Can anyone date these locks?

[misterj]

Hi, Everyone-

I'm doing some research into the history of a Long Lines site up here...the site was built in 1957, and upgraded in 1962. I think it was upgraded again past that, but I can't find it in literature. The doors and locks may be a clue into that. The doors look a bit more modern/newer (better paint job, etc) than the rest of the building, but I think a big clue might be with the locks. I was surprised to see a Best SFIC on every single exterior door, and based on the face stamp, they look like they're mastered or at least keyed alike. For a building built in the late 50s and modified in the early 60s, I was expecting anything but this...maybe Corbin? I know that Best was around then, but the cores don't look that old, and they're not in the A keyway. All the cores are stamped 1C-1 and I believe it's the F keyway, but I'm not 100% sure of that...I'm just going by sight.

They're in excellent-looking shape for the age if they are, but I don't know if this keyway even existed then. There is some minor tarnishing, so they've had a bit of use, but they don't look weathered at all. I have no idea if they're 6 or 7 pin, it's not my building, so I don't think it's my place to be sticking things into the locks and counting pins.

One of the main things that makes me think that they aren't original is the amount of wear on them. Within 5 years of having the same cores on some high-use doors in the store I work at, we had worn them down to the point where it was impossible to recognize that they were a J keyway (basically, they became rectangular). These aren't even close to that point...and it would seem that with 40ish years of use, they would be...unless they were changed.

Is it at all possible that these are original, or were they definitely replaced sometime down the road. If so, does anyone have a ballpark figure? Maybe when the F keyway was introduced (I'm going out on a limb here and am assuming that the F keyway (if that's even what it is--I'm guessing) hasn't existed since BEST has).

Thanks for any input!

[Squelchtone]

Hi, Everyone-

I'm doing some research into the history of a Long Lines site up here...the site was built in 1957, and upgraded in 1962. I think it was upgraded again past that, but I can't find it in literature. The doors and locks may be a clue into that. The doors look a bit more modern/newer (better paint job, etc) than the rest of the building, but I think a big clue might be with the locks. I was surprised to see a Best SFIC on every single exterior door, and based on the face stamp, they look like they're mastered or at least keyed alike. For a building built in the late 50s and modified in the early 60s, I was expecting anything but this...maybe Corbin? I know that Best was around then, but the cores don't look that old, and they're not in the A keyway. All the cores are stamped 1C-1 and I believe it's the F keyway, but I'm not 100% sure of that...I'm just going by sight.

They're in excellent-looking shape for the age if they are, but I don't know if this keyway even existed then. There is some minor tarnishing, so they've had a bit of use, but they don't look weathered at all. I have no idea if they're 6 or 7 pin, it's not my building, so I don't think it's my place to be sticking things into the locks and counting pins.

One of the main things that makes me think that they aren't original is the amount of wear on them. Within 5 years of having the same cores on some high-use doors in the store I work at, we had worn them down to the point where it was impossible to recognize that they were a J keyway (basically, they became rectangular). These aren't even close to that point...and it would seem that with 40ish years of use, they would be...unless they were changed.

Is it at all possible that these are original, or were they definitely replaced sometime down the road. If so, does anyone have a ballpark figure? Maybe when the F keyway was introduced (I'm going out on a limb here and am assuming that the F keyway (if that's even what it is--I'm guessing) hasn't existed since BEST has).

Thanks for any input!

Of all the things that are interesting about AT&T Long Lines / SAC PACCS / AUTOVON Switch sites the locks are the last thing you should be researching.

Since ATT probably sold the site off in the early 80's, there's no doubt that who ever owns it now for whatever purpose probably put new locks on the doors when they re-purposed the site.

Most people are interested in towers, feed horns, coax, huts, and multi story underground buildings, not the locks on them, so your interest in the specifics of the locks seems a bit unhealthy, but I obsess about weird details too sometimes, so who am I to judge.

If they seem too shiny, then they're probably newer, but you know, a picture is worth a 1000 words, so take one and post it and someone here who works with BEST can tell you how new or old the locks are. Old BEST from the 1950's had 5 pins and a different looking logo, so that may be a clue.

Squelchtone

[misterj]

AT&T actually sold the site in question in 2000, and the company that bought it doesn't even use the keyed locks. They cut out part of the door frame (or cut out the latch or something) to override it on a back door, and put in a combo padlock. It seems to me that if they do this, why would they even bother rekeying the building...especially when there is a Best core on that door, too.

...which is why I think the exterior doors (and locks) were replaced at some point. I actually think some of the building is an addition, and that when the doors were added for the addition, they replaced them all.

For some reason, it won't let me upload an image, but here it is on imageshack: http://img837.imageshack.us/i/img1119p.jpg/ They all look the same...there is essentially the same amount of wear on them.

[Squelchtone]

Yeah those are not the original 1950's/1960's locks, those are pretty new BEST. Probably put in by AT&T before they sold the building.

Does that satisfy your question? or are you looking for a why did they change them, because nobody other than ATT will know that answer.

Look for old pics of the site on the internet, that will show you if there was an addition built on or not.

good luck with your project
Squelchtone

[misterj]

Thanks! You confirmed my suspicions...I didn't think that the locks were original.

[Raymond]

There seems no doubt that the Best cylinders and cores are relatively new. BUT, what about the actual lock they are screwed into? If you are able to remove the mortise lock from the door it may have paper labels attached to give a clue to the brand and age.

[misterj]

I can't go about removing the mortise lock, as I don't have access to the building (wish I did! There's got to be some neat stuff in there!). I might go up tomorrow and get some more pictures...can't remember how that looked in comparison to the rest of the door.