Picked a Primus?!

[Exodus5000]

As some of you may know I recieved a schlage primus lock about a month ago. I've been playing with it, and I know the internal workings of it fairly well. I know that it employs a sidebar mechanism and that htere is a seperate set of pins that is used to manipulate the sidebar.

Anyway, long story short, I decided to try to rake it just for fun to see if anything would happen after about 20 mins of attempted single pin picking. It friggen opened! I don't understand HOW in gods name I did this because i don't know how to engage the sidebar to manipulate it at all!

If anyone knows how and it isn't too sensative I would like to know, because I would definately like to reproduce this feat.

[Romstar]

How about you try it a few more times, and then we'll talk about it.

Romstar

[mcm757207]

Congradulations My my understanding that's quite a challenge.

[Exodus5000]

In my excitment my grammar became rather poor. it must have been dumb luck as i cant pick it again.

[S3rratedSp00L]

Since I have only picked a non-primus everest cylinder, I don't know if I will be much help. They are different but similar, and once the side-pin or side-bar on these is defeated it picks like a normal schlage. The tolerances seemed pretty tight, or the bitting was nasty so it took me a while. I had permission so that was quite ok.

Anyway, did you rake the sidepins as well as the normal pins? I don't have access to a primus lock, but if I ever do I would love to try it. The non-primus was a bit of a challenge. I had a paperclip stuck in the bottom of the keyway all the way back to hold the side pin up It kept slipping around. I find it interesting that the sidepins on the primus could possibly be raked. I guess it could be possible that just tensioning the lock like normal engages the sidebar for manipulation since you say it opened. very interesting

What kind of feedback did you get!!??? What can you tell us about how it felt during the manipulation process?

I am sure I am not the only one who would love to see some pics of the guts of this cylinder. Just a thought

Did you use the key just prior to picking? maybe some pins stuck slightly. You may have been lucky. Keep trying and keep us posted I wish I had one of these to try as well

[Exodus5000]

No key has ever been used on the cylinder as far as I know. I purchased it from my work, and it was in their storage.
While raking it felt like I was accomplishing nothing, occasionaly I would release tension to see if I made any progress and I wouldn't hear any pins lock. I can't even FEEL the side pins because the key was is so tight and restricted, so I don't even know when/how I engaged them.
While raking and seemingly accomplishing nothing, all of a suddent I felt resistance build on some particular pins, and soon after it opened.

Moral: Boy did I Forest Gump my way through that one.

[S3rratedSp00L]

I have noticed a few deadbolts that I pick regularly have a feel similar to what you mention. They are not primus or everest, but are schlage... It may have something to do with the key bitting. Sometimes the pins are set and they are kinda just hangin around and not springy, but since the springs are hardly noticeable it feels roughly the same as an unset pin. It is really annoying sometimes. No security pins in the particular deadbolts that I am talking about. I find that dedbolts with security pins will at least lock up on me a bit The non-primus everest that I had the pleasure of picking did not seem to have security pins in it. I got to pick it 4 or 5 times over the course of a couple days. (With permission, btw...) If it had security pins I just didn't feel them. I have heard that they just use the sidepin and come without security pins, but they can be requested. I don't know if that is the case with the everest primus. Can you tell me if it has security pins? Have you taken it apart?

[Exodus5000]

I havn't taken my primus apart, but I havn't felt any security pins in it. Although it wouldn't surprise me if there were. I think theres about 4-5 sidepins that need to be manipulated to move the sidebar for the regular set of pins to be of any use. I just need to figure out how to manipulate those side pins. I can't even feel them. I'm such a babe in the woods on this one.

After looking at a few diagrams, i'm pretty sure there are no security pins in the primus.

[S3rratedSp00L]

You may have to make a special pick for sidepin manipulation. I have not had the chance to try a primus, but I am curious to know whether or not the sidepins can be raked and what they feel like. The single side-pin in a non-primus everest did not seem to have a very stron spring. I guess it doesn't need a strong spring. Maybe the same thing holds true for the sidepins in a primus. Weak springs might account for you not feeling the sidepins.

You could be feeling around in the wrong place, but I will assume that you know where the sidepins are located. You do have the key right? I would suggest taking it apart if you have experience taking apart deadbolts. I believe there was a PDF service manual or something similar on schlage's website. It doesn't look too hard at all....

I find the concept of geographical key control a joke. The sidebar, in the other hand seems to be a good idea!