High-Security Lock Manufacturer Admits New Model Can Be Opened With Aggressive Jiggling

Premium lock manufacturer Aegis Security has issued a product advisory for its flagship AX-7 high-security deadbolt after internal testing revealed that the lock — which features six hardened anti-pick pins, an anti-drill plate, and a restricted keyway — can be reliably opened by grasping the door handle and applying what the advisory describes as 'vigorous lateral oscillation.' In plain terms, jiggling. 'The AX-7 passed every ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certification test,' said Aegis chief engineer Roland Cylinder. 'It withstood 250,000 operational cycles, resisted 10 minutes of sustained pick attacks, and survived a 75-pound deadbolt impact test. What it did not survive was Kevin in quality assurance shaking the door like he was trying to get a candy bar out of a vending machine.' The vulnerability, classified internally as 'the Kevin issue,' stems from a tolerance gap between the deadbolt and the strike plate that allows the bolt to retract approximately two millimeters under sustained oscillation, enough to clear the strike and allow the door to swing open. 'I wasn't even trying to break in,' said Kevin Hasp, the QA intern who discovered the flaw. 'I was just frustrated because my badge wasn't working and I really needed to use the bathroom. I grabbed the handle and shook it, and the door opened. Then I told my supervisor, and she made a face I've never seen before.' Aegis has offered free replacement strike plates with tighter tolerances to all AX-7 owners, along with what the company describes as 'sincere apologies to anyone who paid $450 for a lock that can be defeated by the same technique used to open a stuck refrigerator.' The locksport community has responded with amusement. 'I spent six hours trying to pick this lock last year,' said competitive picker Donna Shim. 'Turns out I should have just jiggled it. I feel personally attacked.'