GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician

A caller from a branch of the military recently asked me a question about the Kaba Mas X-10 locks.

Wondering how the lock made it's own power since he couldn't see anywhere to change the batteries he asked:

"Is the Kaba Mas X-10 lock solar powered?"

That's a question I've never been asked or even thought of in the three decades since the FF-L-2740 locks were first introduced to the US goverment and military.

However, here's a pic, sent to me by a friend in Texas, of a Mosler Black label security container with a little different look to it...

It seems this Mosler has an external power source...for a mechanical lock!

He commented that you could plug in your coffee maker and make your morning coffee while filing your classified documents...

Who ever did this made my day when I was shown this pic!

;)

Kaba Mas X-10 Price Increase...

The cost of Kaba Mas products increases on October 1, 2022.

The price increase of the X-10 lock alone appears to have gone up just over 10% from the previous cost.

This price increase will affect all Kaba Mas products used by the Federal Government and US Military and other customers who are required to use the X-10 to secure classified information.

Any other security products that use the Kaba Mas X-10 such as the Lockmasters LKM10K and the Sargent & Greenleaf 2890C will also see the same price increase.

US Military and government customers can purchase the locks through the DoD Lock Program at a much better price than outside contractors can. I always advise my customers to buy from the DoD Lock Program although I will supply the various GSA Approved locks if asked to procure them for the customer...

Dave LaBarge, CPS-CML-GSAT&I

LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians

Certified Professional Safe Technician
Certified Master Locksmith
GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician

(518) 271-0783

www.labargelockandsafe.com

The most certified, experienced, and well equipped GSA safe and vault technician in NEw York state and New England

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Welcome to LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians 518-271-0783 Expert Safecracker, GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician and GSA Inspector, Antique Safe Expert, Safe and Vault Historian, Gun Safe Openings, Safe and Vault openings, servicing & repairs, Antique Safe Parts, New & Used Safes for sale, safe moving. Serving the Capital District area of Albany, New....

A new Federal Spec, FF-L-2938, concerning GSA Approved combination locks has recently been issued by GSA...

It appears a new version of a GSA Approved electromechanical combination lock similar to the Kaba Mas X-10 and S&G 2740 locks to only be used by "US ALLIES" will be released in the near future. How near remains to be seen.

However, these new versions of the locks will only be "seen" at "US Allies", "NATO Allies", and possibly other locations but not within the United States.

These locks will NOT be the normally seen with the Grey or Black dial and dial ring assembly to distinguish them from the commonly seen models. What color will the dial and dial ring assembly be?

I'll guess Blue...

We'll have to wait and see...

This is why Factory Trained Installers should be required when installing GSA Approved locks...

A customer called about his newly installed LKM10K where the lever was pulling off the unit only a few weeks after the installation. The LKM10K also didn't completely close consistently but that was unrelated to the expensive SCIF room lock. After my quote was approved I returned to repair the LKM10K.

Removing the back cover I immediately noticed the yellow security tape had been cut. When I see this, which I have only a few times, I immediately alert the customer and let them talk about it with their security officer. Could it have been cut for a nefarious reason???

Easily seen was a missing screw that secures the exterior trim, a second screw was loose by half a dozen threads. After removing the dial's spindle screw the dial wouldn't pull out easily but finally was free with a good tug. I guess the installer didn't believe in using the supplied lubricant on the hub and dial ring assembly, there wasn't a speck of l**e anywhere.

Next I noticed that the dial ring screws were not the correct screws with allen wan style screws being installed. I saw that the installer used four screws, instead of two, to install the dial ring baseplate to the exterior trim, this is where the screws "disappeared" to...

Detaching the cables and removing the base plate I immediately noticed the two tubes had never been deburred. Sooner or later the sharp edges would have cut through the cables possibly causing a lockout of the SCIF room. Removing the rest of the
Kaba Mas X-10 lock was uneventful. However, damage to the black rubber part the spindle seats into was noticed, the installer probably forced the spindle into place causing damage to it...

