My Handcuff collection

[nite0wl]

I didn't get serious about collecting restraints until recently but I thought people here might enjoy seeing some of my collection.
First up, the more common stuff:

S&W Model 100 in Nickle finish:


S&W Model 1 in Nickle finish:

Note that the Model 1 uses the 'push-pin' double lock instead of the more common S&W slot style

S&W M&P Model 100 in Nickle finish:

These are S&W's newest design and have a 'tool-less' double lock, a small lever located in the corner above where the usual double lock slot would be is pushed until the double lock engages.

Peerless model 802C hinged cuffs in black:



ASP model 150 polymer over aluminum frame (standard security lock):

[nite0wl]

More, largely US domestic brands.

S&W Model 1900 leg irons:

Supposedly these had been retired by a Reno Nevada correctional facility.

Peerless Model 703 leg irons, nickle finish:

[dontlook]

OOOOH shiny.

Thanks for sharing man. Lets see all the gear in the vest.

[nite0wl]

Transport and correctional restraint items:

Peerless PSC60 belly chain:

Of the belly chains I own, this is my favorite as the martin link is notched to allow it to lock into one of the chain links which helps prevent slop and shifting.

CTS Thompson model 7084 Blue Box:


The Blue Box fits over most standard styles of chain handcuffs and makes them semi rigid (there is usually some degree of slop) while also preventing access to the keyholes of the cuffs.
Unlike other copies of this device (like the C&S) this model has small slots in the side to allow access to pin type double locks so that the box can be assembled before handcuffing the detainee, any other type of double lock must be applied before the box is attached.

Cuff Lock standard padlock in red finish:

Odd little padlock (roughly 35mm size) for securing a Blue Box or other restraint to a belly chain or similar. The unique aspect of it is that it uses a standard handcuff key to unlock, allowing a single key to be used to operate all of the restraints a detainee might be in.

Transport rig:

Made from S&W M&P 100 handcuss, S&W M&P 1900 leg irons, connected with a 30 inch CTS Thompson 7078 connector chain. A cheaper solution than prebuilt transport chain setups from Peerless, S&W, etc and more adaptable as components can still be used individually or more added (such as a belly chain or belt).

[nite0wl]

'High Security' cuffs:

To start with, the current stuff.

S&W Model 104 "High Security" handcuffs:

Uses a unique bet very simple key. While there have been rumors that either the 104 key or a standard S&W key can be modified to operate both standard S&W cuffs as well as model 104's I have yet to find a way as the shaft and keyhole dimensions differ significantly.


Clejuso No. 9 High Security handcuffs:

These employ a very unusual triple bitted key which is double sided for convenience, the keyhole is also accessible from both sides of the cuff.

S&W Model 94 "High Security" (2nd version) hand cuffs:

These are now long out of production but they were considered cutting edge in the 1970s. They used an unusual 4 pin tubular lock with only 2 pin heights and a blocking blade which doubled as an index and torsion point for the key which had a matching slot in its side. Double locking is achieved by inserting the key and turning the lock to the 12 o'clock position (towards the chain swivel), the single lock position is at 9 or 3 o'clock position depending on which cuff (which ever is closer to the edge of the body), unlocking is achieved by rotating the key slightly past the single lock position, towards the single strand. The A stamp on the single strand arm indicates this set is keyed to the 'unrestricted' "N" key, 9 different keys (of the 16 possible configurations) are known to have been made. This chart shows the possible configurations with the keys that are known to have been made marked with a letter corresponding to their official designation:


Yuil M-11 aluminium hinged handcuffs:

From the outside these may not seem very remarkable but these are fairly secure against someone accustomed to American handcuffs. While the double lock slot and key hole are both strongly reminiscent of Smith & Wesson designs, they cann't be operated by a standard S&W key as Yuil handcuffs incorporate a warding plate that extends through the entire body of the cuff and even into the ratchet slot. The single strand arm has a corresponding groove milled into it and the keys are an unusual double bitted design to accommodate the warding. There are additional elements added to make shimming nearly impossible. Unfortunately the aluminium models are less robust than their steel counterparts and often suffer minor issues with machining tolerances and build quality.

[nite0wl]

Foreign and vintage cuffs:

Clejuso Number 12 stainless steel hand cuffs:

The standard security version of the High Security Number 9 I showed earlier. The key is essentially the same as the US 'universal' keys althoung the flag is slightly shorter than some. The most important features of the modern Clejuso range is that the double lock is engaged by pressing the slightly recessed button on the side of the cuff, both the double and single locks are disengaged with a single sweep of the key. The ratchet pawls include some anti-shim features such as a deep relief cut under the leading edge designed to trap the tip of a shim.

