best combinations for more pick resistant locks

[alockguru]

What do you guys think is the best set up to make your standard 5 or 6 pin locks as pick resistance as possible?

Hi-Low bottoms pinning for sure, but what about driver pins? Is all spool pins best or is a mix between standard & spools more effective?

What about the effectiveness of pairing spool pins with either hi or low bottoms?
Please discuss.

[MacGyver101]

I don't have any good "rule of thumb" about spools being more/less effective with particular bottom pins (other than the general observation that "balanced" pin stacks have some good security advantages).

In terms of mixing standard and spooled drivers, though, that's an absolute requirement. If you pinned a standard lock entirely with standard spool pins, it would be a real pain to use. Without at least one standard driver pin, the cylinder would be free to rotate slightly in either direction all the time; unless you were very careful when starting to insert the key (to keep it perfectly vertical), even the slightest twist of the cylinder would immediately bind the drivers and prevent you from inserting/removing the key. (This was an early lesson when I first got a handful of spooled drivers to play with... it took me a minute to sort out why the key no longer fit into my practice lock.)

[C locked]

Deep cut followed by shallow cut with a spool on the shallow. And a serrated on the deep. but it does of course depend on the usual users of the key. Heavy handed key users should not have a deep cut near the shoulder.

[Achyfellow]

I bought an old $2 padlock two days ago. The key was cut to 8188 and believe me, it is being a nightmare to pick, even if it has no spool pins (I've only picked it twice, and it was pure luck). I'd say high/low pinning. Spool/serrated/other driver pins can make things slightly more difficult, but they are not a huge deal once you learn to feel where they are and how to work with them.

[alockguru]

I like to make a deeper cut close to the shoulder followed by a shallow cut. I'm sure this will upset a lot of old timers but I feel the larger pins in the front of the key generally makes it more difficult to pick. it gives you less room and less visibility. I have never been too worried about people snapping house keys when the key is fully inserted it does not really put that much pressure on that first spot.

I ran into sc4 deadbolt yesterday. it was all spool drivers. i think who ever had work on it before had dropped the 6th spot which probably had the standard driver. I went ahead and added a standard driver following Macgyvers advice.

[ARF-GEF]

If you have the option of putting in steel pins (some lock-makers supply them to increase drill resistance, it makes sense to put them to the 1st and 3rd place.
The 3rd place is the unpleasant surprise if someone is drilling it.
Plus you are killing 2 birds with 1 stone: they naturally count as standard pins, so the rest could be all spools/ serrated. I think best is to have 2 steel 1 spool 2 serrated.

[ARF-GEF]

ah sorry just realised question was best combination for more pick resistant locks.
My apologies skip the unnecessary parts

[alockguru]

Actually your post is great. I'm looking at all ways I can increase basic security of standard locks for people who are concerned about such things. Never even thought of making it more drill resistant for some reason

[ARF-GEF]

I'm glad I could be of help.
Well drilling is not that big an issue in Europe, it's not a very common way in. Still that is how I pinned my lock