Master Combo 1500

[thelockpickkid]

I have successfully cracked the code numbers etched on the back of the lock to give me the combo's nearly every time. Takes all the work and talk out of the whole thing!

[Oldfast]

You ever like pop open the metal back of the lock? I'm gonna do that to a couple of mine just out of curiosity.

I have one I carelessly tore apart years ago (far from functional though). Eventually, I'll probably make a functioning cutaway just to go with the collection.

I have successfully cracked the code numbers etched on the back of the lock to give me the combo's nearly every time. Takes all the work and talk out of the whole thing!

Nicely done! Personally, this would take all the fun out of it , but it would be very effective. There's no numbers etched on these locks. Not on mine anyway.

[OrangePick]

I have successfully cracked the code numbers etched on the back of the lock to give me the combo's nearly every time. Takes all the work and talk out of the whole thing!

Would love to know this trick, kid!

FYI, Oldfast, I finally unpackaged my other 1500 and your method worked even though it's same first/last digits of the combo. Each stop was about 1 number off of the actual combo but still opened with no problem at all. Very, very cool -- great discovery!

[Oldfast]

FYI, Oldfast, I finally unpackaged my other 1500 and your method worked even though it's same first/last digits of the combo.

Thanks OrangePick, appreciate the feedback and I'm glad you enjoy it.
I've purchased a couple other types of combo locks that I'll eventually work with, but I've been
a little side-tracked. Just received about thirty locks in the mail today (wooooooooooohooooo!!!)
Only problem now is to remember to sleep from time to time

[FFVison]

Ok, so my girlfriend has one of these that she wants to use on the gate to her back yard, but the combination is missing. I thought this might be a good time for me to try out this technique, but I need some elaboration on the terminology. I can feel each of the 11 false gates and the 1 real one, but I can't tell the difference. I understand the inner workings of the lock too. I don't understand what you mean by a "stopping point." To me, they all seem about the same. I have, up to this point only really tried my hand at pin and tumbler locks. I watched the video and I think it looks like a much better, and more efficient technique than the ones that I have seen where you find the 12 values, then remove the 7, and subtract the final 4, then divide by whatever and take a god awful long time doing a bunch of math and trial and error. Sorry if I seem newbish to this, but weren't we all newbs to this stuff at some point? Let me know if further explanation is allowed.

[Oldfast]

Yea, we were all newbs at one time. And just when ya think you aren't anymore, you encounter a new lock that instantly demotes you "newbie status" all over again (gotta love it!) . I still consider myself one. I'm constantly getting whooped on by different locks (but I love it when that happens!)

When I say "stop point" I'm just refering to when the dial stops because it has caught a gate (true or false). It's the same as "sticking point", I just wanted to be different . So, if all 12 gates are being caught as you turn the dial, too much shackle tension is being applied. The idea is to lighten up on the tension to where we only catch one. You may have some small/light bumps or snags along the way, but you should arrive at one that is quite solid. If the shackle tension is just right, you won't feel anything other than the one stop point (but again, it's ok if you do).

I should mention- all the locks I was working with at that time were newer and had no numbers etched on the back of them. I've since played with a few older ones that do have the #'s and found the method to be much less effective. I was able to find the combo with 2 of the 3, but was much more difficult to determine the 3 stop points because it was nearly impossible not to catch a bunch of others during the process. However, these ones can be shimmed very easily. Once the lock's open maybe you could get the combo by turning the dial while looking thru the shackle hole.

Hopefully that helps. If I didn't touch on what you needed, post again or feel free to PM me. Don't feel like u'r bothering me- I actually love it when I get a chance to help.

[FFVison]

Yeah. Problem is that these do actually have numbers etched into the back. I know they can be shimmed, but I was hoping to be able to let my girlfriend use it and for that to be an option, we need a combo. I guess I can shim this, or use one of the slow methods of decoding (where it narrows it down to 100 possible combos) and if I feel like trying my hand at your method, I might just go out and buy a new one. Worst case scenario, she could buy a new lock also. Thanks for your help.

[Oldfast]

Yeah. Problem is that these do actually have numbers etched into the back.

Yea, I kinda thought it would be. As I mentioned, it will (most of the time) still work with these. But you probably won't have much success with the older ones unless you've first learned/become proficient with the method using the newer models.

Also, I've yet to come across one of these where I'm not, at the very least, able to catch the first stop point, add 5, and have the first #. So if you decide to try the "12 sticking point" method, couple it with the knowledge of the first #. Between the two methods you'll be left knowing the 1st and 3rd combo #'s with 10 possibles for the 2nd. That narrows it down to only 10 possible combos to run through instead of 80 something. That's how I use to do it before I realized I could find the 2nd digit through manipulation.

[FFVison]

Ok. On the way home from my girlfriend's house, I stopped at Wal Mart and picked up a couple of new 1500s. Indeed they are easier than her old one. I got a little better feel for it now and feel that I'm well on my way to popping it. Thanks for the help.

[Oldfast]

Cool...good to hear that FFVison. Thanks for taking an interest.

[OrangePick]

Ok Oldfast, your new mission is to develop a method for the Brinks dial padlock! (same style as the Master 1500).

[deception]

Great topic.

Going to have to go out and find my old combo locks, and give this a shot.

[Oldfast]

Ok Oldfast, your new mission is to develop a method for the Brinks dial padlock! (same style as the Master 1500).

lol, sounds good OrangePick. I work alot of hours this time of year, but I'll give it a shot. I've one Brinks combo that I purchased months ago and never really played with it. If I have some success with it, I'll purchase several more and see how it goes.

Great topic.

Going to have to go out and find my old combo locks, and give this a shot.

Thanks Deception, let us know how it goes. This method seems very effective with the "newer" ones- 99%. But not so with the "older" ones (there's numbers etched into the back of them). It seems the more of the "old" ones I encounter, the more my success/fail ratio drops. For me, it seems to be about 50/50 with these.