Could a 6 or 7 pin BEST lock be bumped?

[WOT]

I'd like to say nearly impossible, but I'd like to hear someone who could contradict it from experience. If your experience is from a special core with a whole bunch of missing stacks, it doesn't count.

BEST style interchangeable cores have two shearlines and there is a minimum of three pins in each stack, four if master keyed. "control key" has its own set of cut depths corresponding to the top "control shear" line.

It's ok for one or two pinstacks to share a control depth with one of the operating depth, but to be able to select which shearline to be operate, the rest of the stacks should never share the control bitting.

My theory is that when you bump it, the pins would get stuck on a random shearline and very unlikely that all the pin would become stuck on either the operating or the control, so bump key would not work.

Even if you were to bump it with a counterclockwise torque, there is enough slack in the control lug to cause the control shear to become stuck.

Any contradiction?

[Eyes_Only]

I heard before in another thread that it's possible to bump a IC lock but I've never tried it so I can't really vouch for it. I just know that you have to find a way to keep the stop at the tip of the key from smashing into the back of the plug because of the way the Best key is made. I suppose a glue gun shoulder should do the trick. Other than that, I don't know much about the validity of this method.

[maxxed]

I can see no reason why not. Bumping should create large gaps between the pins and they should all clear the lowest shearline at some point. My first experience with a Best lock I had no idea what I was up against and I raked it open in 30 seconds. The guy teaching me thought that giving me this lock to open would give me a reality check, because I was doing so well on more basic locks. I still have this lock and it has remained picked and turned for nearly thirty years

[nekret]

I can see no reason why not. Bumping should create large gaps between the pins and they should all clear the lowest shearline at some point. My first experience with a Best lock I had no idea what I was up against and I raked it open in 30 seconds. The guy teaching me thought that giving me this lock to open would give me a reality check, because I was doing so well on more basic locks. I still have this lock and it has remained picked and turned for nearly thirty years

Did you get the control shear or the operating one? Either way that is dang impressive and I would've put that sucker on the wall!

[keysman]

I'd like to say nearly impossible, .........
My theory is that when you bump it, the pins would get stuck on a random shearline and very unlikely that all the pin would become stuck on either the operating or the control, so bump key would not work.

Any contradiction?

Not impossible at all... A best style IC operates on the same basic principles as any other pin tumbler lock except it has multiple sherelines.. in theory it would make it easier to bump/ pick .

Your theory would be correct if you put turning tension on the key before or at the moment of impact .. my experience with bumping suggests that turning tension applied immediately AFTER the impact, produces consistently better results, with all types of pin tumbler locks . SFICs being no exception .

I have no problem getting a SFIC to bump ,but hitting the control shereline seems to be purely random .

[maxxed]

I can see no reason why not. Bumping should create large gaps between the pins and they should all clear the lowest shearline at some point. My first experience with a Best lock I had no idea what I was up against and I raked it open in 30 seconds. The guy teaching me thought that giving me this lock to open would give me a reality check, because I was doing so well on more basic locks. I still have this lock and it has remained picked and turned for nearly thirty years

Did you get the control shear or the operating one? Either way that is dang impressive and I would've put that sucker on the wall!

It opened on the operating shear line, the guy training me had tried to open it himself for quite some time and never did. He is no longer a lockie, I met him about 8 months ago in a restaurant and he mentioned that incident

If I was to make a bump key for a Best lock I think that I would attempt to create a large shoulder by attaching a second key that has been cut to the length necessary to stop the main key from hitting the tip stop. It would do the same thing as the glue stick idea but would be a little more solid

[Schuyler]

I can see no reason why not. Bumping should create large gaps between the pins and they should all clear the lowest shearline at some point. My first experience with a Best lock I had no idea what I was up against and I raked it open in 30 seconds. The guy teaching me thought that giving me this lock to open would give me a reality check, because I was doing so well on more basic locks. I still have this lock and it has remained picked and turned for nearly thirty years

Did you get the control shear or the operating one? Either way that is dang impressive and I would've put that sucker on the wall!

It opened on the operating shear line, the guy training me had tried to open it himself for quite some time and never did. He is no longer a lockie, I met him about 8 months ago in a restaurant and he mentioned that incident

If I was to make a bump key for a Best lock I think that I would attempt to create a large shoulder by attaching a second key that has been cut to the length necessary to stop the main key from hitting the tip stop. It would do the same thing as the glue stick idea but would be a little more solid

I was going to say, it seems like the keys being tip-stopped would be a frustration to the bump-key making process.