacing, you still need to find a cylinder where his existing Penn key will be able to insert into whatever keyway the new rim cylinder has. you mentioned swapping out the plug, where would you get a plug that has the same keyway as his house mortise cylinder?

good luck
Squelchtone

I made no commitments that I could find what he's looking for. I just thought if someone here knew off hand, I would know whether to keep my eyes open or move on. As far as swapping the plug, I occasionally see Penn mortise cylinder locks on Ebay with the 1016N keyway and I have dozens of different cylinders lying around. Before I bought a lock, I would first take his door lock apart first to make sure I had a compatible cylinder.

He's a nice guy and is being nerdy about his locks, which resinated with me, so I offered to help. : )