Older Yale Wafer Padlock

[JK_the_CJer]

So I went to a local locksmith today. I went with the intention of buying some spool, mushroom, or maybe even serrated pins for my little kwikset practice cylinders. The lockie gave me a small handful of spools for free. I felt a tad obligated to at least buy something from the guy. So I started looking around the old (some very old) lock they had in the shop. I stumbled upon the following:

Yale Disc Tumbler Padlock 601

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/2452/img0043jr3.jpg
http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/1710/img0044ey7.jpg

I didn't have any wafer locks (he said disc=wafer so i assume thats correct) and this was the first one ive ever picked. It feels very different, but I managed to get it open in about a minute.

He also taught me how a sidebar works (I had an idea but now I know for sure). Something he said didn't sit quite well with me though. I asked how much a sidebar affects picking. He claimed and I quote: "Sidebar locks can't be picked." He was an older guy and seemed very knowledgable. I made it very clear what my intentions were (hobby picking) from the get-go so it wasn't a sales pitch. The lock he was teaching me with was an old GM car lock.

With that said, what is the technique to defeating a sidebar? I assume one would use some sort thin wire (maybe even a small pick), and push it out manually somehow. Am I on the right track? I want to go back and pick up that GM lock and just pick it in front of the guy so bad. Oh well, it will come in time.

Another employee also told me that Virginia has not yet passed a law that prohibits the carrying of picks. This is good news, but I'm skeptical.

[illusion]

Sidebar locks can be beaten - Medeco being just one of them.

The GM motors sidebar locks, so I've heard are very hard to pick, and some say unpickable. Since we don't tend to get those locks in the UK I can't comment.

It'll be a wafer lock, and the term disc lock was accurate untill Abloy and Abus Plus came into the picture, along with other disc locks to be fair.

Dunno how this sidebar lock would be beaten, since I've never seen one, but if it's a case of just pushing the sidebar away it shouldn't be too hard.

[pinsetter]

Since GM Sidebar locks are automotive, your question cannot be answered in the public forums.

I will say this much on the subject:

The GM sidebar lock CAN be picked, but not usually my NORMAL means. The sidebars are designed in such a way that they do not provide any feedback through the lock. In other words, you can't feel whether they are set or not and ALL of them have to be set properly or the sidebar will not fall into place.

That is all I'm at liberty to say on this lock in this forum.