Serrated driver/keypins visual?

[Mike6158]

I only have 2 locks, three if you count the old broken door knob that I just found, to play with.

A Master #5 which is really easy to pick and an American Series 5200 which works great with a key but not so great with my picks. Maybe I need new picks (kidding).

I've seen enough Master lock "innard" pics and videos that I had an idea what I was feeling when I started picking. I'm not saying I'm great at picking it, I'm saying it was easy. When I start poking around in the American it doesn't feel familiar. I haven't found anything that shows what the inside looks like. Is there a reference on the web? If there is my searches haven't discovered it. There is a thread about the Series 50 that says it has serrated driver/keypins. Does my 5200 have those? If so, what do they look like?

[KPick]

Yes. American 5200's do have serrated key pins and drivers. They look like this: (picture below)

Credit goes to Oldfast for this picture.



The fourth driver pin (from left to right) is serrated.

The rest are serrated spools, but they act alot like spools.

The keypins, or the pins that interact with the key, are serrated. Those help trap the key pin at the shearline when an attempt to pick it is made.

American locks are made up of both.

[billdeserthills]

One nice thing about impressioning is those serrated driver pins actually mark your key better!

[Mike6158]

Yes. American 5200's do have serrated key pins and drivers. They look like this: (picture below)

Credit goes to Oldfast for this picture.



The fourth driver pin (from left to right) is serrated.

The rest are serrated spools, but they act alot like spools.

The keypins, or the pins that interact with the key, are serrated. Those help trap the key pin at the shearline when an attempt to pick it is made.

American locks are made up of both.

Thank you. That helps a bit. It's going to take me some time to figure out the feel of those

[GWiens2001]

One nice thing about impressioning is those serrated driver pins actually mark your key better!

Have not found that any driver pins affect impressioning marks, but probably less experienced than you are, Bill.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

One nice thing about impressioning is those serrated driver pins actually mark your key better!

Have not found that any driver pins affect impressioning marks, but probably less experienced than you are, Bill.

Gordon

I noticed once while impressioning an old Yale padlock that the marks almost throughout were very pronounced, which usually only happens when you get very close to just the right height on your key. It was actually rather disconcerting because it looked like I was close to finishing the key soo many times before it actually did finally turn. Later upon disassembly I found that the bottom pins were all serrated. It is a rather old practice that has been coming back into vogue to use serrated bottom pins. I guess those early pin tumbler padlock makers knew what it took to make their lock harder to open, and I marvel at their early knowledge and the fact that in many ways we are still using their old technology.
Case in point, I visited an antique car museum in Indiana years ago. They had many old horse-drawn coaches made by companies like Studabaker from the late 1890+. In the early part of the 1900's I saw quite a few different makes of Electric vehicles, some also made by Studabaker as well, mostly running on old style 6 volt lead acid batteries, which are still in use today, just in a 12 volt variety. Kinda sad to think we have come soo far and yet are still being thwarted by the same troubles our forefathers had with making a better, cheaper, lighter & more durable storage battery.

[GWiens2001]

So that would be serrated key pins. Yes, have noticed that. It was the driver pins I was confused about.

Gordon