Lock Picking

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Yard Dart, Feb 5, 2015.


  1. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    So the SHTF and in the commotion you lost your key's to everything.... other than being smart and having a set of keys stashed elsewhere, how are you going to gain entry into that door of yours or your parents if they fail to answer... or open that chest, cabinet, what have you... and don't tell my the crowbar is the magic key... we know it is ;) But you may not want to damage the door or whatever. So here is better way to get through that lock and the tools that you may want to have on hand. And a new skill to master that may be useful for you at some point.

    [​IMG]

    How to Pick a Lock | The Art of Manliness
     
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  2. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    For Padlocks...

    [​IMG]

    For Dead Bolts and Conventional Mechanical Door locks... My foot and about a three foot head start...

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    Locks and keys have always fascinated me, I made a Grand Master key to my high school when I was 16, as you may or may not know schools are keyed such as every classroom has a key (for the teacher), groups of classrooms many have a Master key which a department head may use to access every classroom and the hallway doors that lead to those classrooms, and the principal/assnt prince may have a Grand Master Key which opens everything. Very easy to get a key blank and a dead bolt cylinder from an outside bathroom.

    Having Master, and Grand Master keying on all the doors makes them incredibly easy to pick since there are separate wafers added to make the Master keys work.

    I locked myself out of the new house that I had built and had not stored spare key outside somewhere. I had access to my garage/shop, so 5 minutes hammering a 16 penny nail flat on the end, bending it and grinding off the point, and I had my "crank" I keep dental picks in my took box, so it took less than a minute using the crank and dental pick to rake the tumblers and open the lock. Most burglars, will just smash a window and crawl thru, but you say I have ADT... well do you have your phone demarcation box locked, or can I just disconnect you from the world, and you know it takes ADT 15 minutes before they report it to the police, and another 10 for the police to respond?

    And as the Sheriff said to a neighbor, they know where women hide their jewelry and they typically just steal a pillow case and dump the loot in that, in and out in less than 5 minutes. Luckily they missed the bedroom closet where this guy, a hunter/guide, keeps his guns/ammo.
     
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  4. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    Hahaha! I did nearly the same thing in high school! I was 15. I made master keys to the hallway lockers, the combination locks issued for the gym lockers, even the lights! Oh golly, what a hoot some of the pranks those afforded. I knew there was a reason I liked you!

    AT
     
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  5. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    That master key business is called a hierarchy, and is set up all at one time. (We do this). It means repinning locks to work with several different keys. Each key uses a different lifter pin arrangement so that the sheer line is straight regardless of which key is used. The higher the security level, the fewer lifter pins.
    As to the map of states, that is misleading for Ohio. I carry picks everyday as just another tool in my bag. It can not be called "burglar tools" unless it is used for that purpose. Just as a hammer and crowbar are just tools, unless you force entry with them.
    What I do, is keep people out of places they do not belong.
     
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  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I have the "Dyno Kwick Pick" and it works really well. The best part is, it looks just like a pen and can be clipped into your pocket. Easy to use, very reliable. I picked a deadbolt in about 15 seconds and I am not too adept at lock picking.



    This is a great video on lockpicking -it's an introduction for beginners and has some helpful information I found useful.

     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2015
  7. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Another helpful video on the inside detailed workings of a lock:

     
    Yard Dart likes this.
  8. Lone Gunman

    Lone Gunman Draw Varmint!

    I worked in the home security field for a number of years. Mechanical lock picking is only going to get an intruder so far. It's all the electronic gizmos - Some of which I've, yet, to see in a Hollywood movie - that really need to be defeated in order to gain unrestricted access to a home, or office building. Today, with CCTV as sophisticated and prevalent as it is, this is getting harder and harder to do.
     
  9. kckndrgn

    kckndrgn Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I think lock picking is a skill to have, for whatever happens. Just a word of caution. If you travel through TN, and you have a lock picking set, you MUST be a licensed lock smith, otherwise it's a felony. Yes, the mere possession of a set of tools will get you busted in TN :(
     
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  10. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Lock Picking Resources - Where To Buy

    Peterson Manufacturing Locksmith Tools
    Peterson has a great selection of lock picks, lock pick sets and other handy tools. The quality is top notch, but you will pay a slightly higher price for quality. They also ship very quickly and are highly reputable. Outstanding company.

    www.sparrowslockpicks.com
    Sparrows is really interesting, and has a few things you can't get elsewhere, mostly offering a "cool" look to some of their kit. The quality is excellent, and some of the pricing is decent for what they offer. The only downside to Sparrow is the fact that they are in Canada, and shipping to the U.S. can often take a very long time.

    SouthOrd Lock Pick Sets - The Best American-Made Lock Picks
    The South Ord lock picks are decent, and recommended for a beginner who doesn't want to invest much money. I haven't had much experience with their tools.

    You could buy a cheap $20 beginners lock pick set from Ebay or Amazon, and some people are fine with that, but chances are you will eventually break tools or just become frustrated.
    Start with a beginner set, or a simple tension wrench, hook and bogie rake to start. You can buy the individual tools or entire kits on the websites I listed above.

    You could also make your own. Some people use the thin steel from windshield wipers, piano wire, and small reciprocating saw blades. You can obtain a stencil online (or download the .pdf attachment I will include with this post), print out the pages and trace the stencils onto your own material. Keep in mind, a good thickness for a starter set of lock pick tools is generally around 0.020" to 0.025", and more experienced pickers may choose to go with the 0.015 specialty picks, but will often times use many of the same tools available in beginner kits.

    Video - How To Make A Hasty Lockpick From a Mouse Trap -YouTube

    LEGALITY: The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers :: State Laws
     

    Attached Files:

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  11. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Please observe the usual caveats if you choose to buy any of those tools. Some jurisdictions just don't like it if you happen to have them on you. See @kckndrgn 's post above.
     
    Brokor likes this.
  12. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    FEAR THE POLICE STATE. CHECK ALL LOCAL "LAWS" (i.e. CODES, REGULATIONS and POLICIES) BEFORE EVEN TOUCHING A LOCK PICK. YOU MAY BE TAZED, SPRAYED WITH MACE, BEATEN, and ARRESTED BY THE THUGS WITH BADGES WHO WILL COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND KICK YOUR DOOR IN. BE VERY, VERY AFRAID. OBEY, CITIZEN! OBEY!

    Now that that's over...back to the topic? ;)
     
  13. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    It's interesting in Pennsylvania there are no "laws" on the books concerning lock picking. I am sure in Philadelphia it's not good to have them on you. Everything is illegal in Philadelphia.
     
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  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Except Philly Cheese Steak.
     
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  15. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Oh. This is true. I miss 7th street subs...
     
  16. gunbunny

    gunbunny Never Trust A Bunny

    1-31-12 010 (912 x 684).
     
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  17. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    lol, oh man! Cruel, just cruel!!! ;)

    Lemme see. Lock picking, lol. Oh yes. The infamous combination key safe locks. Here's something for you to chew on.

     
  18. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    And sometimes you need to try another technique... Shimming.

    How to Open a Padlock with a Coke Can:
     
  19. The Duece

    The Duece Monkey

    Cool videos,ive got a homemade set of picks made from an allen key and some spokes from a bike tire but would love a professional set.in my misspent youth i once had a lock gun but i lost it becore i figured out how to use it[emoji24][emoji24]
    So far i can pick cheap padlocks and small locks like the type on office drawers....getting better though not sure if my picks have the proper dimensions,might have to order a professional set,thanks for the link
    D
     
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  20. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    An excellent course with cutaway locks and step-by-step instruction to the basics:

     
    Yard Dart likes this.
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