Beginnier locks in the UK

[Cpt_Tangerine]

Hi

I went out and bought an Era door lock the other day (can't find a number, it's a Wickes own branded), very simple, took me about a minute to rake it and after a bit of practice I can now pick it pin by pin in about the same time.

I would like to move one step up from that one - I have several patio-door style locks that I've scrounged - but I think they've got lots of security pins.

Could anyone recommend that style of lock, available in the UK but just with 1 security pin, and then another with 2 security pins etc. so I can scale up gradually.

With the lock I'm working on at the moment, which is a Mila double-ended lock, I get so far, then feel the distinctive large movement associated with spools, but I don't know if this is happening on the first spool or only when I've engaged a bunch of them. Either way I don't seem to be able to get past it and think I need to ramp up more slowly.

Thanks.

[NickBristol]

Why not disassemble your Mila cylinder (there's a couple of stickies in this section on how) and then repin it with one normal and one spool so you can get the feel of spool pins. As you learn the feel you can put in more and more pins back in.

[Keyring]

Typical locks with security pins will have all but one pin as security pins. Unless you repin them yourself. That's an option but you need to find a repinable lock and have some spare pins.

The other way is to persevere with multi security pins. If I stop practicing, which happens a lot, it takes me a week to get back into a 5 pin Abus padlock.

[Cpt_Tangerine]

Thanks.

As far as picking locks with multiple security pins is concerned - will the large turn happen on the first security pin or is it that when that happens you've managed to false set a number of them?

In either case, once that happens where do you go from there?

[Keyring]

Firstly, there are guides on here in stickies which explain it a lot better than I can.

When you get the really big turn then all pins are either correctly set or false set. In some ways this should make security pin locks easier to pick, as you are surer of the state.

Typically there is only one normal pin, often at the front. Try to find and ease up this pin until you feel a slight give. At this point a light touch on the other pins should rapidly bring you to the point where the barrel turns a noticably large amount.

You now need to choose a pin (I usually go for the more resistant ones first) and push it up while allowing the barrel to be turned backwards by the pin. The danger at this point is pushing too far, which is why I usually try to use the pick as a lever, fulcrum at the front of the lock, for better movement control. (For this technique, I prefer to use standard - not slimline, picks.)

The last part of the movement, after the barrel has turned backwards, is very small. If you get it right, you will have set the pin, and the barrel will again rotate a large amount against the remaining false set pins.

[Cpt_Tangerine]

Hmm. Thanks. That's very interesting.

I'll have to give that a try.

Do you tend to find that you end up unsetting a lot of pins while doing this?

[Afisch]

Only having two security pins is fairly standard also. For repinning deadbolts are alot easier than euro cylinders.

From picking my Mila lock, tensioning at the top may give you alot more room to deal with security pins. I'll try and remember where the security pins are in the lock, its been a while. Once you know where they are its a good start.

Rather than trying to focus on it opening as such, try instead to focus on finding out as much as you can about it by feel, thinking which pin is binding first, which are the very long / very short pins etc.

[Scott_93]

Ahh...the MILA- usually a spool pin on the third. overlifting and a quick rake does the trick for me.

Scott.