NATO Mersey

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NATO Mersey

NATO Mersey
Mersey Lock 04.jpg
Name NATO Mersey
Lock Type Safe lock
Lock Design Lever
Year(s) Produced 197x - 199x


The Mersey is a lever lock made by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Ministry of Defense (MOD). It features a distinct puck shaped housing which is designed to fit on safes used by the MOD. The Mersey can also be identified by its V shaped key which actuates two independent sets of levers inside the lock.



General

The NATO Mersey exists in two distinct guises, each with some evolutionary revisions: the 10 lever variant and the 14 lever variant. Both locks share a number of common security features having a common ancestry. These locks were produced for the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) during the cold war in the 1970’s through to the 1990’s. There are similarities to the Chatwood Milner Manifoil, having been produced by the same manufacturer and both were in common use by the SSG, the group which secures the MOD of the United Kingdom (UK).

The Mersey keylock and the Mark IV Manifoil are used in combination on MOD safes and/or strongrooms etc.


The lock has an unusual “V” shaped brass key (earlier models had a plastic key that was prone to breaking). The lock also has a plastic cover locked into place by the mechanism itself and can only be taken off using the key - the reason was to stop the lock being tampered with between manufacturing and fitting.

Key security features

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The 14 lever variant


The 10 lever variant

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See also