BiLock Questions

[Chrispy]

I recently acquired a BiLock and had some questions. I've followed the cardinal rule and searched prior to posting.

Background: The lock is a BiLock that is simply the cylinder and the tail-piece. There is no shell, etc. I can take the tail-piece of the lock, but cannot get the chamber cap off the plug without some dremel work (or some serious prying). The lock came from a collection of old locks and has no key. There is a number '102' on the lock face. It looks in rather good condition but is not new. Onto the questions....

1. Are the pin combinations the same for each side? I've seen some keys that have the same combo on each side, and some that haven't. Is this up to the manufacturer/installing locksmith?

2. The specs state that it has two sidebars. Is this true? How can they be defeated by conventional picks?

3. Can impressioning be a valid method of key duplication for this type of lock? The lock came without a key, so I have to try and make a key. Even so, how am I going to acquire a BiLock key blank? Looks like some chronic hacksaw blade manipulation....

4. How can I tell whether it is a new generation or an old gen? It doesn't look ancient, but it has wear and tear on it.

Thank you guys. Any help is appreciated.

edit: picture included

[TOWCH]

If you don't mind the key looking a bit ghetto two pieces of brickstrap bent into an L shape epoxy putty'ed together would probably do the trick. As for making the key, I would pull all the pins but one, and file the cut until it operates the lock. Then add another pin and so on. You would need to do this before the epoxy so you can attack each side seperately.

I still think bilock would do well to license Medeco's rotating pins. It would be a minor modification with a major improvement in pick resistance. It also seems like some warding on the keyway would go a long way in improving key control.

edit:
All my info is second hand. The lock does in fact have two sidebars. The lock functions almost identically to a medeco cam lock without the rotating pins and the addition of a second row of pins. Each row operates independently so they can be pinned however needed. Picture of a New Gen:

[oldlock]

I recently acquired a BiLock and had some questions. I've followed the cardinal rule and searched prior to posting.

Background: The lock is a BiLock that is simply the cylinder and the tail-piece. There is no shell, etc. I can take the tail-piece of the lock, but cannot get the chamber cap off the plug without some dremel work (or some serious prying). The lock came from a collection of old locks and has no key. There is a number '102' on the lock face. It looks in rather good condition but is not new. Onto the questions....

1. Are the pin combinations the same for each side? I've seen some keys that have the same combo on each side, and some that haven't. Is this up to the manufacturer/installing locksmith?

2. The specs state that it has two sidebars. Is this true? How can they be defeated by conventional picks?

3. Can impressioning be a valid method of key duplication for this type of lock? The lock came without a key, so I have to try and make a key. Even so, how am I going to acquire a BiLock key blank? Looks like some chronic hacksaw blade manipulation....

4. How can I tell whether it is a new generation or an old gen? It doesn't look ancient, but it has wear and tear on it.

Thank you guys. Any help is appreciated.

edit: picture included

I am going to answer some of your questions but not all. What you have appears to be a camlock, you should not have to damage it to get it apart.

The key could be the same both sides, but I have never seen one so cut. The cuts are entirely at the locksmiths choosing with the exception of the last two which are known as the dealer cuts and are chosen by Bilock.

Yes is has two sidebars.

Impressioning will not work. You cannot get a blank legally. You can make one should you so desire.

It is old gen, and quite an old one at that as a removable keyway insert has been the norm for quite a while. New gen has another pin in the middle of the keyway behind the insert.

Paul

[vector40]

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Removable keyway insert?

[oldlock]

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Removable keyway insert?

Yes. there are now multiple key profiles in use, and to facilitate this without over complicating the manufacturing process they use an insert at the front of the keyway, it can be clearly seen in the exploded diagram posted above.

Paul