Benefits of High Security Locks | High Security Keys | High Security Brands
ACME Locksmith offers high-security lock installation and repairs, servicing top brands like Medeco, ASSA-Abloy, and Mul-t-lock across the Phoenix-Metro area.
What are High Security Locks?
High-security locks offer superior protection with features such as extreme pick resistance, bump-proof key cylinders, and stronger materials. These locks provide top-tier security, and bypassing them is very difficult.
Applications
While commonly used in commercial settings, high-security locks are increasingly popular in residential areas. They can be seamlessly integrated into various door hardware, maintaining the aesthetic of existing doors.
Versatility
High-security lock cylinders can be installed in padlocks, gate locks, and even mailbox locks, offering a comprehensive security solution for any property.
Our Preferred Affordable High Security Lock
Marks
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Our Preferred High Security Deadbolt
Mul-t-Lock
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Our Preferred High Security Padlock
Mul-t-Lock
Article on High Security Padlocks
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Key Features of High Security Locks
High-security locks come equipped with cylinders that are very difficult to pick and can’t be bumped.
These cylinders often feature complex keyways, including mechanisms like side bars, side pins, and ball bearings, all of which enhance the lock’s resistance to picking.
High-Security Keys
Because of the complex lock cylinder, the keys required to open them are not common (see What are High-Security Keys). They often need special equipment to be cut, which is not available in typical hardware stores, thereby enhancing key control.
Tamper Resistant
High-security locks may include features like anti-drilling plates and reinforced steel construction, making them nearly impervious to attacks like drilling, picking, or bumping.
Comparison with Standard Locks
Standard locks, often found in residential environments, cannot match the resilience and strength of high-security locks, which are almost always Grade 1 – capable of withstanding severe abuse in testing scenarios.
Are They Worth the Money?
For most commercial applications, the answer is unequivocally yes. High-security locks ensure that even the most robust commercial doors have no weak points. However, for residential applications, the necessity of such locks depends on the strength and quality of the doors they are protecting.
If the cost of high-security is putting you off, you can opt for a middle of the road approach. Purchase more robust Grade 2 door locks, and add a high-security cylinder to it. This gives you anti-pick, anti-bump technology, as well as key duplication control.
High Security Keys
Key Control
High-security keys offer protection against unauthorized duplication. These keys typically feature unique designs, such as grooves and dimples, which require specialized cutting equipment. High-security keys often come with a card that must be presented for duplicates to be made, preventing unauthorized copies.
How to Identify High-Security Keys
High-security keys usually look a lot different than the standard keys you use to open your home locks.
To identify if you have a high-security key, look for non-straight grooves milled into the key that do not go all the way through the key (it is a groove, not a cut). Look for dimples that have been drilled into the side of the key blade. And, if a patent number can be found, it almost certainly is a high-security key.
Do “Do Not Duplicate” Keys Offer Copy Protection?
Key’s stamped “Do Not Duplicate” (or DND) are freely copied.
Our Brands
ACME Locksmith installs several high-security lock brands. Here’s a high-level overview of some of them.
For details of these companies refer to our article Best Door Lock Brands
Marks USA
Marks focuses on commercial locksets, for the most part, and they have both Grade 1 and Grade 2 available, as well as mortise, rim, and key-in-knob cylinders which can be used with other (select) manufacturer’s hardware such as Schlage. They offer products at a lower price point than some larger manufacturers.
Mul-T-Lock
We admit it; this is our favorite high-security lock manufacturer. They also have cylinders available for retrofitting into a variety of lock brands. Their keys utilize a double dimple-cut keyway design (with a couple other keyway features designed to prevent bumping and picking).
Their Hercular Deadbolt in particular features a retaining bearing that locks into the door frame, preventing the bolt from separating from the frame when locked. No other high-security lock has this feature.
Medeco
Medeco uses a different method to achieve high-security, but their high-security cylinders are probably the most well known, being used in lots of government buildings. They, like Mul-T-Lock, offer many different types of locks featuring high-security cylinders.
Their keyways, among other things, feature cross-cutting on the blade which makes bumping impossible.