American 700 lock Help

[Wh0W4]

is it possible to pick a American series 700 lock? i lost the keys and i don't want to pop it.


popped out the plugs

[raimundo]

Yes it is possible, the keyway is small so stick to the thinest picks and relatively small pick tips, use light tension and be aware that there are spools and serrated pins in them. if you are only opening them to make a key, you could probably shim the cylinders open with a shoplifting store security tag of the type that is a thick plastic oblong. these have nice shims inside that will be found when you cut them open along the edge or end. I am guessing that is what you want to do since they would be easier to pick in the lock, rather than out of it. in my opinion.
Interesting to note that they say made in china on them. American indeed!

[Wh0W4]

Thanks for the tips raimundo, it took me about 25 minutes to pick it, then i put clay in the key hole, took the clay out the copied the grooves to a blank.

[unbreakable]

Thanks for the tips raimundo, it took me about 25 minutes to pick it, then i put clay in the key hole, took the clay out the copied the grooves to a blank.

Could you elaborate a bit?

[Wh0W4]

after i picked the lock i left the tension wrench in with hard tension (the lock is opened) the pins are all set agents the cylinder, i shoved clay in the keyhole to copy the pins (i made a clay copy of the inside of the keyhole) after the clay dried i took the tension wrench out of the lock so the lock will lock and the pins will set, i took the clay mold out and i just copied the grooves the pins made on the clay mold to a blank key.
its an old way and it may not work all the time, but its the way im use too.

[cjames73]

WhoW4, that sounds interesting.
next time you make one of these clay keys can you take a photo and post it here as i would like to see it.
thanks

[raimundo]

that would likely be difficult to remove from the lock without breaking it up. especially if the clay expanded into the drillings for the pins, you may have to put a thin straight lifter probe into the lock along with the clay to lift the pins off it before removal.
you could get the specks on the pins near the front of the lock by inserting depth keys without the bumptits, and possibly even the depth of any deep pins further in. but for the places where the short pins are behind deep pins, perhaps you could measure them with a two tine comb and foil tool for reading individual pins.