Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - Hanloc double cylinder deadbolt problem

I have read archived posts and tried to find a solution but have not found anything that fits my situation/problem.

I have a Hanloc double cylinder deadbolt that the key broke on the inside (unlocked). I have tried all the tricks mentioned (short of superglue) to remove the key with no luck.
I have tried to remove the faceplate, but where the screws would be is a backing plate (silver) that seems to be hiding the screw heads. I can find no trigger mechanism to remove the faceplate. I assume that engaging the key in the cylinder may cause the "shutter" action of the silver plate to expose the screw heads, but, since I have no key, I can't do that!

Can I drill out the plate, and if I hit the screwheads, just drill out the screws? I hate to have to call a locksmith out; I don't have tons of money, but trying to prep my house for sale and need to replace this deadbolt!

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give,
WIChick

Welcome to the DIY forums Wichick
You sure don't want to try any kind of glue to remove the broken key! That would only compound the problem.
We Locksmiths have various key extractors for this type of problem but they're generally not for sale to the public.
Short of having one of those, what may work is if you can straighten out a paper clip and use a small fine file to file a barb or hook into the end similar to the barb on a fish hook. With that, you might be able to get partially into the keyway along side of the key and get a hold of it.
Have you tried picking it out little by little with a sharp pin?
Also, be sure that the key is'nt partly turned or it will never come out.
Drilling is a last resort but if you must, aim for about 3 and 9 oclock on the face of the cylinder. The larger drill bit you use, the better chance you'll have of drilling out the entire screw, but you'll see if you're on target as soon as the drill bit is through the face plate.

We appreciate feedback on the outcome too, so be sure to let us know how things went so others may benefit as well.

Regards

Thanks for the answer; I will be attempting to drill it out. All attempts to remove the key have not worked.
The cylinder face has holes at 3 and 9 (where the screws would normally be) so I will end up drilling out the facing plate or shutter plate that seems to be hiding the screw heads. I will attempt to be delicate and see if I can expose the screws without ruining them, but if I mess up, I suppose I will be drilling them entirely out.
Thanks again for your response, and I will post my results!

I drilled out the plate that was covering the screw heads. I was actually very careful, and exposed the screws, however, the hole I drilled wasn't big enough to extract them. So, I drilled the screws out too. Worked fine, no big deal. Then, replaced and now it works just fine.

WICHICK

I'm glad to see it worked out for you Wichick.
And thanks for posting back with your outcome!

Regards