High-Security Locks

What Makes a Lock "High-Security"?

Two things: physical resistance to attack and key control. A standard Kwikset or Schlage residential lock can be picked by a hobbyist with $20 in tools from Amazon. Watch any YouTube lockpicking channel. Standard pin tumbler locks fall in under 60 seconds. A Medeco M3 or Mul-T-Lock MT5+ cannot be picked with conventional tools. Period.

The second difference is key control. Standard key blanks are available at every Home Depot, Lowe's, and self-service kiosk. Anyone with your key can make a copy for $3 in 2 minutes. High-security key blanks are patented and restricted. They're only available to authorized dealers. Without your personal authorization card, nobody can copy your key. Not at a hardware store, not at a kiosk, not at another locksmith.

High-security locks also use hardened steel inserts around the cylinder and bolt to resist drilling. Standard locks use brass cylinders that a drill goes through in 30 seconds. UL437 rated cylinders (the certification Medeco and Mul-T-Lock carry) must resist drilling, picking, and forced entry for 15+ minutes under controlled lab conditions.

Which High-Security Lock Brand Is Best?

Medeco for most residential applications. Mul-T-Lock for the highest security. Abloy for oceanfront properties. Here's the breakdown:

• Medeco M3 ($200-$300 installed): Uses rotating pins with an angled sidebar. Defeats conventional picking, bumping, and drilling. Patent protected through 2032. Our most-installed high-security brand. Good balance of security and price.
• Medeco X4 ($250-$350 installed): Medeco's newest platform. Adds a second locking element (slider) on top of the rotating pins. Even harder to manipulate than the M3. Patent protected through 2035.
• Mul-T-Lock MT5+ ($300-$400 installed): Uses telescoping pin-in-pin design with a sidebar mechanism. Each pin has a pin inside it, doubling the number of elements a picker would need to manipulate. Considered one of the most pick-resistant cylinders in the world.
• Abloy Protec2 ($350-$500 installed): Uses a disc detainer mechanism instead of pins. No springs, no pins to corrode. Rated for 10 million cycles. Perfect for South Florida's salt air because the disc mechanism doesn't degrade in humid or corrosive environments.

We're authorized dealers for all three brands. That means we can cut restricted keys, order blanks, and install cylinders that other locksmiths can't source.

How Much Do High-Security Locks Cost?

$150-$450 per door, installed. That includes the cylinder, keys, and labor. Here's the pricing compared to standard locks:

• Standard Kwikset deadbolt (Grade 3): $75-$100 installed. Pickable. Bumpable. Keys copyable anywhere.
• Schlage B60N deadbolt (Grade 1): $120-$160 installed. Bump-resistant. Keys copyable at hardware stores.
• Medeco M3 deadbolt (High-Security): $250-$350 installed. Pick-proof. Bump-proof. Drill-resistant. Keys restricted.
• Mul-T-Lock MT5+ deadbolt (High-Security): $300-$400 installed. Maximum pick resistance. Keys restricted.
• Abloy Protec2 deadbolt (High-Security): $350-$500 installed. Corrosion-proof. 10M cycle rating. Keys restricted.

Additional keys for high-security locks run $15-$35 each (compared to $3-$5 for standard keys). But you need your authorization card to get copies, which is the whole point.

Who Actually Needs High-Security Locks?

Not everyone. And we'll tell you that honestly. A Grade 1 Schlage B60N deadbolt with 3-inch strike plate screws stops 99% of residential break-in attempts. Burglars kick doors. They don't pick locks. The FBI's crime data confirms this. If nobody is trying to pick your lock or copy your keys without authorization, standard Grade 1 hardware is plenty.

High-security locks make sense for specific situations:

• Key control is critical: Landlords who need to prevent tenants from copying keys. Property managers who can't afford unauthorized access. See our restricted key systems page.
• High-value property: Homes with expensive collections, jewelry, firearms, or sensitive documents.
• Previous break-in: If your home was broken into, you want the psychological and physical security of a lock that's virtually impossible to defeat.
• Vacation homes: Properties that sit empty for months are higher risk. High-security hardware adds a meaningful deterrent.
• Oceanfront properties: The Abloy Protec2 specifically. Standard pin tumbler locks corrode in Highland Beach, Hillsboro Beach, and other barrier island properties. Abloy's disc detainer doesn't.

Can You Put a High-Security Cylinder in an Existing Lock?

Yes, in most cases. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy all make interchangeable cylinders (called "retrofit" or "replacement" cylinders) that fit inside standard lock bodies. We remove your existing cylinder and drop in the high-security one. Same lock body, same bolt, same door prep. Just a much better cylinder.

This works with most residential deadbolts and knob locks. It also works with commercial mortise locks (Schlage L-series, Corbin Russwin ML2000, Sargent 8200). We do high-security cylinder upgrades on commercial properties regularly.

How Does Key Control Work with High-Security Locks?

You get an authorization card when we install the lock. That card is your proof of ownership. Without it, no dealer can cut copies of your key. Not us, not any other authorized dealer, not anyone. The key blanks are patented and physically unavailable outside the authorized dealer network.

Medeco's patent runs through 2032. Mul-T-Lock's Interactive+ patent runs through 2030. Abloy Protec2 is protected through 2034. As long as the patent is active, the blanks stay restricted. After the patent expires, generic blanks may eventually appear, but by then you'll likely have upgraded to whatever the next generation is.

We keep a record of every high-security installation we do. If you need additional keys, call us with your authorization card number and we cut them on-site or at your location. Takes about 5 minutes per key.

Where Does Triton Locksmith Install High-Security Locks?

Any home or business across Broward and Palm Beach counties. We install Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy in Boca Raton, Palm Beach (the island), Weston, Parkland, and every other city we serve. 20-minute response. We carry cylinders in the van. Call (561) 524-8500.

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