master locks (aren't necessarily good for beginners!)

[linty]

I'm new to the whole lock picking thing, and i read several times in this forum that master locks are good for beginners, and after over a week i still haven't been able to pick my master padlock. (the pins were binding under even a tiny bit of tension).
Out of sheer frustration i grinded through the lock, and lo and behold...spool pins.

So the lesson learned here is that not all cheap master locks are easy to pick and if you're recommending master locks to beginners make to mention what type. The one I have is a smallish 4 pin brass lock with a black plastic covering that i got cheap at wal-mart.

-linty

[digital_blue]

Hi linty.

Ok ok, I suppose it is worth saying that all Master locks are not created equal, but I have found that even the Master locks that have spools are still among the easier of the locks to pick. If time were a factor (as opposed to fun or challenge) I would rather pick a Master with spool pins than a Schlage deadbolt without. You will find that the tolerances are much higher in the Master and therefore it is generally easier to pick, spool pins or not.

Having said all that, if you are new to this, you might have found it easier to start with a different Master padlock. But there is actually a valuable lesson here for you, and all beginners out there. If you are working on a lock that you just can't get, put it away for a bit and work on something else. You will be glad you have it later when you are no longer challenged by the "easy" ones.

I have one of these locks. It is a Yale padlock. It is very old. It is kinda gunked up. It is very well built. And most importantly, it is my nemesis. I have picked locks that, by all rights, should have been much harder than this one. I just can't get this one. I put it away, and every once in a while, I pick it up again and try again. So far, no luck. I have even opened it with a pick gun to ensure that it is functioning. I have resisted the temptation to gut this thing and see what is going on, simply because I like having this lock that I can't open.

Just some thoughts.

db

[MrB]

I think we do try to mention what type of Master lock is easy. For example, Master #3 is typically suggested as a beginner lock.

I have a Master 140 brass padlock and it is a bit tricky to pick, so I wouldn't recommend that one as a beginner lock. It sounds like maybe you had something similar.

One thing to remember though, even very cheap locks can have spool pins. Cheap doesn't always mean easy to pick. Often the cost of a lock is reflected in mechanical resistance to brute force attacks rather than pick resistance.

[quickpicks]

Some of the more expensive master locks that are rekeyable (ex. 6127, 6327, 911.) Have terrible spools in them. Some of the "spools" Are severely deformed and this makes the lock really hard to open or really interesting to open. I have every kind of Pro series you can name and only a few give me a bit of trouble. The ones that have good spools are the easiest to pick. but some of the keyway shapes will make theese little buggers very hard to open.