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Small Format Interchangeable Core or SFIC is commonly referred to as a "Best System".  It is an easy to manage key system because all you need to rekey a lock is a Control key and a new core.  Do you have to rekey often?  You can change out cores yourself with no locksmith needed, and if you have spare cores on hand you can do it immediately.  If you don't currently have an SFIC system we can help you with everything you need.  You can also check out our Hardware or Cores & Keys pages. The Best SFIC CoresAll SFIC systems are...

BasicsIf you just need everything keyed alike, or everything keyed different it is fairly straight forward.  If, however, you need something different it can be difficult to figure out.  If you need a complex system (or even a simple one) it may be less confusing to use a Request For Quote form.  You also can always call or email... we are always happy to help you figure things out. Keyed DifferentIf you just need everything keyed different under 1 Master you can just order "Keyed Different" cores.  These come with 2 keys each but if you want more you can...

The Test In our test we used a Nickel Silver pin & a Brass pin for 5000 cycles.  We pinned a cylinder with the Brass and Nickel Silver pins in the chambers closest to the front.  Since the pin closest to the front gets the most wear we removed the pins after 2500 cycles and reversed their positions to make sure they received an equal amount of wear. After 5000 Cycles the Nickel Silver pin had only worn down by 0.0015 inches, or 1-1/2 thousandths.   The Brass pin, however, had worn down by 0.0035 inches, or 3-1/2 thousandths.  As you...

The door's backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the lock.  Our Deadbolts have an adjustable bolt for either 2-3/8 or 2-3/4.  Our Grade 1 Lever Locks are only available with a latch for a 2-3/4 backset.  Our Grade 2 Lever Locks are available with a 2-3/4 or a 2-3/8 latch.  2-3/4 is the most common, especially for commercial doors, but it is always a good idea to check your backset before ordering.  Just measure from the edge of the door to the center of the lock.  Some doors have a beveled edge, so it is...

Control keys in a Small Format Interchangeable Core (SFIC) system are just like the other system keys, but are cut to work the upper shear line.  A shear line is where all the pins must line up in order for the key to turn.  A standard cylinder has 1 shear line that operates the lock, but a Small Format core has 2 shear lines; 1 that operates the lock, and 1 that retracts the control lug releasing the core. If you don't have a control key there are still options for you.  There are a few techniques to remove SFIC cores...