Has anyone picked a American 5200s

[jlgale]

I have a 5200 series American padlock, i have had no succes with picking it, or shimming. has anyone else been able to pick this type or is it just me. I think I just need more practice.

[mcm757207]

First of all, you cannot shim this lock because it uses ball bearings instead of spring-loaded latches. And American locks are very difficult to pick, especially for a beginner. Almost all of the bottom pins have serrations on them, and the top pins also have serrations and occasionally serrated spools. Not to mention 5 pins instead of the pretty common 4 in padlocks, and closer tolerances. Not an easy lock.

[Marco]

As said, the lock contains serrated top and bottom pins, aswell as a couple spoorated pins. It will be very difficult for a beginner. However, the good thign about it is that its re-pinnable. Remove all the pin stacks except one, and learn all you can about how those serrated pins affect picking it.

[Squelchtone]

to actually answer your question. yes. very light tension to start, but to overcome the spring you'll just need practice.

it was a great feeling to pick mine. I have the 5200 US brass shackle military edition.

[apb]

I have had a lot of practice on the 5200 due to the availablity of these locks at my work. A bent bobby pin placed at the top of the key way for a tension wrench gives you much more room to deal with the security pins. This tension wrench has given me the most success with any lock, not just the 5200. Also, I have found that with the bobby pin at the top of the keyway you can turn the plug counter clockwise. Most of these pick easier in the other direction. A hook pick has given me the most success with this lock. Many of these have security pins and it becomes very clear when you have hit the security pin. A combination of raking and SPP is usually necessay and the tension applied willl usually vary from light in the beginning to more tension. Also, try picking the back pin first, then the lead pin and rake the three in the middle. You can feel the pin when it is resisting and setting. I've seen this pattern in quite a few of these locks. Forget shimming this lock. If you do reverse pick it, you will have to depress the shackle when the plug catches the first time, and continue until the plug turns 180. Then the top pins will try to come through the shell. Just turn the pick upside down, raise the top pins back up at the same tie while simultaneously turn the plug. The lock will open after that.

[jlgale]

i took out all the pins but one, this is by far one of the hardest ever to play with, but as they say try, try again.

[raimundo]

the american keyway is smaller than a normal key, so use small picks with a narrow shaft, to get under the pins when starting at the back of the lock, there is a ward in the keyway that will allow you to insert the pick at an angle about like this, / which allows the pick tip to slip under the pins just a bit more, and is useful if there are some long pins in the lock. Inserting a pick at such a slant is not recommended if the pick tip is not sanded so that there are not square edges on the pick. The sharp 90 degree edges on picks only facilitate getting the pick tip stuck and jammed, but if they are rounded enough that you don't have this problem, you can do it. If you insert the pick at an angle like this / feel for the pinsetting as you rotate it to vertical, then when you come out to the the next pin put the pick back to the /slant to get under the pin or it may overlift a long pin.
You will find that only certain picks of small size are useful on these locks.
when pushing up a reversed spool they will give good feedback. but some of the spools you wont feel at all, however you can set them none the less, youll know when it happens.

[le.nutzman]

This question has been asked so many times, even by me in previous postings.

I have since then, gotten MUCH better at picking the American 5200 lock. I average about 2 minutes to open the lock. And i will tell you from my own experience, it's all about the tension. American locks have serrated, spool and spoorated pins and the only way to get around them is to use the lightest tension possible, just a fraction more than it takes to place your finger on the tension wrench, that's all.

I have fought through many 5200s in the past year that I was deployed, i've picked them in the 130+ heat where holding them in your bare hand would leave you a nice molten present for later if your weren't careful and i've picked them in the cold, and all in all, it boils right down to the tension.

Now i will say that I've come to like tensioning at the top of the lock, but it just all depends on the lock, the way it's mounted and any other factor that take it out of my hand in the norm. But it's really what's comfortable for you.