Telescopic pins that cannot be felt or bumped open
A pin inside a pin has to line up on two levels at once. The MTL800 adds a moving element in the key tip and a locking bar on top.
Stops picking, bumping and decoding
What real high security means
Almost every lock in the shop says "high security" on the box. Very few can prove it. This page explains how locks and doors are attacked, how they are tested and graded, and what to check before you buy.
Official distributor in Uganda
RB-DOORSOfficial Distributor
RB-DOORSOfficial DistributorPadlocks: the EN 12320 grade
EN 12320 is the European standard for padlocks. A laboratory attacks the padlock with set tools and measures how much it takes. Grade 1 is the lowest, grade 6 the highest. Many hardware shop padlocks carry no grade at all.
Top security
The highest grade a padlock can get. Here in Uganda.
Grade 6 is the highest grade in EN 12320. There is nothing above it. These are the locks we fit when nothing can be left to chance: banks, telecom sites, fuel depots, warehouses and containers.
Which Mul-T-Lock padlock has which grade
CEN6
Grade 6NE Series NE14H, NE14LHaspLock padlock and hasp in one
CEN5
Grade 5NE Series NE12H, NE12L, SBNE12C-Series C-16HaspLock Diamond stainless steel
CEN4
Grade 4NE Series NE10H, NE10LC-Series C-13
CEN3
Grade 3NE Series NE8G, NE10G, SBNE10C-Series C-10G-Series G-47, G-55
A padlock is only as strong as what it hangs on. A grade 6 padlock on a soft hardware shop hasp will lose to a crowbar every time. That is why the C-Series is made to work with matching Mul-T-Lock hasps (No. 10, 13 and 16) and shackle protectors, which cover the shackle so there is nothing to cut or lever. For the very top level, the HaspLock joins the padlock and the hasp into one hardened steel unit with a locking pin that cannot be removed, and it is rated EN 12320 grade 6.
| Test | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting the shackle | 25 kN | 45 kN | 70 kN | 100 kN |
| Pulling the shackle out | 15 kN | 30 kN | 70 kN | 100 kN |
| Twisting the shackle | 200 Nm | 600 Nm | 1,200 Nm | 2,500 Nm |
| Drilling (net minutes) | None | 2 min | 4 min | 8 min |
| Sawing (net minutes) | None | 2 min | 4 min | 8 min |
| Hand tool attack (net minutes) | None | 3 min | 5 min | 10 min |
| Impact when frozen | -20°C | -20°C | -40°C | -40°C |
| Minimum key combinations | 2,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 |
Source: EN 12320 grading table from Mul-T-Lock's NE Series product presentation. "Net minutes" is time spent actually attacking, not including rests or tool changes.
What do kN and Nm mean?
- kN kilonewton: pulling and cutting force
- 1 kN is roughly the weight of 100 kg. A family car weighs about 1,300 kg, or 13 kN. A grade 6 padlock must survive a 100 kN pull on the shackle, about the weight of seven or eight cars hanging from it, and 100 kN from bolt cutters.
- Nm newton metre: twisting force
- This is the force a thief puts on a bar pushed through the shackle to twist it open. 2,500 Nm, the grade 6 figure, is about a 100 kg man hanging on the end of a bar 2.5 metres long.
Salt, rain and the "acid test"
Many people in Uganda judge a padlock by whether it rusts or seizes after a few rainy seasons, or near the lake. EN 12320 covers this too. Every graded padlock also gets a corrosion class, tested under EN 1670: the padlock sits in a chamber of continuous salt spray and must still lock and unlock afterwards.
- Class 1, indoor use: 24 hours of salt spray.
- Class 3, outdoor use: 96 hours of salt spray. This is the one to ask for on gates, stores and containers.
Mul-T-Lock NE Series padlocks have a case-hardened steel body with a black electrophoretic coating, a protective bumper and drainage holes so water does not sit inside. The HaspLock Diamond has a stainless steel body. Ask us for the certificate and we will show you the corrosion class of the exact model you are buying.
Cylinders: EN 1303 and UL 437
Door cylinders have their own standards. In Europe it is EN 1303. In the United States it is UL 437. Both send the cylinder to a lab to be picked, drilled and forced.
Reading an EN 1303 code
A graded cylinder carries an 8-digit code, for example 1 6 0 0 0 C 6 D. For security, only the last two digits matter.
- 7th digit: key security, 1 to 6
- How many different keys exist and how hard the lock is to manipulate. Grade 6 needs at least 100,000 key combinations.
- 8th digit: attack resistance, 0 to D
- 0 means no attack test. A and B are drilling and twisting tests. C and D add pulling the cylinder out of the door. D is the top: 5 to 10 minutes of drilling and 15 kN of pulling force.
