What is this on my Driver Pins!!!!

[BSG_314159]

So I have several of the new 5200 american locks and decided to use a relaxing Sunday to repin them with serrated/spool pins and drivers. I noticed when removing the old pins 3 of the driver ones have this purplish gunk on it. These locks are like brand new and when they were in use it was in a climate/humidity controlled environment.



What is this stuff they cover the pins with?

Now that I have gotten very comfortable with serrated pins and spool pins these purplish pins are more difficult to overcome. I cannot feel anything because of this unknown element. It's just one flow and prevents me from getting a good read.


I imagine this is a low cost solution to installing serrated/spool security pins. They usually only have 3 pins covered in this stuff along with a bump stop pin that gets stuck after the first use with a key.

(Picture of all the pins)


(Picture of one of these covered pins)


I scratched it up to see the consestency of this stuff and it's like wet paint that will never dry.

[GWiens2001]

Looks like somebody mixed wet and dry lube. Graphite and some other lube.

Gordon

[blue60]

flush the lock with break cleaner, give it a good scrub and everything will be good as new.

[BSG_314159]

Looks like somebody mixed wet and dry lube. Graphite and some other lube.

Gordon

They come like this brand new and the other pins are not effected so I ruled out anyone using lube.

[BSG_314159]

flush the lock with break cleaner, give it a good scrub and everything will be good as new.

I don't care for non security pins
These are going in the garbage or possible back up spairs.

[Big Jesse]

serrated/spool pins and drivers. I noticed when removing the old pins 3 of the driver ones have this purplish gunk on it.

those arnt driver pins brother, those are key pins. driver pins are the top pins.

[BSG_314159]

Gordon This was on a post you did in 2014. The stuff is on your key pins too.

[BSG_314159]

serrated/spool pins and drivers. I noticed when removing the old pins 3 of the driver ones have this purplish gunk on it.

those arnt driver pins brother, those are key pins. driver pins are the top pins.

Haha, now this title is misleading... details...

Still don't know what this is and why american lock puts them in their locks.

[Big Jesse]

you know, looking at your first picture, it seems the gunk is 'progressive'. i will assume you took the cylinder apart, and placed the pins from tip to bow (left to right) as the key is in your right hand, meaning the far right key pin, is the first pin in the lock, the one closest to the 'bow' (shoulder) of the key. and each pin there after has less and less crap on it. thus i would assume this doesnt come from the factory, but crap was sprayed or poured, or found its way into the front of the lock, and only making contact with the first 3 key pins. the last 3 have none because they are in the back of the lock, protected by the first 3 pins! ahhhh, yes, i see it now.

i like gordons idea, of graphite and fluid of some sort like triflow (non oil based) or even WD40 (oil based)

WD40 can look like this after a month, when crap attachts it, thats why you dont want to use it. that and the key and driver pins can start to stick in the holes of the lock, making it nearly ineffective as a lock and stupid hard to pick

[BSG_314159]

you know, looking at your first picture, it seems the gunk is 'progressive'. i will assume you took the cylinder apart, and placed the pins from tip to bow (left to right) as the key is in your right hand, meaning the far right key pin, is the first pin in the lock, the one closes to the 'bow' of the key. and each pin there after has less and less crap on it. thus i would assume this doesnt come from the factory, but crap was sprayed or poured, or found its way into the front of the lock, and only making contact with the first 3 key pins. the last 3 have none because they are in the back of the lock, protected by the first 3 pins! ahhhh, yes, i see it now.

No its day and night. 2 pins have nothing and 3 have everything. They can be placed in different location like the picture I posted of Gordons lock. I have opened many new 5200s and they all have these pins. No way someone sprayed something inside and only got 3 out of 5 and everything is dry. This stuff has to be scraped off

[BSG_314159]

i like gordons idea, of graphite and fluid of some sort like triflow (non oil based) or even WD40 (oil based)

WD40 can look like this after a month, when crap attachts it, thats why you dont want to use it. that and the key and driver pins can start to stick in the holes of the lock, making it nearly ineffective as a lock and stupid hard to pick

No one sprayed WD40 in this lock.... this is from factory.

[GWiens2001]

Oh, that is a color dye that makes faster for locksmiths to pin the locks. You can use brake cleaner to remove it.

Gordon

[Big Jesse]

i have a secret to tell you, its been bothering me for some time now. but i must get it off my shoulders.

every night, around the stroke of midnight, i turn into a magical lock fairy, and i fly all over north america, and i secretly cover every ones American Padlock Keypins with my magical fairy goo , and the next day I laugh and laugh as lockpickers around the nation struggle at their seemingly easy american pad locks. and every time a picker gets frustrated and gives up, a new lock fairy gets his wings.

i feel so much better now that i said that.

[BSG_314159]

Oh, that is a color dye that makes faster for locksmiths to pin the locks. You can use brake cleaner to remove it.

Gordon

Well then that makes since. So it was not security tactic from American lock. That dye makes picking harder.

I'm installing all security key and driver pins inside my new US 5200s so I'm not trying to save these pins at all.


Thanks!

[BSG_314159]

i have a secret to tell you, its been bothering me for some time now. but i must get it off my shoulders.

every night, around the stroke of midnight, i turn into a magical lock fairy, and i fly all over north america, and i secretly cover every ones American Padlock Keypins with my magical fairy goo , and the next day I laugh and laugh as lockpickers around the nation struggle at their seemingly easy american pad locks. and every time a picker gets frustrated and gives up, a new lock fairy gets his wings.

i feel so much better now that i said that.

You are the reason I throw locks!! Haha

A lock with no security pins should be a lot easier.... I mean a master lock 140 has security pins.... We use these new American locks to secure weapons in the military.

I just don't know why it's on different pins in different sizes. American lock never used color dye on any other lock I have opened and this dye is on four different sizes so far. So that is 4 of 8 pins... Don't know how dye would make it easier to pin if it's the same color for all the pins. I plan to open all them up and dump them. Compare the sizes of the ones with dye.