Burglarized by bump?

[jondoe]

I was talking with my in-laws about an attempted break in they had several years back. I was told that their alarm sounded in the middle of the night and evidently the intruders fled. I was looking at their locks more closely today and was wondering what method of entry they employed. Since I cannot attach the photo ("Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.") I will describe it. It is a cheapo Kwikset and at the top of the keyway their is a large indentation into the metal where the shoulder of the key would be. I have read this is an indication of bumping. Would their be a large indentation from anything else? Thanks!

[nhoj_yelbom]

Sounds like it was bumped

[MacGyver101]

I'd say that it really depends on how old the lock is and how deep the impression is. If the lock is several years old, you'll start to see a normal wear mark on the face of the cylinder from the shoulder of the key.

[zeke79]

I agree. I have seen old kwiksets have pretty deep marks on the face of the lock just from general use. Though if the lock is new and has a deep pock mark on the face from the shoulder of a key then it is possible that the lock has been bumped or someone has attempted to bump it.

[fjardeson]

Bumping a lock leaves patterns on the pins does it not? My LSS shows diagrams of 999 bumping that show unusual marks on the pins that aren't left by normal key use.

Suggestion: Buy an Abloy, SecureKey or the like, those don't bump <no plug intended just trying to help>

[datagram]

There's a difference between marks caused bumping and normal use on that part of the lock. My website has some pictures that might make it easier to understand:

http://lockpickingforensics.com/bumping.php

http://lockpickingforensics.com/normal_wear.php

dg

[jwhou]

I was talking with my in-laws about an attempted break in they had several years back. I was told that their alarm sounded in the middle of the night and evidently the intruders fled. I was looking at their locks more closely today and was wondering what method of entry they employed. Since I cannot attach the photo ("Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.") I will describe it. It is a cheapo Kwikset and at the top of the keyway their is a large indentation into the metal where the shoulder of the key would be. I have read this is an indication of bumping. Would their be a large indentation from anything else? Thanks!

The 5 pin Kwiksets have indentations at the top representing the portion of the keyway which would've been cut out had it been a 6 pin lock thereby allowing the top shoulder of a KW10 key to enter the keyway, a KW10 and KW1 differs in that the KW10 lower shoulder is further back. Often this would be a square depression in the sheet metal so the depression may just be there from the manufacturer