What prevents the key pins from falling into the keyway?

[LeeNo]

Well, my picks arrived (SouthOrd FXS-17) and I couldn't pick my Master 21 commercial. So, I went to target and bought a cheapie Master "FORTRESS" and was able to rake it open in only 10 seconds

I was amazed and giddy.

My next step will be SPP that lock.

I also bought a Master 22 warded lock for some variety but I don't see how to }pick" it. It is just a huge, open cavern inside the lock with very rudimentary warding. It looks like all I would need to do would be to stick something that could fit into the socket at the end of the keyway and turn it. Also, the shackle is held in place by a ridiculous piece of wire that only needs to be bumped to allow the lock to open. You can look right down into the hasp opening and see the wire.

WTF? I had no idea locks were so easily compromised.

[Liminality]

As you probably have seen, the vast majority of all residential locks are pin and tumbler. These are several levels harder to compromise than warded, and can take weeks to pick.

Warded locks still show up every now and then, and aren't really designed with major security in mind. However, the level of security they do provide is probably sufficient to discourage normal people who haven't read into locks. I've gotten a few cut warded locks from my Woodshop teacher, when he clears out the project-lockers at the end of the year. For that purpose, they worked perfectly.

Personally, I'd stay away from warded locks. Many of the more experienced people here say you can develop bad habits while manipulating them, and that they are unrealistically easy to defeat.

Perhaps a rekeyable padlock or cylinder, with pins removed?

And congratulations on the arrival of your picks. =D

[LeeNo]

As you probably have seen, the vast majority of all residential locks are pin and tumbler. These are several levels harder to compromise than warded, and can take weeks to pick.

Personally, I'd stay away from warded locks. Many of the more experienced people here say you can develop bad habits while manipulating them, and that they are unrealistically easy to defeat.

Perhaps a rekeyable padlock or cylinder, with pins removed?

And congratulations on the arrival of your picks. =D

I bought two locks - one a 4-pin tumbler Masterlock and the other the warded masterlock. I am not even going to bother "picking" the warded lock because it isn't pickable. All I would need would be a wire with a t shape at the end to open it. I didn't know it would be that trivial.

An update on the pin-tumbler - I advanced past raking it open and was able to SPP pick it with my small half-diamond. I had tried several times with one of my hooks, but it just didn't work. I got it on the 5th or 6th try with the half-diamond.

What I am really beginning to appreciate is the visualization. With the half-diamond, I imagined it as the key going in the lock. I put very, very light tension on the cylinder and then slowly inserted the pick as if it were the key. It made it past the first pin easily. I could feel the pin lifting and falling again as the pick passed it and I knew it wasn't the binding pin. The second pin felt "scratchy" it still moved, but there was obvious resistance. I continued forward and the third and fourth pins both felt like the first pin so I knew the second pin was the one I needed to set.

I backed the pick out and went in again. This time as I encountered the second pin, I applied a tiny bit more tension and lifted up on the pin and was able to feel the cylinder turn a tiny bit (actually, more than I expected - my assumption is that the lock is really loosely manufactured). With that first pin set, I backed out and entered again and set the third and then the fourth pin and, finally, the first pin and the lock opened.

[maxxx]

Adam, its silver springS, Maryland.

[LeeNo]

Adam, its silver springS, Maryland.

What are you talking about?
And how did you get 16,000+ posts?
I smell an unsigned integer SNAFU. You had zero posts at some point and then had your post count decremented.