UL 437
The American high security listing. A cylinder must hold out against lab picking, drilling, prying and forcing tests before it can carry the UL mark.
Every Mul-T-Lock model has its own ratings. Ask us for the certificate of the exact cylinder or padlock you are buying, and we will send it.
Built to beat every kind of attack
A burglar does not have to break a lock to get past it. Mul-T-Lock and RB are designed to stop all three ways in, not just one.
Hardened steel where the attack comes
Boron alloy shackles, case hardened bodies, anti-drill pins and anti-snap cylinders. RB doors lock into the frame at many points.
Stops drilling, snapping, cutting, sawing and levering
Keys only MPSP can cut
Patent protected profiles registered for Uganda. Every copy needs the key card, and for companies a letter.
Stops secret copies made at a key kiosk
The lock is only as safe as the key
A grade 6 padlock is useless if anyone can copy its key for a few thousand shillings. That is why key control is part of high security, not an extra.
- Registered profilesOur keys use profiles registered for Uganda. Blanks are not sold to key cutters.
- Key cardEvery key comes with a card that carries its code. No card, no copy. RB-Locks work the same way: a key cannot be copied without its duplication control card.
- Company letterFor businesses, copies also need a letter from the company.
- Cut only by MPSPNot by any other key cutter in Uganda, and not abroad.
RB doors, tested to standards
RB makes its doors to Israeli and international security standards. These are the certificates RB lists for its products.
- Resistance Class 3Burglar resistance certificate for entrance doors
- SII 5044Israeli standard for security entrance doors
- SII 1212Israeli standard for fire doors
- UL 10CUS fire test, for fire door models 414 and FW-90
- UL 10BUS fire test for fire roller shutters
- SII 23Wooden doorset certificate
Five questions to ask before you buy any lock
Ask these about any brand, ours included. A real high security product has a clear answer to every one.
- What grade is it, and can I see the certificate?Look for EN 12320 on padlocks, EN 1303 or UL 437 on cylinders, and a resistance class on doors. "Heavy duty" is not a grade.
- Who can copy my key?If the answer is "any key cutter", anyone who borrows your key can keep a copy.
- Can it be re-keyed here, today?If you lose a key, can the lock be changed to a new key in Uganda, or do you buy a new lock?
- Can it join a master key or keyed alike system locally?Or does the order go abroad while you wait weeks?
- Who services it in five years?A lock that lasts decades needs parts, keys and locksmiths that are still here.
High security questions
Still unsure? Call +256 704 783007 or WhatsApp +256 752 554299.
What is the difference between a normal lock and a high security lock?
A high security lock is tested by an independent lab against picking, drilling, cutting and forcing, and is graded to a standard such as EN 12320 for padlocks or EN 1303 and UL 437 for cylinders. It also has key control, so its keys cannot be copied by any key cutter. A normal lock usually has neither.
What does EN 12320 grade 6 mean on a padlock?
Grade 6 is the highest grade in the European padlock standard. The padlock must resist 100 kN of cutting force on the shackle, 8 minutes of drilling and 8 minutes of sawing, and 10 minutes of attack with hand tools. Mul-T-Lock's NE14H and NE14L padlocks are grade 6.
Which Mul-T-Lock padlocks are grade 6?
The NE14H and NE14L padlocks and the HaspLock are EN 12320 grade 6. The NE12 models, the C-16 and the HaspLock Diamond are grade 5. The NE10L, NE10H and C-13 are grade 4. The NE8G, NE10G, SBNE10, C-10 and the G-Series G-47 and G-55 are grade 3.
Will salt water or rain damage the padlock?
EN 12320 includes a corrosion test under EN 1670. The padlock is kept in continuous salt spray and must still work afterwards: 24 hours for indoor class 1 and 96 hours for outdoor class 3. For outdoor use, ask for class 3 and ask to see the certificate. MPSP will show you the corrosion class of the model you are buying.
Is a bigger padlock more secure?
Not necessarily. A large padlock made from soft metal is easier to break than a smaller one made from hardened steel. Check the grade, not the size.
Can my Mul-T-Lock or RB key be copied without the card?
No. Keys are copied only by MPSP, against the key card that comes with the lock. For companies we also ask for a company letter. RB-Locks keys likewise cannot be duplicated without their duplication control card.
Are all RB doors bullet resistant?
No. All RB entrance doors are steel security doors with multi-point locking. Bullet resistance is a separate RB model built for banks, cash centres and other high risk sites. Tell us the site and we will recommend the right door.
Not sure what grade you need?
Tell us what you are protecting. We will recommend the right grade, show you the certificate, and give you a price.
- Calls
- +256 704 783007
- WhatsApp only
- +256 752 554299
- sales@mpsp.ug
- Visit
- Plot 84B Luthuli Avenue, Bugolobi, Kampala