Is Picking A New lock harder?

[skinnytony]

Hi

I have just started learning how to pick locks as a hobby.
I was going to buy a new yale cylinder lock to practice on.
Though I wondered if it's more difficult to pick a brand new lock or easier to pick an old lock.
Would I be right in thinking that an old lock has more play in it due to it being used more.

[pH]

I have found that in general new locks are not any more difficult to pick than older ones. The one exception being that sometimes when they're new, they're all clogged up with graphite. Usually running my plug follower once through removes most of this junk, although my wood dowel is partially stained black now.

Would I be right in thinking that an old lock has more play in it due to it being used more.

I have read somewhere that over time, this is what causes the furthest back pins to set first. If you think about it, every time in insert and remove a key, the first pin is getting moved 10 times (assuming a 5 pin cylinder), the second pin 8 times, etc.. down the the innermost pin only 2 times. So the constant action on the first pin gives it the most play, causing it to bind last (in general.) I am not sure where I read this so I can't give you a link, sorry.

[CVScam]

I have a set of 4 deadbolts all keyed alike and the one that was on the outside front door is very easy to pick the cylinder that was installed on the inside of the garage door and was almost never locked it is a bit harder to pick.

[Bud Wiser]

With my limited experience I'm seeing that used locks pick easier then out of box new locks. Of course there will be exceptions.

[Shrub]

Theres a few differant versions of this we can ask,

Does a lock straight out the box pick easier than a lock that has been on a door where the owner has 2 keys more or less the same on the same key ring?

I say no because the lock on the door will see the wrong key inserted a few times in its life and the sharp edge of spol pins will deminish,


Does a lock straight out of a box pick easier than a lock thats in a high use or dirty area?

Again i say no because things are looser and worn a little bit meaning pins dont have to be 100% properly set to be pushed into a set once they are close enough,


Does a lock straight out the box pick easier than a lock thats on a door with normal use and is less than 12 months old?

Difficult one, i would say no as any possable stiffness in any part has surely been worn out on the used lock,

There are also factors that could turn all these upside down,

A dirty lock is harder to pick, a worn lock can be harder due to the pick slipping off worn pins, coroded springs can give bad feedback or even in the worse case situation loose the spring if over lifted, some old locks ive come to have had a key left in them most of the time and only removed once in a blue moon to see the springs stay at the correct set which means the pins only need moving to the spring to get the shearline this definate stop can be felt,


For various reasons i am goign to say theres not a lot of differance, the lock still needs picking the same way and there are pros and cons that say it could be easier or harderwhich i think would be on a lock specific basis, an old used lock of one type may be better than a brand new lock of another type,

[Romstar]

Heh, its a toss up really.

When you think about it, it all really depends on how a lock was treated while it was in use. If its full of oil, dust, broken springs, or graphite and lord knows what else it can be a real pain in the rear.

Also, its going to be as sloppy as anything, and thats a pain as well.

New locks have a very predictable movement, they aren't worn to sin, and they generally aren't filled with oil and dirt.

So in general I would say new locks are easier.




Unless......





You just knew there would be an unless.......





The lock was treated well, kept clean, well serviced and just generally not allowed to suffer the hashness of the elements than an older lock can be easier to pick because its been broken in, and tends to follow the same opening each time.


Try everything and have fun,
Romstar

[Raccoon]

It is my belief that new locks are easier.

I had a customer with identical locksets on their front and back door. I was just fumbling with the front door before I suggested I might try the back door, and it popped open in a minute.

The front door gets daily use, and the pins are going to be a little gunkier (skin oil transfers from key to pins) and the chambers are going to be slightly more worn. The back door lock was hardly ever (IF ever) unlocked with a key, so the lock was new. I could see a clear picture in my head of what was going on, and it was VERY easy to set the pins. *click* "opened!"

[Circus_Ninja]

i dunno, i bought a lock (kaufman) and the first few times were quite easy.
now i can pick it in seconds, the pins feel looser and most of the time i can open it with two raking strokes!

the lower pins also get stuck above the shear line. a SLIGHT turn to the left (with the tension wrnech) and as they fall a quick turn to the right and the lock pops open.

It feels alot easier now.

[VashTSPD]

I would agree with the general consensus, it is easier to pick a new lock because the pins aren't sticky and they will slide vertically more smoothly.

[upick2]

It seems to me new vs. old isn't the same as used or well-worn vs. unused. Certainly the poor quality of some newly manufactured locks makes them more difficult to pick than the same model made years ago. At least I found that to be true on a pair of Master Locks - the aged, weathered, heavily made in the USA one picked easier than the brand new one made in China.

Disclaimer: I have no opinion whether products made in China, the USA, or elsewhere are superior or inferior, I'm just stating an observation.

[Circus_Ninja]

lol
you know, i actually struggled on a puny little flimsy "diary" lock.
you know those little ones that lock a journal or something?
it was so small it seemed completely hollow, i had no idea what was going on in there
disclaimer?

Disclaimer: No animals were hurt during the creation of this post.
(btw Certain chinese locks seem inferior to me... )