Best "security key"?

[phoneman85]

saw this on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEST-LOCK-BEST-ACCESS-SYSTEMS-LOCKOUT-CORES-KEYS-/280824953784?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416278bbb8
And wondered what the seller means by "no regular Best key will operate the cores. They contain special Best pin segments that respond only to the control key."

What kind of pins would these be?

I've always had a fascination with Best locks ever since I got my first one with it's operating and control keys.
I have only picked one of the Best locks in my collection, and it was a well worn one.

[GWiens2001]

I would suspect they are half-step pins. The control keys for these locks would be cut to the same half steps. So a key that is code cut to standard Best depths would not open the lock.

I have one best core, with both change and control keys, that are bitted to half steps. Don't know if they are original Best pins, but it is a Best core and keys.

Gordon

[phoneman85]

Gordon,

Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense. I was thinking a special cut or odd shaped pins, but with half steps, that would seem easier than designing new pins from scratch.

Will

[David Swearingen]

Best doesn't exactly have half step pins. Their standard pins have an increment of only .0125 inch, so halfway in between would be only six thousands of an inch...too fine even for Best's precision workmanship. This standard system of depths is known as "A2", and the cuttable width of the key blank was divided into 10 increments; they only use every other depth in each space in a given masterkey system, for an effective increment of .025". Back in the 60's they developed another system of increments where they divided into 7 increments and used every step; this gave them 7 depths per space rather than 10 (where only 5 were usable) and was known as the A3 system. It was used only for very large masterkey systems that required a very large number of servant keys. However, they found that the extra-fine increments of .018" didn't really provide enough difference from one key to another and the cores were prone to interchanges after they got some wear on them; also, the teeny weeny .018" master discs bent, wore badly, or got wedged in the cores. On top of all that, they lost combinations trying to avoid keys that were cut too close to master key bittings, so they didn't gain as many changes as they had expected. So they developed a third system, divided into 6 increments of .021" each and called it the A4 system. This is used for systems large enough to exceed the capabilities of A2; A3 isn't used anymore unless absolutely necessary. The "zero" depth is the starting point on all three systems; it is the exact same depth in all systems and the zero pins are the same length in all systems.

HOWEVER, that is not the answer to your question. I just said all that to say this: The special "lockout cores" in question are pinned with a special extremely long pin tumbler (they call them "pin segments") that extends way up past the regular shear line, all the way up to the control shear line. Therefore, it is physically impossible for ANY best key (or lock pick) to "operate" the core; it can only be removed. These long pins are called "19A" pins; the standard pins are 0A through 9A. The special pins are actually the equivalent length of a #19 depth, and can only be used in a space where the control key is cut to a #9 depth. Typically there will be only one such pin in a lockout core because there will be only one #9 cut on the control key, so their wording "special Best pin segmentS" plural is technically incorrect and misleading.

[GWiens2001]

Thank you, David. Learn something new every day.

The Best core I have must have non-Best pins, as it matches the A2 specifications + .012-.013" at every increment. I had also read that they did offer half step pins, but don't remember where U read it. Will have to research it and find that info again.

Never knew about the #19 keypins. That is what I love about this hobby... Always lots more to learn.

Gordon

[phoneman85]

David,

Thanks for the info! Like Gordon said, you really do learn new things in this hobby all the time.
Now I just need to get proficient in picking the Best padlocks in my collection!

Will

[i_b_larry]

I gotta ask a pretty basic question regarding Best construction cores. Just what do they do?

My first guess has always been that they are combinated to the construction company's specs to allow their workers access during construction. Am I correct in assuming that when the building is ready to be turned over to the owner, the construction company removes its red and/or green painted cores and the owner installs his own cores? It looks like the brass cores are painted green and the others are painted red. Or does the color indicate the number of pins in core?

I have seen construction cores offered on eBay and wondered if they actually work like regular cores. One recent seller had about 100 cores and turned them in his photos to hide the red and green faces; you had to look very carefully at his pictures to see the paint. Some buyer may have gotten a big surprise!

I had also seen the listing on eBay that started this thread off and it really confused the heck out of me as they looked like construction cores. It left me thinking that maybe all construction cores are lock-out cores like the kind described in the listing.

So, do construction cores work just like any other Best core or do they just perform a lock-out function or is there some other use I have not yet imagined?

