SFIC Miracle

[HT4]

I received a large lot of ebay locks last night. Included in the package were 12 SFIC locks without keys, all in rim cylinder adaptors. I figured that I had my work cut out for me. Well, to make a short story shorter, I raked all of them to control in less than 10 minutes. Not a single lock raked to operating, and not a single lock took more than 30 seconds to hit the control shear line. I was stunned. So, did the hand of god touch my bogata last night, or was there something else at work? I've never seen anything like it. For what its worth, all of the cores were sloppily re-keyed by someone (the top plugs were kind of mangled) and all of them only had the back 5 chambers pined up (out of 6). I'll post a picture shortly.

[jeffmoss26]

You will have to send me one so I can decode and make keys

[HT4]

You will have to send me one so I can decode and make keys

That would be great. How about I send a couple of the locks your way... You make a control and operating key for me, and you keep the locks as my thanks (I'm pretty sure they are all keyed alike).

[HT4]

The locks:

image.jpeg

[xeo]

The bitting configuration of the locks allowed them to naturally bind to control, and allowed you to rake easily enough. You got lucky. Nevertheless, good work.

[Papa Gleb]

Wow thats one pretty lot and the work is mind blowing. SFIC are a mysterious devil with a mind of their own. I have one that I cant pick to control no matter what, I have read I think it was Xeo who has an amazing step by step as to how to pick these to control but still nothing, I have tried every pick, every method, every tension, cussing, kicking etc etc etc and it will not open to control. I can feel some pins different then operating but as I continue click click click the pins position themselves into operating. Ok ok I have more than 1 but its all the same. Im certain one day, they will all pop open to control in seconds with one swift rake but you just gotta wait and catch the devil on an off day lol. Great work buddy that keyway looks neat.

[davesnothere11]

Wow thats one pretty lot and the work is mind blowing. SFIC are a mysterious devil with a mind of their own. I have one that I cant pick to control no matter what, I have read I think it was Xeo who has an amazing step by step as to how to pick these to control but still nothing, I have tried every pick, every method, every tension, cussing, kicking etc etc etc and it will not open to control. I can feel some pins different then operating but as I continue click click click the pins position themselves into operating. Ok ok I have more than 1 but its all the same. Im certain one day, they will all pop open to control in seconds with one swift rake but you just gotta wait and catch the devil on an off day lol. Great work buddy that keyway looks neat.

I found this thread with a post by Xeo on picking to control is there another you are thinking of?

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6124&p=50178&hilit=pick+SFIC+to+control#p50178

[spuds]

Nice find and Pic HT4 well done

[jeffmoss26]

You will have to send me one so I can decode and make keys

That would be great. How about I send a couple of the locks your way... You make a control and operating key for me, and you keep the locks as my thanks (I'm pretty sure they are all keyed alike).

Deal!

[GWiens2001]

Have also seen some lazy lockies who make the change key and control key the same except for one bitting. Found out about it because could pick them all day long to operating, but not to control. Then I tried impressioning them. They all impressioned to control without trouble, but never to operating. Finally I punched out the pins (did not have the right tools back then), and found the differecnce.

Gordon

[caliusoptimus]

I had the exact same thing happen recently. Got a lot of 4 falcon SFIC's on ebay for dirt cheap. They came with an operating key but no control. To my surprise all 4 raked almost instantly to control with BOK. Being my first experience with SFIC's I was underwhelmed I picked one up yesterday and it SPP'ed to control with top-of-keyway in about a minute. Not sure whether it's crappy locks or easy bitting...

I gutted one and filed myself a pair of keys. The bitting isn't radical but 4 out of 6 are different between the operating and control key.

Upper: Operating
Lower: Control

keys.jpg

[mdc5150]

Have also seen some lazy lockies who make the change key and control key the same except for one bitting. Found out about it because could pick them all day long to operating, but not to control. Then I tried impressioning them. They all impressioned to control without trouble, but never to operating. Finally I punched out the pins (did not have the right tools back then), and found the differecnce.

Gordon

I was in your neck of the woods and ran into the same thing. No doubt the same "smith".