Why should I learn how to pick locks?

Lock picking is an art form, and should be treated as such. Today lock picking today has many uses, and is not just used for shady purposes. Imagine if you are locked outside of your car, your cabinet, or even your house! Knowing how to pick locks is an important skill that is beneficial to everyone in the world today. Not only that, there are literally thousands of people that pick locks just for fun.

Although most people use lock picking for completely benign purposes, there are still cases in which it is illegal to pick locks. You can only pick a lock that you own, and or have the express written consent of the owner (so you can’t go around breaking into things). The laws on lock picking vary from place to place so it is up to you to know the certain laws in your state. Basically, if you are carrying a lock picking set on you at night in a place that you shouldn’t be, you are going to be in a lot of trouble with Johnny Law.

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Alright, now that all the technical jargon is done…Lets learn how to pick locks!

Choosing the right tools

Or How to pick locks

There are two main tools needed to pick a lock – the Torsion wrench and the Pick.

Torsion wrench (aka tension wrench) – performs the role of the key turn, allowing us to apply rotation to the plug to exploit the inevitable mechanical defects in locks to create the binding effect.

Pick – This is the tool used to move the lock pins so that they can be aligned to allow the lock to open.

In theory, you can use anything from paperclips to wire brushes as picks and torsion wrenches, but it is far easier to learn how to pick a lock using the proper tools. Amazon is a reliable retailer who has some very good quality and well priced lock pick sets.

Common ways to pick locks

Are you quick and dirty or learning an art?

Knowing the theory of how to pick locks, we can now look at the most common methods of how to pick locks.

Picking – the use of a torsion wrench and pick (lock pick set) to set each pin individually. The tension wrench is inserted into the keyway, leaving room to reach the pins with the pick and a light rotational pressure applied. The pick is then used to move each pin in turn to find and set each binding pin in turn. This is lock picking at its finest art.

Raking (or scrubbing) – similar to picking, except that a raking pick is stroked across each pin rapidly to try set them all at once. A less sophisticated form of lock picking.

Bumping (or Bump Keying) – Similar to raking, except that a snap gun or bump key is used to ‘bump’ the pins into the set position by force. This can be a very quick way to open a lock, but can damage older or rusted locks.

The Theory Of Lockpicking

Or why it is possible to pick locks

No lock is perfect, and lock picking relies on the mechanical imperfections inherent in every lock (known as ‘tolerances’) to allow the pins to be raised one at a time, instead of all at once, as would happen when using a key.

Essentially, when we apply rotation to the plug, the driver pins will get caught at the shear line and prevent the plug rotating (known as ‘the binding effect’). However, due to the tolerances, ONLY ONE of the pins will get stuck at the shear line and prevent it rotating at any one time. This is known as the ‘binding pin’.

If we then lift that pin until it crosses the shear line and gets stuck (known as ’setting the pin’), the plug then rotates a little more and the binding effect gets transferred to the next pin, allowing us to work through all of the pins one at a time.

Once all of the driver pins are at the shear line, the plug will be free to rotate and the lock will open. Simple and easy way on how to pick locks!

How A Lock Works

The modern “pin and tumbler” lock was invented by Linus Yale Jr in 1861, and today most locks work on the same principle. A tumbler (known as a ‘plug’ – the yellow circle in the diagram) sits inside the main lock housing (known as the ’shell’ – the beige background in the diagram). The plug has a slot for the key to be inserted (known as the ‘keyway’, shown in white), and the plug rotates to activate the locking mechanism. The interface between the plug and the shell is known as the ’shear line’.

Along the length of the plug are a series of pin chambers. Each pin chamber contains two sprung pins (known as a ‘pin stack’). The top pin is known as the ‘driver pin’ (shown in blue), and the lower pin is known as the ‘key pin’ (shown in red). The driver pins prevent the plug from rotating until a key is inserted which will move all the driver pins clear of the plug. Once all driver pins are in the chamber above the shear line (known as ‘the bible’), the plug can rotate freely.