Sargent and Greenleaf 8088 notice

[forrest]

I picked up a couple used 8088's since the government finds them unacceptable (see quote) as secure locks and I expect they'll be popping up ALL OVER THE PLACE.

But I'd like to use this lock. It's for securing something rather valuable to me and a padlock is the only solution.

The government is saying the 8088 can be "easily defeated"... I'll assume destructively.. But how easy is easy? Is the government being paranoid?
What would be better (and available to mr. ordinary citizen)?
Since I will be using it for something (if not my original intention) and I'd be nice to reset the combination without going to the locksmith each time has anyone found a source for the keys, anyone tried to make one? They look pretty simple.

The NRC posted the following (other agencies have publically posted similar items).

Obsolete Combination Padlocks

As noted above, combination padlocks have been supplied under various model
numbers and Federal Stock Numbers. The current NRC-acceptable combination
padlock is Sargent and Greenleaf Model 8077A. Its predecessor design was
identified as Model 8088, appears to be currently available and is in use at
some licensee facilities. The Model 8088 units can be easily defeated, do
not meet the terms of Executive Order 12356, are not approved by GSA, and
are not acceptable for the protection of either classified material or
safeguards information*.

[CaptHook]

There are bypasses for that lock, other than manipulation. Apparently they have been having trouble?
Chuck

[forrest]

Bypasses?.. Ugh. I can't see how S&G would be in trouble though (unless the govt. is after them for producing a product that knowlingly didn't meet specs.) I would think this would be great news for S&G since all those ton's of 8088's need to be replaced and it looks like the only approved replacements are.... S&Gs!

-forrest-

[NDE Manipulation]

It has more to do with the back being exposed, on the newer ones, there is a cover that slides and locks into place. You have to remove that during the combination-changing process. I have one of each of these locks and I am fairly familiar with them.

The older one had a Zamak cast body and it was easy to X-Ray with a portable machine and easy to drill. It might seem rather far-fetched to many people, but they are concerned with portable X-ray devices just as much as they are concerned with manipulation to obtain the combination. The newer ones either cannot be X-rayed or they are very hard to X-ray. It has the sliding cover on the back and the entire case is different. When you combine that with the manipulation-resistant innards, you have something that is very hard to surreptitiously compromise and that is what they are concerned with. They want to know if the thing has been tampered with. Anyone can walk up to the thing and grind the shackle off...but they would know and they are the Government and they want to know. (grin)

The "newer" ones are not exactly "new," they have had them for years now. I don't know about the document you cited or how old that is, but the "newer" ones have been around for years now, they were being used on Military Crypto (Field) Gear in the 80s IIRC.

There is another S&G Padlock along these lines that is like the American 2000 Series "Puck" Lock, in that, the shackle is not exposed at all. You place the entire lock on the hasp and lock it up. I'd like to get one of them for the collection one day too.