Removing the six exterior trim mounting screws and pulling it off the door I removed the lever's socket head screw and found that the Permatex threadlocker supplied with the LKM10K was never used. Again, not a speck of "locktite" allowing the lever to loosen as shown in the first pics, by the time the quote was approved the lever had come completely free and off in the hands of the door opener.

Reassembling the exterior lever assembly using "real" Locktite 243 Blue I installed it on the door and screwed it to the LKM10K baseplate this time using all six screws. Re-installing the X-10 and checking it's operation it was ready to have the combination changed from the factory 50-25-50 the customer and I switched it too earlier.

Adjusting the door closer closing and latching speed was done as well as adjusting the main spring which was never done by the installer. Originally the door just slammed closed and sprung back open, not good for a secure room! Within a couple of minutes both the door closer and LKM10K worked properly securing the SCIF room. With a now happy military customer I was on my way to the next service call...

Like the old TV commercial of decades ago for an auto repair company that said "You can pay me now or pay me later..." meaning you can pay to have it repaired/installed right the first time or pay me to repair it after the other guy screws it up...

Factory Certified Training...it's worth it!

Kaba Mas X-10 and X-09 box labels...

Kaba Mas has had various labels on the X series locks over the years, here's few of them.

The first, in green, says the lock should only be installed by personnel who have been trained by factory-certified instructors...

Why is that important?...we'll see in another future post.

The white label says the lock should only be "Opened by the designated security personnel". Actually I prefer the lock to not be opened until I get to the site. I've seen a number of times in the past that the locks were removed from the box, an installation was attempted and then the lock was placed back in the box.

A trained tech can spot this easily. Many times parts are missing such as the two tubes since the "installer" discarded them when he messed them up. Other parts, such as screws are misplaced. I always inventory the lock parts when I arrive on site and tell the customer whether all parts are there or not.

The red "Limited Use" label. When the Kaba Mas X-10 lock first came out there was a "Limited Use" clause with additional paperwork being mailed out to show several things about the shipping of the lock as well as the installation. I haven't seen that in a number of years now and will have to find out if it's been discontinued. Things change over time. Sometimes without notice.

I heard at one time that all drilled, removed, or defective X-10 locks were going to have to be sent back to the DoD Lock Program to prevent them from getting into the wrong hands. So far this hasn't happened, will it?

I don't know but I suspect it's too late now since the X-10 has been around for nearly a decade now...

Recently I've had a number of customers that are required to use GSA Approved locks who request I install the locks they have in stock. Upon arrival though they end up having an X-10 lock that they needed installed on a pedestrian door or a CDX -10 that they wanted to install the lock on a safe or vault door.

On older locks, such as an CDX-09, the lock body could be removed and installed on a safe or vault door if you had a replacement lock with a lock bolt of the correct size. And, conversely, an X-09 could be used if you had an extra baseplate and the other parts needed to complete the installation.

However, the X-10 and CDX-10 are sealed locks. You cannot take an X-10 and "turn it into" a CDX-10 and vise versa. They're not meant to be taken apart, and parts, such as different length lock bolts, are not available for the X-10 as they were with the X-09 and CDX-09 locks.

When the customer supplies the wrong lock they're usually not happy about having to pay a return trip charge especially if the trip is a fairly long trip. But, shouldn't they have known it was the wrong lock???

Many, or all, of the people who purchase these expensive locks couldn't tell you which lock they need. Even if you tell them exactly what they need they sometimes still order the wrong lock, or they think the lock they already have in stock is the correct lock.

Question: What's an easy way to tell if your customer has the correct lock?

Answer: Ask the customer to measure the box. Measure the box?

An X-10's box is 9-3/4" wide x 7" Deep x 4" High

An CDX-10's box is 11-3/4" wide x 9-1/4" Deep x 6" High

Quite a difference in size, the CDX-10's box is larger, it also has two hinged flaps when opened whereas the X-10's box has one hinged flap.

Hopefully this info helps those people who stock, order, and who install these expensive locks. Time will tell though...