Hiatt, unknown model, nickle finish:

These were given to my be an acquaintance in the UK. The heavy wear marks are likely the result of the UK Home Office policy of removing all serial numbers and other identifying marks from restraints when they are retired from use by the police. As is standard with Hiatt, these use 3 semi independent ratchet pawls which make picking with improvised tools much more difficult but provide little in the way of shim protection.


Clejuso No.12D, likely 1960's manufacture:

These hand cuffs don't appear to have a double lock function but do employ an unusual type of double bitted post style key, the tip of the key extends past the flags and fits into a small hole in the back plate to keep the key aligned, there is some warding in the keyway to prevent simple warded pick type tools from being used. The action of the ratchet is somewhat rough which is probably a combination of age and wear as well as a certain imprecision in the workmanship. The finish is immaculate though.

Hiatt 2103 Speedcuffs:

While the Hiatt brand is back under the control of Safariland and much of its production has shifted back to the US I included these here as they are best known as one of the several types of rigid handcuffs carried by many members of the police in the UK. As usual for Hiatt it features 3 semi-independent ratchet pawls but no special keys or anti-shim protections, the main barrier to escape is the difficulty of reaching the recessed keyhole and manipulating it due to the rigid cuff design and the techniques that were commonly used by the Metropolitan police unique to the use of rigid cuffs.

Karl Reher "Deutsche Polizei" model B circa 1977:

If these look familiar to those of you who have seen the stories about SSDeV member Ray and his 3D printed keys to the Dutch police handcuffs, that is because these are the predecessor model. Karl Reher took over what little remained of the August Schwarz company following World War 2 (the August Schwarz factory and offices had been destroyed by Allied bombing campaigns), and began producing improved versions of the predecessor company's designs. In 1977 Hagge Gerätebau bought the Karl Reher company and continued improving on the designs. Eventually Hagge struck a deal with the Dutch lock maker LIPS to produce a licensed version of their final design, first by producing parts in Germany while final assembly was done by LIPS in the Netherlands, eventually all production and finishing was shifted back to the Hagge factory in Germany and the cuffs are simply marked with the LIPS name and sold through LIPS to their Dutch customers.
Despite being at least 40 years old the keys have not been changed since Karl Reher introduced the now emblematic key design in the 1950s. The markings are as follows: Schutzmarke (trademark), Deutsche Polizei (German Police with a knight's cross between the words); Surrounding the keyholes are ZU (on/closed) and AUF (off/open) with corresponding arrows showing which way the key needs to be turned to engage or disengage the double and single locks.

[nite0wl]

OOOOH shiny.

Thanks for sharing man. Lets see all the gear in the vest.

As requested, Here is a picture of a load carrying rig I built for doing demonstrations at lockpick villages at security conferences as I was getting tired of hauling sacks of restraints around every time some one asked for a demo or lesson.

I have added one or two pouches to make it easier to carry and access some of the more oddly shaped cuffs since I took this but it is the most up to date image I have.
The semi-fixed items are a pickset in a Sparrows Sentry case, Safariland disposable cuff cutter, and Leatherman MUT with a MOLLE Sheath
A typical load-out for this would be as follows:

• 2 pair Mil-Spec Plastics Cobra Cuffs (the black and blue flex cuffs in the mag pouch)
• 4-6 Chicago Handcuff Co Riot flex cuffs
• 2+ pairs of single and double KeyCuffs reusable flex cuffs
• Chicago Handcuff Co color coded cutaway handcuff
• Peerless 701 or 802 handcuffs
• Clejuso No 12 handcuffs
• ASP model 105 handcuffs
• Hiatt chain handcuffs
• Hiatt 2103 Speed Cuffs (in 5.11 rigid cuff holder)
• S&W handcuffs either model 100 or 300

I try to ensure that whatever the load-out is it maximizes the variety of designs (chain versus hinged versus rigid) and operating styles (pin double lock versus slot versus button/lever and double versus single sweep opening). Aside from the key ring it doesn't yet clank when I walk and it still allows me to sit fairly comfortably.
0xdade from Twitter was kind enough to put togeather an annotated component list with some comments and additional options I provided here:https://gist.github.com/0xdade/0d7548e110bf83a171793e227978ab58

[nite0wl]

New handcuffs arrived today so I thought I would show them off a bit.
Here is what is new (clockwise from bottom left):
ASP High Security Ultra cuffs (46109) with Duty Case, CTS Thompson Model 7083 Blue Box #2 for hinged handcuffs, CTS Thompson model 1008 Tri-Max handcuffs, and Chicago model X55 cuffs.


