ever think it might be broken?

[LocksmithArmy]

So one day about 3 months back I was walkin around the motor pool and I found some cut locks(not a suprise) I always take em back to my room and pick em whenever I get around to it...

Well, this american 5200 just wont open... I work on it often and I have opened all the others I have found... Then I realized "Its cut for a reasone" and I have about decided its just broken...

when I turn it upside down I can watch a few of the pins fall about halfway up... This is not normal from my expierience.. so maby somthins is wrong...

any insights into why these pins would drop up into the top a bit?

[WolfSpring]

I did the same thing two weeks ago, had this lock i found like 5, but one of the 5200s just would not pick right, I'd hit #5 and the whole thing would bind up. I cleaned it out with wd-40 and canned air, and put a key in it, fealt like it wanted to turn. Finally gave up, drilled it for parts.

[LocksmithArmy]

I think Im gonna dremmil the security nut so I can see whats up with the pins. no big loss. it was free

[Eyes_Only]

I had a home lockout call like this once where the customer had the key but it would no longer operate the knob lock on the front door. I decoded the key and cut a fresh new one by code on the HPC but that didn't work, odd. So I tried picking for about 7 to 10 mins and still no go.

I was running out of options until I realized maybe it's broken. So I flushed out the lock with a cleaner spray and used a diamond pick's flat side to count how many pins where in there. I only heard 4 spring back up so right there I knew one of the pins stacks didn't have any spring bias.

The knob was on the door upside down so with the busted spring in one of the chambers, it had allowed one particular pin stack to drop down with the bottom pin blocking the shearline. The solution was to insert the customers key in the lock while applying slight torque and tap the underside of the knob with a rubber mallet to knock that problem pin stack back up, and luckily it worked.

I think this (and the fact that most locksmiths suck at picking) is one of the reasons why many locksmiths will initially greet most locks, especially padlocks with a drill instead of a pick set.

[FarmerFreak]

I think this (and the fact that most locksmiths suck at picking) is one of the reasons why many locksmiths will initially greet most locks, especially padlocks with a drill instead of a pick set.

I think you could have left this with just the fact that "most" (not all) locksmiths suck at picking. Heh I guess that was kinda mean,...but also kinda true.

Anyway, I opened a Schlage "F" series knob the same way about a month ago with the same problem. Upside down with 4 pins moving instead of 5. The only real difference is that I looked inside to spot the problem. I prefer to look inside instead of listen. If the pins are gummed up a little they may still be moving, but slow enough that you won't hear them. And sometimes you can see the split in between the key pin and driver pins, which will let you know which cuts are shallow. This could help you determine if the key they gave you is the correct key.

[Eyes_Only]

Yeah maybe it was a bit harsh but at least in my area the majority of the smiths from the more well known and bigger lock shops were terrible at it.