The five high security locks we install most in Los Angeles are Medeco Maxum, Mul-T-Lock MT5+ Hercular, Schlage Primus XP, Abloy Protec2 and EVVA MCS. All resist picking, bumping and drilling and use keys that cannot be copied at a hardware store. Installed prices typically run $250 to $600 per door.
What “high security” means in practice
Most residential deadbolts sold at big box stores are ANSI/BHMA Grade 3 with a standard pin tumbler cylinder. They can be bumped with a $5 key, picked by anyone who has practiced for a weekend, and their keys can be duplicated at any kiosk. A high security lock changes all four of those facts:
- Pick resistance: sidebars, rotating discs or angled pins that a standard pick cannot manipulate.
- Bump resistance: elements that do not respond to the sharp impact bump keys rely on.
- Drill resistance: hardened steel inserts in the cylinder and housing, tested under UL 437.
- Key control: restricted keyways, so new keys come only from an authorized dealer with your signature card.
Key control is the feature Los Angeles homeowners underrate. After a move-in, a divorce, a nanny change or a contractor job, knowing exactly how many keys exist is worth more than any single mechanical feature. If key control is your only concern and you want to keep your current hardware, a rekey is the cheaper first step.
The five locks, compared
| Lock | Mechanism | Ratings | Key control | Typical hardware price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medeco Maxum (M3 / M4) | Angled pins plus sidebar | ANSI Grade 1, UL 437 | Patented restricted keyway, card required | $200 to $350 |
| Mul-T-Lock MT5+ Hercular | Telescoping pin-in-pin plus alpha spring | ANSI Grade 1, UL 437 | Patented keyway, card required | $180 to $320 |
| Schlage Primus XP (Everest 29) | Standard pins plus finger pins and sidebar | ANSI Grade 1, UL 437 listed cylinders | Restricted keyway by dealer territory | $150 to $280 |
| Abloy Protec2 | Rotating disc detainers, no springs | ANSI Grade 1 available, UL 437 | Patented, tightly controlled | $220 to $400 |
| EVVA MCS | Magnetic rotors plus sidebars | European high security certifications | Patented, very tightly controlled | $300 to $450 |
Add $100 to $200 for installation and $40 to $90 for a reinforced strike if the door does not already have one. Prices are typical ranges and move with finish, keying and how many doors are done in one visit.
1. Medeco Maxum
The name most people know. Medeco pins lift and rotate, and a sidebar will not release until every pin is at the right height and the right angle. The Maxum deadbolt body is a 1 inch hardened bolt with a free-spinning collar and drill-resistant inserts. Keys are cut by code on Medeco equipment only. We recommend it most often for single family homes in Beverly Grove, Hancock Park and Los Feliz where the front door is the only realistic entry point and the owner wants proven key control.
2. Mul-T-Lock MT5+ Hercular
Mul-T-Lock uses a pin inside a pin, so each position has two heights to satisfy, plus a moving element in the key that must interact with the cylinder. The Hercular deadbolt has a hardened bolt with a rotating steel pin that resists sawing. Its strength is flexibility: the same platform covers deadbolts, padlocks, rim cylinders for apartment doors, cam locks and gate locks, all on one key. That makes it our usual pick for Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire duplex owners who want the front door, garage side door and gate keyed alike at the high security level.
3. Schlage Primus XP
Primus adds a second row of finger pins and a sidebar to a Schlage cylinder. The practical advantage is compatibility: a Primus cylinder drops into standard Schlage deadbolts and levers, so an existing Grade 1 Schlage B60 or B660 can be upgraded without changing the door hardware. Keys are restricted by dealer territory rather than a card system, which is enough control for most households and small offices.
4. Abloy Protec2
Abloy has no springs and no pins. The key rotates a stack of discs to the right angles and a sidebar drops in. With nothing to bump and nothing a pick can push against, it is the lock we suggest when a customer specifically asks for the highest manipulation resistance. Protec2 is also the one we install on exterior gates and detached garages, because the disc mechanism shrugs off dust and marine air that gums up spring-loaded cylinders in Marina del Rey and Santa Monica.
5. EVVA MCS
MCS reads eight magnetic rotors in the key alongside mechanical cuts. There is no line-of-sight way to decode it, and blanks are not available outside EVVA’s channel. It is the most expensive of the five and the one we fit least often, typically for home offices holding client files, small jewelers on Wilshire, and collectors who want the same key on a safe room and the front door.
