American 5200 6 pin?

[WolfSpring]

So I've not been on here for a while and I've been getting settled into my new house after returning from the Desert. I got a handful of 5200s from my new Unit with no keys and picked all of them, in taking a cut one apart to refurbish I noticed the cylinder had a sixth slot for a pin set up, but only used 5 pins. Is this new or am I still an amature and just never run into this before? Is there a key that will work with this sixth pin?

[globallockytoo]

many people key up locks to five pins because they are using five pin keys. But manufacturers often manufacture their locks suitable for 6 pins. Sometimes there are restricted barrels that will fit in 6 pin housings.

[FarmerFreak]

Welcome back, it has been a while since I've seen one of your posts.

Yes they make a six pin key. I can't think off hand of any American brand padlock that can't be keyed to six pins if so desired.

And the only ones I can think of off hand that come from the factory keyed to six pins are the 748 padlocks and the A2000 hockey puck padlocks.

[WolfSpring]

Yeah the 5200s I've been getting lately have them, just not pinned in the sixth slot. Got back from Kuwait in Dec stayed in Utah for a few months on leave and moved to Colorado, bought a house and been busy as can be.

[Evan]

Hey WolfSpring:

So your American Series A5200 lock, which has a rectangular body 1¾" wide and a 5/16" diameter shackle with a shackle clearance of 1⅛", has a drilled six pin, keyed five pin cylinder... If you had an American Lock padlock pinning kit you could add a spring, top pin and bottom pin and key that lock to a six pin key if you wanted... If you wanted to order that same lock configuration with the same shackle clearance (1⅛") factory keyed to six pins it would be a Series A6200 lock...

~~ Evan

[WolfSpring]

But it would be a longer key would it not? Not sure on the dimesions let me find it and take some pics.

[Evan]

Welcome back, it has been a while since I've seen one of your posts.

Yes they make a six pin key. I can't think off hand of any American brand padlock that can't be keyed to six pins if so desired.

And the only ones I can think of off hand that come from the factory keyed to six pins are the 748 padlocks and the A2000 hockey puck padlocks.

Pretty much any pin tumbler lock sold by American Lock company that has a five pin lock cylinder in it has an six pin product available with the exception of the non-rekeyable five pin padlocks which come in five pins only...

The products just use a different product/series number than their five pin counterparts...

~~ Evan

[Evan]

But it would be a longer key would it not? Not sure on the dimesions let me find it and take some pics.

Correct... It would be a six pin key... But that longer key would fit into your cylinder, as it is drilled for six pins and only pinned to five...

If your lock cylinder was only drilled for five pins it might be shorter than a six pin cylinder and thus could not be converted as a longer key would not fit into a shorter cylinder...

It seems that American Lock Co. only manufactures its lock bodies in a size for six pin cylinders which makes sense because making lock bodies in different dimensions based on whether it will end up being a five pin lock or a six pin lock would cost them more money...

The non-rekeyable five pin padlocks probably use a special cylinder which is either shorter or just not drilled for six pins so that is why non-rekeyable padlocks aren't available in six pins...

~~ Evan

[pjzstones]

master lock proseries also drill the cylinder with 6 holes and only use five. they're also rekeyable so i guess it makes sence.

[WolfSpring]

Did a little research, the AM6 is the 5 pin key blank and the AM7 is the 6 pin. So I could buy a couple AM7s cut them for the 5 pin and add the 6th pin... Thanks for the info guys.