Never seen that in a lock.

[picogermain]

Today I learned something new. I was trying to SPP an Almet deadbolt. I was not fealing it pretty good due to dust and rust. But i manage my way until nothing was moving and still the lock was not open. I then reverted to the basics and tried to rake it and surprise i raked it 3 time in 30 sec.

Confused I decided to gutt it and what i found was new to me



What are we suppose to do with that ? Any way to feel those little disc ?

[mcsteve]

Looks like someone took it apart and replaced all driver pins with key pins. Very odd. I have to imagine that would make it very easy to rake.

[GWiens2001]

At least the master wafers are real, even if the driver pins are not.

It should still be fairly easy to pick with that wide gap at the shear line created by the key pins on top. If I had to use key pins for some reason, which I wouldn't, I would at least flip them over so the flat end was against the key pin.

Maybe the angles of the key pin tips at the shear line are not sufficient to allow the plug to turn and slide the pins up, whereas raking keeps incrementally lifting the pins until they clear the shear line.

Think if the lock were lubed, it would pick easily.

Gordon

[dosman]

Using key pins instead of driver pins would allow you to create balanced pin stacks to prevent comb picks from working on a cheaper lock. However i'd guess that having the "point" of your pseudo driver pins at the shear line would make it easier to open. If you turned them around so they pointed towards the spring that might work ok.

[mechanical_nightmare]

I've also come across key pins used as driver pins in an old lock. It was very easy to pick, and I did so hundreds of times until one of the pins got stuck, so then I drilled the shear line.

[cledry]

Just to correct the nomenclature being used for clarity "key pins" isn't a term used AFAIK, at least not commonly. The correct term is bottom pin, top pins refers to both the master pins and the driver pins.

[GWiens2001]

Yet in other parts of the world, the key pins are the top pins. So key pins is clearer worldwide.

Gordon

[IndigoChild]

I have actually come across this several times. Three possibilities usually. Bad locksmith, Uneducated locksmith, or diy. There was a poor locksmith who did terrible jobs and we would usually get called to fix his mess. When I have to use bottoms I usually file off the tip and clean up the edges. Mine looked and function like new. A lock like that is harder to pick but very easy to bump. Also keys whose teeth are similar will work on this lock.

[allan501]

Out of curiosity wouldn't it work better if the points of the keypins faced the springs, as long as the overall length stayed about the same as the driver pin?

[IndigoChild]

Yes they work just as good if you use a keypin with the point up. Its just unprofessional or lazy

[cledry]

I see that some online articles do use the word key pins, but they also call master pins "spacer pins". In 30 years of being in the business in 2 countries I had never heard either term before. It actually makes sense to use the term key pin though when you think about it.

[GWiens2001]

And here never heard the term "spacer pin", which makes no sense to me at all. Yet again, here I am learning from you, Cledry! Thanks!

Gordon