using rubber mallet to open padlock.

[treckerman]

Came across a vid on lock picking in which a segment shown a rubber mallet was use to open a padlock by knocking hard enough on the shackle itself,tried it couple a times and ended up with a couple of bruised fingers.Anyone ever try this method?

[Squelchtone]

without the video you saw, we cant be sure. you should post the link to it. I doubt this would work on any quality padlocks, as any any padlock with heel and toe ball bearings would not react to a mallet attack.

We usually just pick locks here, we don't hit them.

Squelchtone

[cyrano138]

I don't have the video, but is this what he was doing? It's from the Easy Pickings book I got with my first set of picks. Seems like it would only work on really cheaply made locks.

[Squelchtone]

Well that's the old name for what we all know as bumping. Old locksmith trick before all us internet kids came along in the last 10 years. =)

I think the OP had the guy in video hitting the shackle.

[cyrano138]

I tried it a couple of times, but I'll be honest I found the locks a lot easier to pick. I thought bumping was the technique that's similar but used a bumpkey instead of a tension wrench. Thanks for sorting me out.

[2octops]

Hitting it with a hammer seems a little easier than a gym sock tied through the shackle and jerking it open.

Yeah, there are videos of that working too.

[gibson]

I haven't tried hitting any padlocks, but i've thrown a few across the room!

[MarkMcGrath]

When I was in Civil Air Patrol many many years ago I got a class on basic lockpicking and watched a guy hit a padlock with a rubber mallet. No damage, just popped open, but now days thats not to easy to do.

[raimundo]

CAP had a lockpicking course???? veeery interesting.....
Squelch, the technique is old and it was called rapping not bumping though both methods are actually very old.

the illustration shows a locking dog that is vertical, since the method is very old, that may have come from some warded or levertumber lock. most modern locking dogs are horizontal and good locks have them on both sides of the shackle so it would not be possible to rap this arrangement,

probably worked long ago against weaker springs.