When I got home, I unpacked the everything and went to work. I used the small hook and a medium tension wrench and started on the Masterlock. I felt each pin, got used to the tension wrench, listened to the sounds of the pins as they set, felt how the plug gives as you pick each pin. After 5 minutes I didn't open it. I tried using a smaller tension wrench and very light tension on the plug and *CLICK*, it opened. It was a piece of cake as I proceeded to pick it ten times more. Seems like it had 4 pins and half of them set as I inserted the pick. I showed my wife how to do it and she picked it in 1 minute
Next I started on that stupid Protecto lock. I started picking with the small hook. I can't figure out what pin sets first. Seems like the 4th one or the 2nd one. The 3rd one must be small because it's hard to get around, and on the key, the notch is very high. It seems like if I set pin 2 or pin 4, setting pin 3 will make 2 and/or 4 drop. Whenever I set pin 3, something clicks like a pin just dropped. I know I can set pins 2, 4, and 1 okay, but when that #3 sets, man something drops. Pin 5 way in the back seems to set really easy, at the same time as the 4 probably because they're exactly the same size, but that #3 is a pain in the butt. I took it apart just now and took out pins 4 and 5, so I'll have a go later tonight to get an idea how that #3 is behaving. Whenever I release tension, I swear I hear 4 pins fall. I was able to pick it somehow with the half round, but I have no idea how it happened. Seems like I was fooling around with pin 3 when it opened. It seems the later at night it is, the harder it is for me to pick.
Here's a pic of the cheapo, I mean Protecto deadbolt core along with the key, a spring, pin#5, and one of the upper pins:
Is it that #3 thats giving me a problem you think?
