Description: Behold, fellow locksporters, the Medeco 3 Biaxial lock, aka the Medeco M3! Are these more difficult than the Medeco Biaxial? Well, kind of... The M3s introduced an additional slider in order to set the sidebar (driven by the extra bit of metal on the bottom portion of the key. You can see it in the first photo on both keys on the bottom side of the blade - it's a tiny shelf? ridge? thing - that pushes a spring loaded slider a specific amount into the lock, parallel with the key.) On one hand this adds yet another thing to get positioned just right in order to open the lock. On the other hand - M3 keyways are noticeably more "open" than their Biaxial counterparts (and, frankly, most other locks.) Many pickers find that this makes the entire process easier overall. Additionally, many folks find that the slider is fairly easy to manipulate, posing very little added challenge, but this varies by picker and by lock. A couple of quick note(s): This is the 5-Pin version This listing is for a single lock that will be random in terms of look and feel, bitting, etc. (The pinning will match the difficulty you've chosen, but is otherwise effectively be random.) If you have any preferences (mortise vs KIK, bitting pattern, or anything else,) I am happy to try to fulfill your request but I cannot guarantee that I'll have what you want. My supply of locks is almost all second-hand so the selection I have on hand is often limited and always random. One limitation of selling on eBay is offering variations and customizations on items. I'd like to offer all kinds of options and additional things, but there's not a good way to do that without making the listings so complicated that buying the lock is harder than opening it (even without the key!) What that means for you: 1. If I'm out of the lock type you're looking for, send me a message - I can easily adjust the difficulty of my locks and update the listing and sometimes I can find locks that I'm out of. (Heavy emphasis on sometimes because some locks are weirdly scarce and expensive these days.) If you have a question, suggestion, or other feedback... Shoot me a message! I like hearing what you think, what else you'd like to see, and what I can improve! Everything in the same order will ship for one price; eBay (or me, I dunno,) constantly gets this wrong and shipping charges are calculated per item. If this happens then I'll refund you the difference. The 10-day handling is to cover me in case things go wrong on my end, like a broken cutting wheel on my key machine (ask me how I know...) I'm usually pretty good about getting things out within the same week, and rarely take more than a couple days. I really do hand-pin these for each order, and fresh cut the keys to match. As much as I wish I had a bin full of locks ready to go, I don't! These cylinders are Medeco 3 flavor, aka M3 or (somewhat confusingly) Medeco 3 Biaxial or M3 Biaxial, (not Original, non-M3 Biaxial, M4, or X4) - they have pins that must be lifted to a specific height and rotated to allow a sidebar to engage as well as a slider mechanism that engages separately with the sidebar in order to open the lock. They are newer than the Medeco Biaxial cylinders, but share the same pins as Biaxial locks meaning that the "wedge" point of the pin is not centered. It is offset either towards the front or the back of the lock. (In layman's terms, instead of being sharpened like a pencil - with the point in the middle - they look like a rod that has been ninja-sliced to have a single, angled "face." I hope that helps? (For the lock nerds out there: there are two faces, not one, but instead of splitting the pin evenly the peak is offset roughly 75%/25% of the diameter. Eagle-eyed folks may realize that the Biaxial logo is a diagram of the key-side of a biaxial pin looking directly down the axis of rotation.)) Unlike the M4s these don't have the additional interactive elements, but do have the slider which is not featured on the previous Biaxial locks. If you're not sure what those are, don't worry too much, you can still enjoy this lock! Like all of my locks, these probably used to live and work somewhere else, but were swapped out for a newer, shinier model, so I've disassembled, cleaned, and readied them for a new life as a challenge lock. All of the guts are new or like-new, genuine Medeco or LAB parts, and are checked for reasonably smooth functionality before they get to you. Challenge Levels: This section has been updated as of August 2024 Normal - Locks built with a small number of dedicated security pins that generally match what you'd find in a factory lock. Bitting choices are intended to be reasonably tough without going bonkers (I realize difficulty is subjective and I give my word that these are thoughtfully designed to be solid, functional, and appropriately challenging locks.) If you're looking for something super entry-level OR want something more difficult, but not quite "Extreme," - Add a note when you purchase and let me know. I'm happy to adjust to something that better matches your skill level. Extreme - Right off the bat these cylinders break the rules and are meant as true challenge locks. Cylinders in this category have two main differences from their Normal counterparts: 1. Much more aggressive bitting that often does not adhere to the MACS rules (very high and very low cuts directly adjacent to each other.) I try not to be too predictable with my choices (A 6 cut on pin 1, didn't see that coming...) and I have some tricks up my sleeve to make these as tough as possible. Extreme keys often have cuts that interfere slightly with their neighbor, and take some wiggling (forgive the technical jargon,) to have the pin correctly engage and rotate. Friendly reminder not to use these as regular locks. 2. Most of the pins, if not all, will be security pins - both key pins and drivers - whenever reasonably possible. Additionally, I can usually increase difficulty by further modifying the pins and/or core. If you're looking for something really wild then just add a note when you purchase or shoot me a message! Quick note: Almost all Medeco pins have at least some security features. Lower-difficulty locks will still have false sidebar grooves but you will not see key pins with serrations/spooling, mushroom drivers, etc. On the other hand some security pins/features are particularly rare (like size 1 and 2 security key pins and drivers which are uncommon, at least in my collection.) Keep in mind, I'm just a dude who really likes making locks - I try to buy as much fun stuff as I can, but I don't have an official Medeco supplier or an enormous bank account, so I'm doing the best with what I've got! Custom Pinning/Bitting: I can usually custom pin cylinders, but not always. If you'd like this, just ask - I can't promise it (keys are expensive and take a while to get,) - but I will do my best if you have a specific request. Other FAQs and Whatnot: Can I have a specific lock from the photos? Feel free to ask, but I can't guarantee a specific lock. I don't have a consistent supply, so what's available varies in style, type, and keyway. I choose them at random for each order based on the pinning requested. Can I request a particular Medeco keyway? Also no, not really, and for pretty much the same reasons. Feel free to mention if you're looking for one, and if I have it I can certainly send it, but my supply is random and based on what I can find and fix without breaking the bank. I wish I could stock all the keyways, but you guys need to buy a LOT more locks before I can reach that point :) Will such and such key work with this lock? Almost certainly not. Medeco has tons and tons of keyways, most of which are regional, protected, project specific, limited, or some other weird complicating factor, and a lot of it isn't really well publicly documented (and/or I don't have time to learn it.) If you get a random Medeco lock and a random Medeco key, there is about the same chance of them even fitting together as you winning the lottery, unfortunately. Can you do X, Y, or Z? Maybe? If you have a request, just ask! I can't make any promises, but I'm always willing to try. Happy Picking!
Price: 54 USD
Location: Liberty Hill, Texas
End Time: 2024-09-14T17:41:36.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Medeco
Model: M3, Medeco 3
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Unit Quantity: Single Lock and Matching Key
Available Variations
Color: Normal
Price: 54 USD
Available Quantity: 1
Quantity Sold: 0
Color: Extreme
Price: 64 USD
Available Quantity: 6
Quantity Sold: 0