security pins

[siivanti]

Hey i'm wondering why no locks say if hey have security pins on the package. It seems like it would only make the lock seem more secure for the buyer. I even checked masterlocks webpage and it says nothing about security pins. I recently picked a magnum lock, which i believe had 2, but hey... i dont know for sure! it felt like nothing iv'e felt before, when i pushed up on the pins, i could feel the tension wrench moving back against my pressure, so i let it back a little while pushing up on the pins and "pop" the pin set and the lock popped... any thoughts?

[Kaotik]

It does sound like you have encountered a security pen in that lock. It also seems to sound like a spool pin, but I could be wrong, if the tension wrench made a significant movement in the opposite direction it would be a spool, if more like a click and little movement it would be a serrated pin.

I have seen a few lock companies with security pins labeled on the package. For one, Brinks has labeled security ratings and some diagrams of the internals of the locks to show it is secure for the task.

[crazyman]

Does British standard include cylinder locks, if so what’s the standard?

[unbreakable]

are you kidding?

[Bud Wiser]

"Pick Resistance" on Master locks mean they have pin tumblers

[siivanti]

haha thanks for replies. hadnt considered spool pins. I just popped a schalge deadbolt a few minutes ago, my first =P

[VashTSPD]

"Pick Resistance" on Master locks mean they have pin tumblers

[Circus_Ninja]

i hear alot about spool pins.
What exactly are they and how do they differ from normal pins?

[stilte]

They have sharp teeth and bite. Hard.

Ok, there are 3 main types: Spool, Mushroom, and Serrated.

They make picking the lock much harder. There're a couple of good photos of them around.

[Amanita-Virosa]

The MIT guide explains spool/mushroom pins very nicely. The diagram shown in there is actually of a mushroom pin but the principle is similar. Basically, when you lift the pin towards the shear line, the shape of the pin causes it to become stuck between the plug and the hull before the break point is actually reached.

To overcome them you need to play with the pressure you apply with the tension wrench - a feather touch tension wrench is ideal for this purpose (it is spring loaded).

[Mememe]

There're a couple of good photos of them around.

There's also a couple of videos on the Devon locks site showing how to recognise when you have them and how to pick them gently.