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Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 6:41 pm
by LockManipulator
What are some specific examples that high security locks use to prevent drilling and bumping? And what are the weaknesses of these methods for the locks that incorporate them?

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:14 pm
by barbarian
I'm no expert, but locks often have a small hardened pin or ball bearing that is located in the area you would need to drill. You can see it on Medeco locks, they have three little rods that protect the shear and they have the little half moon hardened inserts too. Most or maybe all have a hardened ball pressed into the end of the sidebar. Locksmiths sometimes drop a small ball bearing into the mounting holes too.

Hardened steel or stainless steel pins or disks will make it harder to drill. Not that it will stop a serious attempt at drilling, but it will slow down the operation and make it more difficult.

Try to make it difficult enough that a thief will think it is too hard to drill and seek an alternative.

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:19 pm
by LockManipulator
So if it's a mortise cylinder, then would placing ball bearing in front of where the screws are located be good? so anyone trying to drill out the screws would hit the bearing.

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:28 pm
by Riyame
Yes, Medeco actually gives you the ball bearings and says to put them in the holes as part of the installation instructions.

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:36 pm
by xeo
Hardened inserts
Hardened keypins and drivers
Ball bearings (to make the drill bit spin the ball and thus prevent further drilling)
Longer and stronger springs to push down harder on the drivers. Trioving does this especially.
Anti-bump pins such as the Ilco or Master type
Certain sidebars stop bumping (unless the key has the correct sidebar milling).. Medecos can be bumped however with code-setting bumpkeys.

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:02 pm
by Violaetor
MTL

Two anti drill ball bearings on the top at the right, with two anti snap bars running across the top.
Image

Anti drill bearing in the 2nd from left chamber inside the plug, key is at 0 degrees.
Image

Anti drill rod in the 4th from left chamber inside the plug, key is at 260 degrees CW.
Image

Anti drill rod in the 3rd from left chamber inside the plug, key is at 280 degrees CW.
Image

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:13 pm
by LocksmithArmy
that "anti drill ball bearing 2nd from the left" on your second picture... its not necissarily for drill protection, its a passive pin... if it happens to be made of hardened steel... woohoo, but its for preventing unauthorized key duplication..

for starters, putting drill protection there will do the lock no good, noone would drill ther, it wont grant access to the lock.

and another point, are those ball bearings in the first pic or rods going down, i cannot see a point in putting drill protection so close to the top/bottom of the lock, its not protecting any vital point, but if they were rods it would protect the pin chambers from being drilled with a large bit.

or am im missing comething completely

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:32 pm
by Violaetor
The ones at the top of the top/bottom of the lock are to protect the retaining screw, I think, hard to see in the pic but they are sitting down inside - not riding on top, albeit only about 1/8 of an inch. But then again I'm neither European nor a locksmith.

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:42 pm
by LocksmithArmy
aaah that would make sense...

Re: Anti-Drilling/Bumping

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:16 pm
by LockManipulator
thanks for the pics and the replies!