Question about Medeco locks.

[Redbull83]

Ok I just now figured out how these locks work. I was thinking, when these type of locks become common (if they aren't already, I haven't seen any), there won't really be much to do for us mere hobbyists. Unless someone makes some kind of tool to bypass these beasts. It's going to suck.

Does anyone thing this will ever happen?

Can anyone pick one of these?

[MrB]

Medeco locks have been around for about 30 years, with occasional updates to keep the patents active.

If they have not gotten more common than they are now after all that time, they ain't gonna. But they are not that uncommon, it's just that they are mainly in commercial applications rather than residential.

They can be picked, although they are a little (OK, a lot) more difficult.

What do you want, a life without challenges?

[MrB]

I forgot to mention, the US government likes them too.

[plot]

I see them everywhere, just not at residences... my university uses medeco's on all the buildings. it's a pretty popular lock, but also expensive, which is why you only see it in commercial applications.


As for hobbies, there will always be other locks and medeco's are in deed pickable.

[Redbull83]

Has anyone ever picked one or seen someone pick one?

[plot]

Berry Wells has apparently.... i under 3 minutes

[Redbull83]

Is it on video?

[kodierer]

I think I remember him picking one on the h2k2 video I think that one was more than 3 minutes however(perhaps I am remembering incorrectly) anyway the site is http://toool.nl
I am sure there are others who can pick them as well. I think I read posts of people on this forum bying cutaways to learn with

[funboy79015]

I think I remember him picking one on the h2k2 video I think that one was more than 3 minutes however(perhaps I am remembering incorrectly) anyway the site is http://toool.nl
I am sure there are others who can pick them as well. I think I read posts of people on this forum bying cutaways to learn with

Medeco locks were mentioned but they did not pick one.

[digital_blue]

If you walk through a shopping mall where I am you will be hard pressed to find a shop that doesn't have a medeco on the door. They are really popular in retail not because they are so hard to pick (like your average store owner would even think to care about that), but because the reproduction of keys is controlled (ie: you can't just take it anywhere and get a key cut). The locksmith that fitted the lock will have an authorized persons signature card on file, and only that person (those persons, perhaps) can have a key reproduced. This workd out well for a retail location where you need to give keys out to certain staff members, but would not want that staff member making unauthorized copies.

For the most part, this level of security is not needed for a residential home, so few people will shell out the green for that purpose.

I'm quite sure there's more to all this, but I've never seen this from the locksmith side of the story, just the shop keepers side.

Happy picking!

db

[Johnny P]

They are really popular in retail not because they are so hard to pick (like your average store owner would even think to care about that), but because the reproduction of keys is controlled (ie: you can't just take it anywhere and get a key cut). The locksmith that fitted the lock will have an authorized persons signature card on file, and only that person (those persons, perhaps) can have a key reproduced. This workd out well for a retail location where you need to give keys out to certain staff members, but would not want that staff member making unauthorized copies.

That is the precise reason for their popularity and the main selling point for Medecos. It's not the pick resistance, drill resistance, etc., but the fact that the correct person has to go to the same locksmith who installed the lock to get the key. Once sold, unless the storeowner wants to purchase new locks, they are "locked in" with that locksmith.

This is; however, a double edged sword because now that locksmith has lost any re-keying business from this customer as the main reason for re-keying is to thwart any past employee who may have had duplicates of the more common keys made at a hardware store.

Making additional keys is the only thing the locksmith has left unless the lock malfunctions in some way.

[plot]

I think the controlled key systems is a moot point now, becuase pretty much any "high security" lock has a controlled key system just as medeco's. Schlage Primus (where you must go back to the same locksmith that installed them), Mul-T-Lock, Abus Plus, Abloy Protec, etc...

Medeco pretty much has had the market for the past 20 years though.


there is NO such thing as an unpickable lock...

here's the reference to barry wells picking the medeco in under 3 minutes: http://www.toool.nl/competitie/ ...and many other people can successfull pick them too. Consider yourself a master when you're able too.