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AMERICAN SERIES 2000

The round-bodied, hidden shackle padlock... often referred to as a Puck lock.

Application: high security areas... Commercial buildings, Storage buildings, Warehouses, Industrial plants, Vehicles




Be it prying, grinding, cutting, or shimming.... the shackle has always been a targeted weak point of a padlock.
This design takes shrouded to the next level. The shackle is more like a throw bolt of sorts, and is contained
entirely within the lock body. When used in conjunction with a specifically designed hasp,
it becomes very unlikely that the shackle would be compromised with any success.





For disassembly, first remove the 3/32" hex retaining screw from the backside of the lock.
You can now turn the lock to the open position and pull out the cylinder & housing assembly.



Using the appropriately sized punch, pop out the roll pin and remove the tailpiece.
-- The roll pin, if you're careful, can be used again when reassembling the lock --
You can now remove the core using a plug follower, just as you would a standard lock.



*Caught on Camera*..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE44PqSgjlM

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AMERICAN LOCK Series 5570







*Caught on Camera*..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WP05YMHWkU

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AMERICAN LOCK Series 5300










*Caught on Camera*..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaWwnkt6R0E

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FOLGER ADAM MOGUL CYLINDER
Application: Detention facilities (correctional institutions, jails, prisons, etc.)

As lockpickers, we cannot help but be awed by Moguls! The size of these massive cylinders is the first thing to strike us.
Adding to the mistique is the fact that they're (to quite an extent) still widely used throughout our prison & jail systems.



Earlier in this thread, we took a look at the RR BRINK MOGUL. The overall design of these two
locks are nearly identical... but I'm hoping to provide a little more detail this time around.

Let's first address the size of these locks and the reasoning behind such an upscaled design.
These locks (& all elements within) are nearly twice the size of standard mortise cylinders. Why?

Many of us thought it may have something to do with picking, and the larger tools such a lock might require.
These larger tools would prove more difficult for an inmate to conceal... and easier for an officer to detect.

Although this may be one of the resulting advantages, it seems this did not at all play into the true motives behind
this giant creation. Instead, it really just comes down to physics. Bigger doors, bolts, etc...... require bigger locks.
Also, such a repetitive enviromment poses another factor to consider; substantial wear in a short amount of time.
Undoubtedly, one of these locks is apt to see more openings & closings than most locks will see in two life times.

Referenced from this RRBLS pdf, I found a multitude of advantages this larger format offers;

"Compared to a standard mortise cylinder, the “Mogul” parts
offer proportionately larger wear surfaces and a longer life cycle.

.....the larger cross sectional area of the “Mogul” keyway facilitates the
removal of debris commonly inserted by inmates to impede key operation.

The key size reduces the chance of breakage under forced turning (e.g. against a bind)
and affords increased torque to ease the unlocking of heavy prison lock mechanisms.

Also, the “Mogul” key size lends itself to easy insertion into the cylinder keyway."







. . . . . . . . . . HOUSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MASTER RING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PLUG


*Note: We may be moving from fact to opinion here as I get into my thoughts on the master ring

The use of a master ring makes this lock rather unique. And, although it most certainly complicates picking,
it's not the sole purpose of it. What it does is creates flexibility for the overall key system of an entire prison.
Access control. For example, "turn-key John" does not need to be in the main control room. Just like "janitor
Joe" has no business being in the property/evidence/contraband room lol. A prison is a small city within itself.
Any given key must allow an individual to gain access to certain areas and yet deny them access to other areas.

Think of an apartment complex. Each tenant has their own unique key that will open only their door but not
their neighbors. But the manager needs a single key that will open all of them. This is masterkeying. By adding
additional masterpins/spacers to some or all the pinstacks, a single lock can be opened with more than one key.
But the resulting convenience also comes with deminished security. There is now multiple segmentations within
each pinstack, but still only one shearline. If we're lockpickers, our odds of setting all the pinstacks just went up.

Given this knowledge, let's now turn our attention back to the Mogul.
Through the use of a master ring, two shearlines are created:



...one shearline between the plug and the master ring. The other, between the master ring and the housing.
Masterpins can now be added without subtracting from the overall security of the lock. To the contrary,
this may have actually enhanced the security (at least in regards to picking). For we're now faced with
the task of setting ALL the pinstacks to ONLY ONE of the two shearlines before the lock will open.
This is not always a straightforward process... often times involving memory and trial & error.


(left) locked position. The chambers in the housing, master ring, & plug are all in alignment with each other.
(middle) an operating key will set the pins to the lowest of the two shearlines and will turn only the plug.
(right) a master key sets the pins to the upper shearline & turns both the plug & master ring as one unit.



Graduated spools, masterpins, keypins, and ball bearings.
The ball bearings probably make for a smoother insertion/extraction of the key. More likely though,
their main purpose is to prolong the life of the lock by delaying the rapid wear of both the pins & key.