.003 vs. .005

[gotta]

I have 2 .005 Lab Mini kits for the van, one dedicated to Schlage. I have the large Lab .003 for my store. I like the convienence of the Mini kits, but need the large kit for the variety of locks in my territory. I keep my backstock pins in vials in the large red Lab cases. One for top pins, one for bottom pins.

[yoyoboy]

If you have the option, get the .003.

[I Pik U]

I've been using .005 kits for over 20 years, as that's whats been used at work, with no problems. Because I'm so used to them, I'd buy .005 again over .003.
We also have many brand specific pin kits, but they are used mostly for keys that are cut to their Manfacturers specs.
It's all in what you get used to that works best for you.

We still hang most of our key blanks under DL numbers, because that's how we started.

[yoyoboy]

Old thread, but I just wanted to mention that the .003 and .005 pins actually have a slightly different design. As seen here: http://www.lab-lockpins.com/htm/universal_pins.html

[raimundo]

So the .03 has a rounded pintop at the shear. to accomodate master pins and also open the shear a bit for us pickers. While the .05 has a bevel edge that is wider than the one on the .03, I have never really decide if that bevel is making it easier to pick by applying torsion at the shear to ride the pin bevel to the shearline, or if its makeing it harder to get the top pin to catch on the 'step' that appears on the shear when tension is applied.

[yoyoboy]

Bigger gap =easier to pick, simple as that.
They could make pins with zero bevel ( the technical term is chamfer) but it would make locks operate less smoothly, and more likely to bind.