All three have double pawl mechanisms. Here they are compared to my Yuil M-11 cuffs:

Left to Right: ASP High Security, Chicago X55, CTS Thompson 1008 Tri-Max, and Yuil M-11.
Notice the differences, ASP and Chicago use two separate pawls but only a single spring and no blocking blade while CTS and Yuil seem to use separate springs and have blocking blades that require a groove in the ratchet arm to fit. I successfully picked the Chicago X55 using the standard improvised methods used on the more common single pawl designs. The CTS Tri-Max are the only cuffs I own that require a split tipped shim to open by shimming, Yuil has counter measures which so far have managed to prevent nearly all shimming methods I have attempted.

The ASP High Security locksets do have keyway warding which only allows a split flag key to turn, even standard ASP keys will not work. Here is a side by side comparison of ASPs with US Standard (single pawl) locksets and the High Security lockset.



ASP color codes their locksets using the double locking bar which doubles as a visual indicator of the condition of the double lock. The color codes are as follows:

• Yellow=US Standard single pawl
• Blue=High Security double pawl (special key)
• Green="European" triple pawl
• Red= training lock (allows keyless slip through)

The ASP Duty Case has a nice semi-concealed pocket for carrying a spare key:


Finally, the CTS Blue Box for hinged handcuffs. This is a much more simple design than their Black Box as it is just a U shaped piece of steel with a reinforcing rivet and a slot for the Martin link from a belly chain or other restraint belt/chain to pass through.

Here it is demonstrated on a pair of Peerless 802C hinged cuffs:


Note how it allows access to the double locking pin after it has been fitted.
Some models of hinged handcuffs which use the same faceplates as their chain counterparts (and thus retain the bulge for the chain swivel) such as S&W 300 and Yuil M-11 can be a bit tough to fit smoothly and may not be able to properly straddle the reinforcing rivet.

[Squelchtone]

Great info and pics, thanks for explaining all the details and including little nuggets of history!

[Silverado]

Awesome thread! I never knew handcuffs had so many different variants and security features.

[nite0wl]

Awesome thread! I never knew handcuffs had so many different variants and security features.

There are even more considering that my collection doesn't include any of the really expensive stuff (aside from the auction for the S&W 94 cuffs I rarely spend more than $50 for a set) and I have very few cuffs from outside the US.

[nite0wl]

Great info and pics, thanks for explaining all the details and including little nuggets of history!

Thanks man. Sometimes the history of the manufacturer or design are just as interesting as the mechanics or picking.

[nite0wl]

In addition to restocking my supply of disposable restraints for an upcoming training event, I picked up one set of handcuffs which is new to my collection and a duplicate of another model which I will be turning into a cutaway.
First, the new stuff: Winchester WN-40 stainless steel handcuffs.

These seem to be exact copies of the Chicago Handcuff Company's X55 model just with Winchester markings and were apparently manufactured in Taiwan for Tactical Steel Products based in the Chicago Illinois area using the Winchester name under license. These cuffs have apparently been discontinued for several years now but new old stock examples can be found for about $20 pretty easily. My recollection is that over the years a number of different companies made Winchester branded handcuffs under license, much as Smith & Wesson did for Peerless from 1914 until about 1952 when Peerless took over full manufacturing of their own products and S&W started making handcuffs based on the Peerless design under their own branding.
Either way, their packaging is fairly classic:



The second item of interest is a duplicate set of S&W 104 "Max Security" handcuffs which I am working on turning into a cutaway display model.
Here is a look at the internals which are largely standard S&W fare except for the keyway which is sunken and has a collar which creates a unique warded keyway.
Here is the 104 in single locked condition:


Here it is double locked:

Looking at this should give you some idea as to why attempting to 'slam' the S&W double lock is generally less successful than on other brands.

The key disengaging the double lock bar:


And finally, the key ready to disengage the pawl and open the cuff:

I hope to have a clear plastic cover made for this by the end of the month.

[Ralph_Goodman]

Great post! I must have missed this the first time around.

How do you store all of these?

Are we talking a wall display? It would break my heart to find out they are all just put in a box together.

[nite0wl]

Great post! I must have missed this the first time around.

How do you store all of these?

Are we talking a wall display? It would break my heart to find out they are all just put in a box together.

At the moment these spend most of their time touring various training events so unfortunately they are usually stored in a set of tool cases, the vintage and rare items are stored in boxes and grease paper to protect them. I have a long term project of working on display boards for my nicer cuffs and padlocks.