Medeco pickproof?

[7922816251426433759354395]

It may be difficult to pick a Medeco, but it's still possible. I've read info from a site stating a theory about how to pick Medecos.

[Mister Hobbs]

Did you dispose of the tag that came with the keys by throwing it in the trash instead of keeping it in a safe, lock box or safe deposit box? Do you still have it? Does someone else have it?

There is a tool that can operate some mortise Medeco locks (and a whole lot more for that matter) without leaving a sign, very simple tool but it won't work on everything...

Without going too far into this, GM Sidebar locks have been a picking problem since they were introduced in 1934 or 35 (you either drill to reach the sidebar and pick the rest conventionally, use Try-out Keys or Jigglers or specific Rocker Picks). The answer was to attack the linkage with Slim Jims and all sorts of tools and this "Arms Race" of Lock vs. Manipulation Tool has went on for a few centuries now...

When the locks became incredibly difficult to pick (like Medeco), the focus shifted on the "linkage" in the door - bypassing the lock instead of manipulating it. This is the way the automotive "game" has went and this is the way of attacking high-security locks as well.

Medeco can be picked. Further, Medeco can be bypassed with regular lockpicks. I've done it once with a five pin mortise cylinder I used to keep in the top of my toolbox. I picked this thing for months, just for fun. Anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour every weeknight while at work and bored. Somewhere around the 6 - 9 months range, I got it, one time.

I would like to try the Medeco - specific picks in the future. For now, I am working on picking dimple pins and lever tumbler locks as well. Go back to Medeco later on. Heh.

As an aside, I know for a fact that Medecos have been picked by very skilled Locksmiths who work under contract with a Federal Agency. It takes some time, but is not a "skilled fluke" like when I picked one.

[marso]

Hi I was just surfing my new found hobby and noticed a site that describes how to make a tool for a medeco. Of course I have not tried it (I have enough trouble with pin cylinders) so it could be fos. Take it with a grain of salt till someone with more knowledge can verify the theory at least.

http://www.totse.com/en/bad_ideas/locks ... locks.html

[Chucklz]

samward
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 11:34 pm Post subject: medeco pickproof?
The only possible entrance to my apartment is the front door. I only got one key with the Multilock. Has anyone tried the rf (radio) lock or "cyberlock" for residential use?
Appreciate the help.

Only ONE key. He should have gotten two keys and a card to authorize duplication.

[raimundo]

you have numerous medeco dead bolts on your door and someone is coming in? Who have you invited in who might have stolen one of your spare keys, do you have a drop ceiling? have you looked for trapdoors in the floor, what evidence have you that the intruder was in? Open your door and throw the deadbolt on the lock, now try to push it back into the door, doe's it move? if it does not move, measure the length of the bolt and make sure that the strike plate in the door frame has that much length for it to fit into. If it is not into the strike plate fully, it is not "deadbolted". Try putting the bolt out of the door about two thirds of its length, and stopping it with your hand the way a short strike hole would stop it, notice that it can be pushed back into the door. A trickster could have put a screw or nail into your strikehole where it would not easily be seen to prevent the bolt from fully entering the hole, this leaves the bolt live and susceptible to various manipulations through the space between the door and the frame, or there might even be a hole in the doorframe area where a stiff wire could be inserted to push a 'live' bolt back out of the strike hole. Have you seen a psychiatrist about the possiblity that your a locknut?

[raimundo]

do you have a thumb turn on the inside of the door that opens the lock from the inside? Look at the top and bottom of the door for a wide gap, if you have a wide gap at the top or bottom of the door, it is possible that someone in the building and very nearby has made a tool that is placed on the thumb turn with a long stiff wire introduced under or over the door and that this carries with it a long string and some pieces of rubber bicycle tire tube that can tackle the thumb turn. When does the intruder come in, can you possibly make the noises of closing your door and seeming to leave the building, perhaps a friend could help, best if it is someone who has not been to your apartment before, have them leave the building, then stay in the apartment and read a book quietly, with no radio or television turned on. You should make a diary of when you find the signs of the intruder, so that you could know when to expect him, he has a regular schedule for some parts of his life too, so he won't be coming in during his regular work hours, but when he thinks you are out and when he is not taking care of his own necessary business. If you truly have a regular intruder passing your medecos, it is someone very close to your apartment, in the same building and either on the same floor or beneath you, (someone beneath you can hear your footsteps. so if you stay in to catch him, get in bed with a book to read before your helper goes out, making the noises of a person leaving and locking up.

