Couple newbie questions about lock difficulty by type...

[Easily Amused]

I probably overlooked a chart somewhere, but I keep looking around the forums and can't find a definitive guide of how locks match up.

I'm actually extremely new to lockpicking, been nourishing this new hobby for less than a week so far. I plan to fabricate my own picks via hacksaw blades and have the necessary materials, however I haven't had time yet to actually make them yet.

While I was at Homedepot gathering supplies for picks I also picked up a Franklin Manufacturing Mortise Cylinder for $5. Can anyone give me any idea how this mortise cylinder compares in difficulty to other locks... be it cylinders or padlocks?

Anyway, I was sitting around tonight when I eyed my PC repair kit. Out of curiosity I decided to check the sizing of the tweezers and the jumper extractors and see if they were thin enough to fit into the lock. Not only did they fit, but just making a half assed attempt at mimicking what I'd read about the actual picking process I had the lock open in about 30 seconds. I got lucky the first time though, the following attempts took awhile until I really got a better feel for the pins.

So, in a fluke I've trivialized my first lock and I still haven't even made my picks yet, doh. Perhaps the cylinder I picked is just a badly designed lock? Any suggestions as to what to move on to? Other than actually getting those picks made, heh.

[LockNewbie21]

Most likely a cheap knockoff of a Kwickset, congrats on your first pick even thought you had an easy cylinder it feels great and boasts confidence to pop your first lock, good luck on future endevors friend .


Andy

[Gordon Airporte]

A mortice cylinder is just a package, usually containing a pin tumbler mechanism. There really isn't a general way to rank mechanisms (pin tumbler, wafer, lever, disc, etc.) except maybe to say that wafers are (typically) quite easy and disc locks are difficult.
If you want a ranking of brands, that's kind of difficult too. They all have various lines. Really the rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for, and you will get more difficult locks from specialty distributers than from the drug store down the street. Of course, sometimes you're paying for resistance to physical destruction rather than pick resistance.

[searsman05]

Well i am guessing that you live in the USA since you went to home depot.

If you are new to picking get a master lock they are cheap and pretty easy to pick. You can get a feel for a lock on one of those. Its nice practice. Every time one of my friends come over i usually let them pick some of the master locks i have so they get a feel of what it is like.

If you want a challenge go for an American lock most of there locks come from the factory with anti-picking pins which makes it difficult.

What i would do if i was you is make your picks first of course and then pick up a old or used schlage knob or lever lock with the keys preferably and them take a look at digital blues guide on lock picking it really helps get the feel for picking locks. If i am really going to teach a friend or whoever i will teach them by making them read the guide and doing it exactly like he says. And most of them get it after a while.

Check out his guide it really helps. Here is the link:
Beginner's Lockpicking Exercise - by digital_blue


-James

[pinsetter]

If you're new, as searsman05 pointed out, Master padlocks are good to start with. I would get about 5 or 10 of them with different keying. They don't have to be new, just ask people you know if they've got any old padlocks laying around that they've lost the keys for, or that they'd donate for your practice. I have about 30 padlocks I've acquired like that.

Once you can consistently open the Master locks quickly, go to Walmart and buy a Brinks R70 padlock for about $10. This will introduce you to security pins, and will be much harder to open than the Masters.

When you can open the R70 consistently, then go back to Walmart and buy the Brinks Shrouded Shackle 6 pin high security padlock, also about $10. That should keep you busy for a good while!

Those two locks will be the best $20 you ever spent for picking practice on pin tumbler locks.

[Easily Amused]

Thanks for the input people