[jeffmoss26]

Construction cores are for temporary use, they should be replaced with the permanent cores after construction. The paint just lets you know that it's not a permanent core. Some of them are not pinned in all 7 chambers...I have several different colored cores, there is no universal standard bitting that I know of (though all my light green cores are the same)
They work just like any other SFIC.

[i_b_larry]

Construction cores are for temporary use, they should be replaced with the permanent cores after construction. The paint just lets you know that it's not a permanent core. Some of them are not pinned in all 7 chambers...I have several different colored cores, there is no universal standard bitting that I know of (though all my light green cores are the same)
They work just like any other SFIC.

Thanks for the reply. I sort of guessed that they were just for temporary use but the listing for lock-out core with green construction paint had me thinking that this was not the case.

[i_b_larry]

BTW, in recent weeks there has been one seller on eBay offering various brand new Best door locks with red construction cores installed. These are usually shown with the original box and packaging in his photos. He admits that he does not have an operator key and the fact that the cores are still in place implies that he also has no control key, otherwise, he would have removed them.

Hmm! Brand new locks in new boxes, construction cores installed, and no keys. Gosh, you don't think these could have been stolen off a jobsite, do you?

[phoneman85]

When I helped move stuff out of our county's old Emergency Management building to the new one, the new building had blue painted cores in the doors and padlocks. Same principle.
Basically if a construction worker keeps a key with plans to use it for dishonest purposes once the building is occupied, he/she will find the stolen key no longer works the new cores now in place.

[David Swearingen]

I worked for Best Lock - actually, pretty much managed all their operations in the state of Florida - back in the 1970's. At that time, I probably knew more about Best than the people who made them. I moved on to bigger and better things in 1980 (so I thought - it was probably a big mistake) and I don't know what all has changed since then.

Originally, all construction cores were painted red and were keyed alike. Eventually there were too many construction keys floating around and the red cores were replaced with a blue series. These were used throughout the 70's. Again, they were all keyed alike, mostly pinned only in the 1st 3rd and 5th chambers. All the operating keys were stamped "MB" for "Master Blue" and control keys were stamped "CB" for "Control Blue." I believe they have come out with orange and green groups since then. I don't know whether current red cores use the same keys as the old red ones, or if they have different red keys now.

When the construction is complete, Best will supply all new cores keyed to the end user's specifications, at no charge, and the building owner is supposed to return all the construction cores and keys to Best. Sometimes the cores never get replaced and you'll see these minimal-security cores in expensive high security locksets in important buildings for years afterwards.

[phoneman85]

Very interesting! The cores I saw appeared to have been painted blue with a magic marker, so it could have been an on site thing. So the construction cores were all keyed alike for each color series? (A red key for one building would fit a red core at another site across town) Doesn't sound very secure.

[18mwh97]

Yep, not very secure at all. My work brings me to convention centers all around the country, and I'm astonished to find that almost every one that uses the SFIC system has construction cores some place in the building. I walk by these door, gate, pad, and electrical locks and think to myself, "I could re-key this..." knowing that I have the cores, control, and operating keys necessary to do so. I never would, but somebody with malicious intent could really mess with one of these facilities.

I own several "colors" of construction cores and keys, and can attest to the fact that they are typically only pinned in three of the seven chambers, and not always the same chambers are pinned when one looks at multiple cores next to each other. I believe that Best simply created a bitting for each color and then seemingly left it up to the guys on the shop floor to determine which stacks to pin in any given core, but three of the seven are always pinned.

The reason that Best supplies this product is so that the building owner can rest easy once he takes possession of the building. For example, on a university campus the facilities department may actually do the installing and removing of all cores (including during construction) and they would choose a color, and supply that contractor with however many keys he wants. All of the doors inside and outside the building would be the same color, or in some cases they will choose one color for inside, and one for outside. This would happen to allow all of the trades access to the interior of the building, but assure that the general contractor can lock up the job site at the end of the day. After construction, if the GC only gives back 17 of the 20 keys issued, the school doesn't care. The institution's locksmith would install the regular cores when possession of the building is taken and thus secure the building.

On another note in response to David: Since Stanley bought Best they only supply the keyless (black plastic turn-knob) construction cores at no-charge. The construction cores we're talking about cost $7.50 each now adays, which is a totally separate cost from the final core and key order. They offer $2.50 in credit towards future orders, per core, if the cores are returned to Stanley/Best at customer expense.