Which one fits your situation
| Situation | Our usual recommendation |
|---|---|
| Single family home, one or two exterior doors | Medeco Maxum or Mul-T-Lock Hercular |
| Existing Schlage hardware you like | Schlage Primus XP cylinder swap |
| House plus gate plus detached garage on one key | Mul-T-Lock (widest product range) |
| Salt air, dust, exterior gates | Abloy Protec2 |
| Storefront or office with staff turnover | Medeco or Mul-T-Lock with a small master key system |
| Renter in an apartment | Rim or mortise cylinder in the same brand family as the building, with landlord approval |
Where high security locks pay off in Los Angeles
Beverly Grove, Hancock Park, Los Feliz: detached homes with side and rear doors hidden from the street. Burglars here work quietly; a lock that forces noisy prying or kicking is the point. Pair the cylinder with a reinforced strike and 3 inch screws into the stud.
Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire apartments: the risk is copied keys, not picking. A restricted keyway cylinder in the existing deadbolt, with the manager holding a registered key, solves the actual problem for $180 to $350. See our residential locksmith page for apartment-friendly options.
Hollywood and Melrose storefronts: mortise cylinders on aluminum storefront doors and padlocks on roll-up gates. Mul-T-Lock and Medeco both make padlocks and storefront cylinders on the same key system, so a manager carries one key. Our commercial locksmith team handles master keying for multi-tenant buildings.
Culver City and the Westside: a lot of remodels with new fiberglass or steel doors. Order the door prepped for a Grade 1 deadbolt and have the cylinder installed the day the door goes in; it is cheaper than boring a finished door later.
What a high security lock does not fix
Most Los Angeles residential break-ins are through an unlocked door or window, a kicked frame, or a rear slider lifted off its track. A $400 cylinder on a door with a hollow jamb, or next to a window that can be reached in, is money out of order. Before you buy, walk the house: sliders need a secondary bolt or a pin, side windows need locks or film, and every exterior door needs a strike plate anchored into the stud. We do that walk-through as part of a residential security visit; our post on improving home security with a locksmith covers the checklist.
If you are weighing keypad or fingerprint hardware instead, read biometric versus traditional locks. Several of the brands above now offer electronic cylinders that keep the same key control with a code or app as backup.
When to call Locksmith Liberty
Locksmith Liberty is a mobile locksmith based at 5700 W Olympic Blvd #222 in Mid-Wilshire, and we run 24 hours a day across Los Angeles.
- You want a Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Primus, Abloy or EVVA deadbolt installed or a cylinder swapped into existing hardware
- You need restricted keys duplicated and have the card or registration
- You manage a building and want a high security master key system
- You have been burglarized and want the door, frame and lock corrected in one visit
Call (213) 314-1971 or use the contact page. Our office is at 5700 W Olympic Blvd #222, Los Angeles, CA 90036, and a technician can usually reach Mid-Wilshire, Koreatown, Hollywood, Beverly Grove and Culver City within 20 to 40 minutes.
Neighborhood coverage: Mid-Wilshire and Hollywood. For an existing lock that is worn rather than weak, start with lock maintenance.
High security lock FAQs
What makes a lock high security?
A high security lock resists picking, bumping and drilling, and its keys cannot be copied at a hardware store. Look for ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 for the deadbolt body and a UL 437 listing for the cylinder. Restricted keyways mean duplicates come only from an authorized locksmith with your card or signature.
How much does a high security lock cost installed in Los Angeles?
Typical installed prices are $250 to $600 per door: $150 to $400 for the cylinder and Grade 1 deadbolt, plus $100 to $200 labor. Extra keys run $8 to $25 each. Upgrading only the cylinder in an existing deadbolt is cheaper, usually $180 to $350.
Can a high security lock be picked or bumped?
Not with the tools and time a burglar has at a front door. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Primus, Abloy and EVVA cylinders use sidebars, rotating discs or moving elements that defeat bump keys and standard picks. No lock is impossible, but these push an attacker to noisy, obvious forced entry.
Is a high security lock worth it on an apartment door in Koreatown or Mid-Wilshire?
Often yes, but get written permission from the landlord and provide them a key, which California leases usually require. If the building has a master key system, ask us about a high security cylinder that fits the existing system so the manager keeps access without weakening the door.
Should I upgrade the lock or the door frame first?
Both matter. A $300 cylinder in a hollow door with a 3/4 inch strike screw is kicked in the same as a cheap lock. We install a reinforced strike plate with 3 inch screws ($40 to $90) with every high security deadbolt so the frame holds as well as the cylinder does.
