How to choose a cylinder for the lock?

The lock cylinder is the code part of the mechanism, which ensures the secrecy of the construction and moves the bolts. Because the cylinder is inserted inside the case and looks like an elongated detail, in the common people it was called a "larva".

Very many buyers are wondering how to choose a cylinder for the lock, what to consider and, in general, what kinds of this mechanism exist. Let's try to understand the whole structural diversity of "larvae", having examined the basic standards, parameters and nuances.

Before choosing a cylinder, you should know that there are a lot of "larvae" species. Denote the most common models that meet the European DIN standards (Europrofile). In addition, their ubiquitous use supplanted other similar types of cylinders.

Certified mechanisms produce many countries: from Japan to Portugal. The price of "larva" directly depends on the design features and the manufacturer (from 100 to 30 000 rubles). The more serious the brand and the better the mechanism, the higher its cost. Here you can add some innovative ideas, original protective mechanisms, material, etc.

In order for a common man to understand how to choose a cylinder, it is necessary to clarify the main parameters responsible for the mechanism.

Length and offset

The first parameter is the length: the distance from one edge of the cylinder to the other. Depending on the thickness of the door leaf and the lock, the dimensions vary.

The next is the displacement of the "larva". Typically, the cylinder for the mortise lock is divided by a rotary cam, which is biased in one direction, dividing the mechanism into the outer and inner parts. If the cam is exactly in the middle, then the cylinder is considered equilateral.

Dimensions

For example, the sizes of cylinders for locks of Turkish manufacture of English type the following: 71 mm with displacement of 40 and 31 mm accordingly. This design is used mainly in plastic products: office and balcony doors, verandas, gazebos and so on.

The most common sizes of cylinders for locks are Chinese mechanisms with a total length of 90 mm. This size is widely used on the entrance and interior doors of Chinese production, which literally flooded our market.

Choosing a lock for the cylinder, it is important to take into account that the entire structure does not protrude beyond the plane of the door leaf as from one and the other side. If the door is made of wood, then the "larva" should be flush with the decorative lining. The maximum permissible peeping of the "larva" is 3 mm: anything that goes beyond this framework can easily be used by burglars. In the event that the lock will be equipped with a bronen bond, the length of the outer part of the mechanism will depend on the specific dimensions of this cover and the door itself.

Cylinder for lock with turntable

Sometimes the cylinder can be equipped with a turntable for convenience. It allows you to easily open and close the mechanism without a key. It should be noted that the turntable has no "dead" points, so at any position of the slider, the native key on the other side will always open the lock.

The main lineup is presented in our market by Chinese manufacturers (60 mm mechanism) and more expensive Italian models with a rotary handle (72 mm).

Other standards of cylinder mechanisms

If the above models are suitable for almost any lock and can be safely bought on standard doors, the following mechanisms have specific dimensions and can only be suitable for a particular design or single manufacturer. Therefore, always pay attention to the specification of the "larva", before choosing a cylinder.

The most striking example of originality is the products of the Turkish company Kale Kilit. Their locks are more reliable, but they are suitable only for the mechanisms of the same name. Some skilled craftsmen can remake the Chinese padlock for a cylinder from Kale Kilit, while receiving a significantly reduced cost of the mechanism.

Russian castles

Domestic producers do not lag behind imports, although prices with similar quality are sometimes higher than Turkish ones. Kirovskiye cylinders with a cross key have perfectly proven themselves, and just as in the previous case, the domestic mechanism will not be able to be inserted into the imported case and vice versa.

Before choosing a cylinder, it should be taken into account that it is possible to purchase "larva" separately for some domestic mechanisms. A vivid example is the often breaking mechanism "Fort", which is produced in Petrozavodsk. Explicit cheapness of design has its unquestionable disadvantages: the secrecy mechanisms together with the main cylinder units are made of a cast and brittle silumin alloy, hence the frequency of breakages, and at the same time the opportunity to buy a new cylinder assembly (a good marketing move).

Other domestic mechanisms such as Glazov and Iset suffer from similar problems: too fragile materials, coupled with poor quality of the product. But unlike Kirov's locks, specific cylinders are not sold separately by factories, so we have to order them in China.

Secret

The cylinder in the door lock is in most cases the weakest link of the locking mechanism. Attackers break them, drill out or simply pick up a master key, so a reliable secret of the castle is the main obstacle for this kind of encroachments. Choose the mechanism you need with the mind and save on the cylinder is not worth it. Consider the basic methods of hacking and how to avoid them.

Pick a master key. The intelligent manufacturer always equips its mechanisms with false grooves, greatly complicating the process of selecting the key.

Bumping . The method is based on brute force: insert any suitable key into the well, then hit it with a hammer. Pins and pins diverge, and the mechanism is already useless. In this case, the high-strength material of the cylinder and the non-standard well help in this case.

Drilling. The only protection against this type of hacking is reinforced alloys and metals that can not be bored.

Knockout. The main protection is again the materials from which the cylinder is made. Optimum option - it's hard-alloy elements that do not bend, do not crumble and reliably protect against this type of breaking.

Summarizing

Choosing a cylinder for the lock, in any case should not be saved. Good materials are not cheap, so a junky Chinese construction for 300-500 rubles will not save you, even from an amateur swindler. Also it is necessary to take into account factors such as the durability of the mechanism, design and ease of operation. If you have children in the family who you trust the key, then the lock should not be an obstacle to quickly get home. Be sure to consider this point. Sometimes, in pursuit of anti-burglary mechanisms, people forget about such obvious things as ease of use, and suffer with uncomfortable keys and cunning locks. Therefore, this factor should also be taken into account.