[AlterEgo]

The only possible entrance to my apartment is the front door. I only got one key with the Multilock. Has anyone tried the rf (radio) lock or "cyberlock" for residential use?
Appreciate the help.

You would be amazed at how many ways there often are to get into a building.

I would look at all the windows. Even if they are pretty high above the ground, that doesn't always deter people, especially if there's a little ledge or something outside one. I would also check for any hatches in your apartment that might open - for example, small, square, difficult-to-spot coverings that might conceal climbable pipe shafts or spaces that lead to more easily accessible apartments. If you have a drop ceiling or something similar, it's possible that the person is entering elsewhere and climbing in through the drop ceiling. Or if you have ventilation ducts, he/she could be coming in through there.

[toppercat]

Ok.... I work as a locksmith. I am certified in Medeco, MultLock, Sclage Primus, Assa, Keymark and numerous others. NO LOCK IS UNPICKLABLE! Period. I have picked a Schlage primus. Tried it again and failed for hours before it picked again. However. These types of locks are pretty close to being pick proof. We in the field of locksmithing call them pick resistant. Because all it takes is someone to record themselves on a 24 hour time lapse recorder finally picking a medeco and its lawsuit city. What you have is one of a couple of things going on. Someone has a key. Or. The locksmith (And I hate to say this) is crooked. If you have that many locks on your door, it would take hours and hours to pick if possible. Period. As stated, get a small micro camera and catch the thief.

[toppercat]

One last thing........ High security locks while heavy duty looking and impressive, tend to draw people in and make them wonder "what does this guy have in there? hmmmm" Just a thought.

[digital_blue]

One last thing........ High security locks while heavy duty looking and impressive, tend to draw people in and make them wonder "what does this guy have in there? hmmmm" Just a thought.

I'm not sure I get the implication here. Does that mean that you would recommend a lesser product so as not to draw attention? Seems like a funny thing for a locksmith to recommend.

[toppercat]

well. Yeah. I guess. As much as I would love to sell the highest quality most expensive thing to a person, I would much rather them be secure in that they trust me to deliver them a product that in my opinion works and does its job and doesn't look unpleasent. Because that person will be more apt to call me in the future, and recommend me to others. More locks is not really better. They look bad on a door. They are a pain in the ass to have to lock them ALL. That many locks on a door tells me a couple of things. A. Stay Away!!! B. I have tons of cash sitting around, and C. I dare you to try to bypass. Weeks after the first safe was invented (A basic locking box) the first safe cracker was around. People are nosey and want to see whats going on. Whats inside? Thats all Im saying.

[digital_blue]

Ok, I understand that, but were you talking about more locks or higher security locks? I mean, would you sell someone away from a Medeco or Abloy to a standard Schlage just so that it doesn't look like they have much to protect? That just doesn't make any sense to me.

db

[cracksman]

Wow, I'm amazed at the response this question got in such a short time. This reminds me of the old "Sherlock Holmes", stories that got me interested in lock picking in the first place. What we seem to have here is a mystery in which case follow this time tested advice: "...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, (Sherlock Holmes). In other words, install a camera, check the locksmith, eliminate methodically all possibilities. This will help in two ways. First by taking control of the situation (being proactive) you will feel less intimidated and more in control of your situation. Secondly, the experience you gain in this research will protect you in the future because you will be aware of common B&E techniques as well as the more sophisticated.
p.s. start with the most obvious-do you have a maintenance man who is or has been allowed access? An ex-boyfriend, girlfriend? Did you forget to take those little pink anti-psychotic pills your doctor keeps prescribing -just kidding. Oh, one last thing, I had a housemate in college who was paranoid and put "way" to many locks on his door. Unfortunately for him the hinges were on the outside of his room -you can imagine the fun we had with him-that reminds me I should really let him know that it was me who changed the height of the posters on his wall, and no he was not going crazy, nah...maybe another time... best of luck

[MrB]

This thread was ancient. I'm amazed someone resurrected it.

[TOWCH]

You're either crazy, made an enemy with a weird sense of humor and you've been fortifying the front door when that's rarely the point of entry in a burglarly, going to a crooked locksmith, or keep leaving your keys lying around where they can be duplicated. Then comes the really crazy unlikely stuff like you manage to piss off one of the small number of people who can NDE medeco's. I could also be a bit of a cynic and say that none of this ever happened and you made this topic in the hope that one of us would let the secret to popping medeco's slip.