Mastodawn

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA

Any #lockpicking nerds out there who can help me identify a padlock?

It's a hardened steel body U.S. Lock, which appears to be a clone of an American 780 series or similar. The only identifying marking is ”XGI" on the back of the body.

I'm currently in the process of de-rusting the body and shackle after picking and disassembling it, as this lock was sitting outside on the latch of the back yard toolshed for what looks like several years before I came along. My roommate claimed the lock was here before she moved in six years ago, so ofc she doesn't have a key.

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️19h ago

@foxyloon might be a series 5000/5100/5200 American Lock;
From what I can tell from eBay search - they look like military padlocks. I think the three letter code is a cipher for the date of manufacture. I'm not an expert, however.
It might also be a series 700 variation; too. Hard to tell without side by side. Saw a variety of vintage ones on eBay

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 14h ago

All of those seem similar in profile. Definitely should get measurements of this one soon, I think that'll help narrow it down. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a government issued lock for a serviceman, as that's true of one of the previous folks who lived here. It was being used to lock up an old toolshed in the back yard, hehe~

I'd like to repin it and make a new key for it, especially because it only has five out of six pins currently. Maybe add one of those core bypass guards if I can.

I'd need to find a shop that can do that kind of work, though. I don't have the tooling for that.

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️13h ago

@foxyloon if any of the hackerspaces in your area have a 3D scanner, you should be able to get very accurate measurements on it and compare those against the Legacy measurements. Maybe overkill? Yeah.

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 13h ago

@null_aleph I'm just gonna use my pair of digital calipers, hehe~

I'm leaning towards this being an older lock, especially considering the amount of rust that had formed.

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️13h ago

@foxyloon calipers for the win! And yeah it looks like it's pretty old. Let me see if I can decode the date stamp

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️13h ago

@foxyloon March '86, it would appear.

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 13h ago

@null_aleph Aaaaa! That's really cool!

This lock is in surprisingly good shape, given the age. I'd have guessed it's only been outside for a decade at most.

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️12h ago

@foxyloon guessing it must have good corrosion resistance.
APTC14 appears to be the core type, giving you mentioned it had five out of six possible pins left.
https://mrlock.com/brand-index/american-lock/padlocks-by-american-lock/padlock-cylinders/aptc14-cylinders/

(Looks like you'd maybe want a bypass restriction plate, if you want to put a fresh core in it.)

https://mrlock.com/part-bypass-restriction-plate-10-pk-apkg3017010/ this looks like the correct one but I'm not 100% certain. Should be able to ask a locksmith. I just pick 😅

APTC14 Cylinders Mr Lock, Inc.

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 12h ago

@null_aleph I'd assume so, as the body and shackle are very much hardened steel. No pitting, just surface rust where the finish wore through on the shackle.

Yep, those cylinders look very similar to what I have. Glad to see they're rather inexpensive to replace! Perhaps I'll just buy a new 6 pin cylinder and call it good.

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️12h ago

@foxyloon hell yeah, that's a hell of a bargain for such a sturdy lock. Fixing the vulnerability being so easy is a bonus.

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 12h ago

@null_aleph Oh, very much so! I'm literally into this lock for nothing, just the time spent refurbishing. I find it hilariously amazing how I'll only be out around the price of a Master lock and get something that'll last a lifetime!

Not bad at alllll~

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️12h ago

@foxyloon now I'm looking at Abloy locks on eBay... If you're really into practice picking, I've seen batches of padlocks etc for cheap, occasionally.

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 12h ago

@null_aleph I definitely could use more practice, so I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks so much for all the help!

ℵ₀ 🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️12h ago

@foxyloon no problem, glad to help. I like lockpicking, and I happen to be halfway decent at OSINT. so it was kind of fun to search and verify it.

Ruby Kitsu-loon > FWA 12h ago

@null_aleph Oh, here are the dimensions of the lock btw. It's 2" x 1-7/8" x 3/4" with a 3/8" shackle.

I'll admit, I'm a novice with this stuff, which is why I'm grateful for the input! I'm a tinkerer at heart with quite a varied skillset, so locksmith stuff comes naturally to me. Yet I still have a good bit to learn, hehe~

I definitely need to work on my technique, but I'm starting to get a feel for it. This lock was a great learning experience, as it was the first time I encountered serrated pins.