Lock picking

[Cascadian]

We got out new manufactured home delivered recently. The crew put the 2 sides together and all .When he left he said he had to lock it for liability reasons. I chuckled and said no worries I will just pick the lock when you leave. It took me less than 2 minutes. That got me wondering if this is a skill anyone else uses.

When I was a youngster I found I had a knack for locks. I rekeyed my first work tool chest top and bottom along with my work bench to take the same key in my 20's. Naturally I never did any sort of thieving. I am thinking in a Shtf scenario being able to open things without damaging them may come in handy.

I recently forgot my work keys and needed to open our key cabinet. It took me less than 30 seconds. Altho we do have professional pick tools at work that helps.

 

[havasu]

As police officers, most of us bought lock pick kits and got pretty proficient with them. We also had a cop on our department who worked part time at a locksmith shop, so if we couldn't open it, this guy could. Then if quickness was needed, I was called to just boot the door. Maybe that is what started my knee problems?

 

[hiwall]

I was somewhat in the locksmith business for several years as part of my job. I can pick locks, re-key locks, and smash locks.

 

[phideaux]

Wow, that's cool.
Wish I could pick a lock.

I have trouble even with the key.

Jim

 

[Cascadian]

It just occurred to me I need new door locks. The thought of someone with average skills like myself being able to come and go undetected just creeped me out.

 

[Sentry18]

As police officers, most of us bought lock pick kits and got pretty proficient with them. We also had a cop on our department who worked part time at a locksmith shop, so if we couldn't open it, this guy could. Then if quickness was needed, I was called to just boot the door. Maybe that is what started my knee problems?

Ditto.

Only I used "Thor" instead of my boot.

 

[Peanut]

I took an urban escape and evasion class a few years ago, a civilian version of SERE. The premise being you’re traveling on business or working a night shift at an emergency room etc. What do you do if kidnapped? If you escape what then? What if you are being held hostage?

Think it couldn’t happen to you? The worlds capital for kidnap for profit business is Mexico City. The leading city for that category in the US was Phoenix at the time I took the class. I doubt is has changed.

The class taught a host of skills like how to get out of flex and metal cuffs, flex cuffs are easy, double locking metal cuffs are a bit harder especially while wearing them. They taught which model cars are easiest to steal, how to access food and water when on the run in a big city, how to pick locks. They taught a host of handy skills the most important of which was how to be a grey man, how to do all these things while remaining unnoticed.

I seem to be a natural at many things they taught including lock picking. The easiest of these is raking a pad lock, simple, my best time is around 4 seconds. Shimming a pad lock is a little harder and takes a little more time but still not all that difficult. You can open a pad lock with an aluminum soda can (shimming). As pointed out above why break open a lock in a shtf situation, anyone coming along behind you will know someone went through that gate or door. It’s best to remain unnoticed.

I have two sets of picks, one for my go bag another in a daily carry bag I keep in my truck. All my neighbors know I took this class. I get called every 2 or 3 months by a friend or neighbor needing me to rake a pad lock or locked themselves out of the house or they took their grandchild fishing who dropped their key ring in the lake.

Like marksmanship, lock picking is a perishable skill. Usually in winter when sitting by a fire I’ll practice on a pad lock.

Photo… the yellow string are rolls of Kevlar string, incredibly strong and handy for cutting through metal. To the left of the 2 rolls of Kevlar is my main lock pic set I keep in my go bag. To the right is my basic set I keep in my truck at all times.

Yes, there are bobby pins and paper clips there that I’ve modified for locks, simple and handy. Both sets have a diamond drill, Kevlar string and rakes.

Edit to add... company who does the escape and evasion classes. These guys are pro's, they do advanced SERE training for our special forces, long range recon training and a host of other things...

https://onpointtactical.com/

 

[SheepDog]

The first lock I ever picked was a dead bolt on a door. I used a nail and a hammer to flatten it. I later got a small pick set and I now have three very extensive pick sets and a few added tools.
When the guys at work forgot their keys to their tool boxes I would open them but found that once you do that nobody trusts you any more.
My boss came to me to have me open a cabinet that the key was lost and they needed to get into it. He said the lock was going to be replaced but they needed it open. I just drilled the cylinder and told him he could open it. I don't know what was in the cabinet but I think it was more than just paperwork.

 

[lonewolf]

mostly padlocks around here, boltcroppers do me fine!

 

[Peanut]

I couldn’t find this book yesterday or I’d have posted it then. It’s an excellent book, covers all the basics, has excellent illustrations and uses easy to follow descriptions.

Visual Guide to Lock Picking 3rd Edition
By McCloud & Santos Copyright 2006

At the end of the day you can easily open 75% of the residential door locks and 95% of the pad locks used in the US with only 2 tools… A rake and a torque wrench. On most commercial tool cabinets and lockers you could probably get by with just a rake.

What makes some residential door locks difficult isn’t the design, it’s quality. The basic design of these locks hasn’t changed in 50 years.

The pins of quality door locks like Schlage have really tight tolerances. The pins in cheaper door locks are down right sloppy making them easy pickins’ (pardon the pun). The number of pins in a lock whether cheap or well made increase the difficulty. Most use 4 or less, good locks use 4+.

Anyway, this book will give basic understanding of locks to preppers and the tools used to open them.