Best anti-snap lock for a upvc door? | Locksmith Blog

Since the lock snapping technique was made publicon the internet and on various television broadcasts, lock manufacturers have all jumped on the bandwagon to ensure they have a product on the market that meets the required standards.

Publicising something like this has a knock on effect across the entire door and security industry, door manufacturers start looking for anti-snap locks to sell as standard with their doors, locksmiths start getting requests from concerned homeowners, insurance standards change requiring uprated locks on their customers properties.... the list goes on.

A few years ago you were limited to a few brands that offered an antisnap version of their cylinders, now they are popping up left right and center and its difficult to know which lock to choose.

Each has pro's and con's and Wolverhampton Locksmiths all have their own opinion on which is the best lock and which locks they choose to keep in stock.

There seem to be two distinct styles of antisnap lock:

The sacrificial portion locks have a machined in weak spot so that any attempt to snap the lock out of the door will result in half breaking away leaving the rest embedded securely' in the door.
This design is favourable as should leave the lock in working order and make it accessible to the owner or locksmith.

The reinforced  locks usually have some form of hardened spines or backbone to make the traditional snapping method more difficult.
Whilst superior to the sacrificial lock in this sense it usually ends up worst for wear after a lock snapping attempt leaving the lock well and truly stuck in the door and none functional. These can be quite difficult to remove and may have also caused the gearbox in the mech to have been bent since all the force prying is transfered to the weaker casement.

This with the addition to the anti drill properties of most of these anti snap locks has made gaining entry to faulty or jammed doors extremely difficult for locksmiths however whether or not it reduces the amount of break ins has yet to be proven and although a good deterrant do not stop a crook putting a brick through the window or gaining access via other means.