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Like many of you , I hate trying to replace top pin covers on locks...if I can't open a lock to gut or rekey it, I pry the top off. Taking a clue from Medeco, I decided to take several of my locks, tap holes in the pin chambers, and replace the top pin cover with set screws.
Depending on the lock you will need a 6-32 or 8-32 tap and corresponding set screws. 1/8 inch length is the shortest I can find. You will find that you need to either cut the springs short, or loosen the set screws on each chamber in order to get the key in the lock; that is the only problem.

Finished locks on the left. The inspiration is top right, a lock awaiting pins is bottom right.

Hope this helps! Enjoy-

Brilliant! Where do you get the screw caps?

Nice work.

Any hardware store or industrial supply will have them. Just a coarse thread socket head set screw. Medeco has the 8/32 set screws as one of their parts but any old 8/32 will work.
If you do this for a Sargent or Schlage, cut the thin parts off each end of the spring and it will fit perfectly and not bind up.

Thanks Jeff. Valuable info for when I start making cutaways.

and when you get good at picking a lock like this , half a turn with an allen wrench will change how the lock feel's

nice work jeff -