In Israel, most metal entrance doors use a Rav Bariach type of mechanism. Over the years, these cylinders have become very sophisticated in order to defeat thieves that look for any tolerances in the manufacture of locks and cylinders.
Machsan locks are a different story. They are constructed with a cylinder cam instead of a gear and often use a very simple mechanism with keys with teeth instead of the more secure dimple cylinders. Some of the cylinders are so simple, they cost about as much as a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, they are easily defeated. These simple locks are pretty much the standard used in machsanim across the country.
There are a number of ways that a machsan can be broken into. With brute force or drilling out the cylinder or quietly. There is not much a person can do to stop a thief from drilling out a cylinder, but because it is quite noisy, neighbors might hear it and alert the police.
There are a number of ways that thieves quietly break in to a machsan, without causing neighbors to notice:
- “Picking” a lock requires a basic level of skill that a person with some manual dexterity and patience can master. It is not rocket science, but can take a few minutes to pick. Simple cylinders used on machsanim are much easier to pick than apartment entrance doors. My 8-year-old grandson just taught himself how to pick a simple lock. More sophisticated cylinders can be very difficult to pick.
- “Bumping” is a method where a similar key is inserted and then “bumped” with a small mallet or screwdriver handle. The method does not work on more sophisticated cylinders as easily.
- “Snapping” a lock is the preferred way to break in, because it does not require specialized picking or bumping tools, and it can be done in seconds. Snapping a cylinder works by taking advantage of two weaknesses; the weak spot inherent in the design of almost all cylinders and a cylinder that might be too large for the door it is mounted in. When the cylinder sticks out, the thief has a larger area to grab onto in order to snap the lock.
The photo above shows two identical doors with different cylinders. The door on the left has a cylinder that offers more opportunities for someone with basic tools to snap off. Anyone wanting to break in just needs a vice grips or wrench and can snap off the cylinder and gain access in seconds. The cylinder on the right is much harder to get a grip on and offers more security.
The weakest point in the cylinder is the part where the retaining screw enters the cylinder. See the circled area in the photo below. This is what is broken when a thief snaps your cylinder.
Additional Protection: Anti-Snapping Cylinders
Today, there are new products on the market that rival the level of sophistication of locks for Rav Bariach-type doors. While these new cylinders cost more, the added cost of using a better cylinder is a lot less than the cost of replacing a bicycle, stroller or even some empty luggage.
Lock manufacturers found that if they designed cylinders with a slit in the housing, it becomes the weak point and spares the cylinder from breaking in the middle. When a thief tries to snap off the outer part of the cylinder, just the end of the cylinder is broken off, making it extremely difficult to gain access, even if the cylinder was sticking out from the door. These cylinders offer greater protection than a regular cylinder.
Check out this video from a Theakston Locksmiths in the UK on lock snapping. The cylinder on your apartment outer door offers greater protection because the outer part is usually guarded with a protective shield. But on your machsan, as in the photo above, it can be exposed to anyone with a wrench or vice grips.
A new type of anti-snap cylinder for machsanim is now available in Israel and are selling for 300 NIS plus installation (Anti-snapping locks for sale in Israel) They not only offer an anti-snapping design, these sophisticated cylinders use three locking systems (a double telescopic pin system, moveable actives pins and an an anti-bumping magnet). These systems combined make it very difficult to pick, bump or snap.
We are offering a special rate for residents of the new Euro building in Ashkelon. Contact us today.
Contact Us now to have us install one on your machsan door.
