It is always a shame when people waste money. People pay extra for something that they don’t actually need. Purchasing lock pins can certainly be an area of savings for many locksmiths and do it yourselfers with the right knowledge.

Schlage Lock Pin Sizes

Schlage bottom, master, and most driver pins are a perfect example of this. To illustrate this, take a look at the specific sizes of Schlage bottom pins.

0- .165 1- .180 2- .195 3- .210 4- .225 5- .240 6- .255 7- .270 8- .285 9- .300

A careful look at this list will reveal that each of these sizes are divisible by five. Why is that important? Well the .005 universal pins come in exactly these sizes and are made with the same design. Arguably, the only difference is that the .005 universal pins are simply color coded where the factory original Schlage pins are not. However, the price of the original Schlage lock pins is higher. By knowing the sizes of the Schlage pins, any technician can save more than a dollar on each lock pin size purchased. This is also true of the Schlage lock master pin sizes. They are as follows:

2- .030 3- .045 4- .060 5- .075 6- .090 7- .105 8- .120 9- .135

Other Lock Pin Variances

Despite the savings that can be found on other lock pins with an understanding of pin sizes and design, some brands are very different. Kwikset pins are in fact different in shape/design from their universal lock pin counterparts. Kwikset also has several pin sizes that are a few thousandths away from their closest universal counterpart. Save money in the right places and spend it in others. When it comes to lock pins, it is the difference between years of smooth operation and being frustrated at each opening of a lock.