Interesting Schlage Everest key insert?

[catsoup]

Not sure if this is something that will interest anyone here, but thought I would post it because I thought it was neat.
Found this lock at a transfer station with no key, looked like it had a key broken in it, so I took it out, and this is what I found.


It appears to be cut short leaving about 3.5 pins usable. it has the correct keying, and the lock can be picked with or without it. It holds the rear fingerpin up. Is this something common / what is this?

[MBI]

Well that sure is interesting, I've never seen one exactly like that before.

This is just a guess, but it could be part of a construction keying setup. I've seen similar ones before, except they used a plastic tip, much like the metal one you have there to hold the rear pins at the shearline. The key they gave the contractors was short and only operated the first three pin chambers of the lock, and those chambers were masterkeyed to work with the bitting of the normal operating key for that lock, and the construction key. Once the plastic insert was removed the construction key would no longer work, and at that point the the client's operating key could be fully inserted and would work on the lock.

The only times I've seen them used they had some tool to pull the plastic insert out the front of the keyway. I wasn't able to get a good look at it though. I'm guessing the little lip at the front of your key is designed to snap on to a key-like tool when it's time to remove it.

[catsoup]

Ah thanks, that makes a lot of sense.
I wish I had the key / remover tool.

[Evan]

This is just a guess, but it could be part of a construction keying setup. I've seen similar ones before, except they used a plastic tip, much like the metal one you have there to hold the rear pins at the shearline. The key they gave the contractors was short and only operated the first three pin chambers of the lock, and those chambers were masterkeyed to work with the bitting of the normal operating key for that lock, and the construction key. Once the plastic insert was removed the construction key would no longer work, and at that point the the client's operating key could be fully inserted and would work on the lock.

@MBI:

Excellent guess... That is how Schlage provides construction master keying on projects using fixed cylinders (meaning not interchangeable core type: SFIC, LFIC which would use plastic construx cores or keyed alike temporary cores which are returned at the end of the project)... Lost ball construction keying results in CMK's which are the same as the system top master key in all positions except one... That is a security risk to the keying system if all CMK's are not recovered at the end of the construction process... It also results in reducing the potential keying of the system by that one chamber which is often dedicated for the CMK purpose... So if you use the half-key method where you have an insert in the cylinders and issue a half-key for the construction phase of the project you are only ever exposing half of the master key bitting in a 6-pin system... That is much more secure to the keying system... It also does not effect in any way the theoretical maximum keying system expansion specs like the lost ball method would...

@catsoup:

The additional pin in an Everest cylinder is referred to as the "check pin" and not a finger pin... Finger pins are used with the Primus cylinders only...

~~ Evan

[cledry]

A similar key is used to temporarily lock out a cylinder. The old working key won't work until this piece is extracted with a little hook tool. This is sometimes used when a key goes missing but is expected to turn up. Of course we advocate rekeying the locks to a new key but the customer often doesn't want to go to the expense and if it is one of our restricted keyways there is less need for concern as long as the missing key is returned.

[raimundo]

What cledry is refering to is called a lock plug, made to keep out a key that fits the lock, used sometimes by landlords to keep out tenants who haven't paid and are avoiding the,

however you can see 3 pin cuts on the top edge of the thing so its more likely the front half of a key that remains in the lock and the lock can then be opened by a short piece of key that sets two or three pins toward the front of the lock.

A lock with this in it becomes a two or three pin lock since the last three are already keyed. not very secure.

a broken key extractor can pull on the notch and the pins that sit in front of this lockplug have to be lifted to get it out.