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The Primus was invented by Bo Widen, the same person who is responsible for the picking nightmare that is the ASSA 6000. It's very similar in design to the Danish-made Ruko. This lock has a very high tolerance standard pin tumber set, and a 5 pin locking sidebar. The pins which allow retraction of the sidebar must be aligned vertically and rotationally. It's sort of a mini-medeco driverless cam lock in the tightest tolerance Schlage you have ever picked.

There are 6 possible depths for these sidebar pins, but that includes the fact that there are 3 rotational positions for the pins. Left, Center, and Right. Fore, center, and aft respectively. These 6 depths are actually only 2 depths for each pin angle. So a low or high cut is the extent of the vertical range, and for the left and right pins it is the same hieght. For center pins both are slightly higher. So there are 4 possible hieghts.

The pins:


Underside of the plug with the correct key inserted:


Sidebar removed to show a misalignment of unset pins:


Aligned with the proper key inserted:


The sidebar:

I have one of these beasts and have yet to pick it any tips? Also is it like a Medeco with ccw tension binding the sidebar first?

I'm having the best luck with them CW, though it doesn't seem to change in the locks I have the method is the same. Pick the standard pin stacks first and the lock with click over and engage the sidebar. Then you can start picking the finger pins. You can use a small half diamond to try and get under them a little to manipulate their rotation, but one of the locks greatest strengths is the fact there is very little room to get under those pins. Setting rotation from above is easier, but you have to find a way to lift them from underneath at the same time. You won't be able to feel them set unless you do both simulatiously and it's very easy to reset a set pin by overlifting another, or disturb it's position by trying to work past it.

I have just started playing with a Primus I bought a while back.

The 6 std. pins are not too bad, I'm hung up on the sidepar finger-pins.

i picked mine but it was zero bitted

Nice breakdown Tooly! Good stuff there

Have you guys seen that new primus,, its the xp primus,, it has a a 7th fingner pin,
When hard shit get harder,

Found this. Shows the 7 positions of the finger pins for Primus.

I have seen a Primus XP with the Everest keyway. I even worked with it for a few minutes, but working the finger pins from above isn't looking possible in the Everest keyway. They're all under that part of the keyway warding where the check pin would be on a standard everest.


Thanks. I had forgotten the extra depth was a right pin. From Schlages website, the only immediately obvious upgrade of the XP is the addition of 1 of the 7 pins into the Primus, and the new keys.

The Schlage website hosts some really comprehensive diagrams and info.
Schlage Primus XP