Padlock seems to open on 2nd attempt

[Euphman]

Hi, new to the forums, just began hobby picking and have a general question. Just to let you know my extremely basic setup, I'm using an s-rake, short hook, and medium tension wrench all from Southern Ordnance. The specific padlock I'm using for this question (though it's happened with my others) is a hardened Master No. 3 (made of the single sheets of metal with rivets, blue band around the bottom).

So far I've only gotten better at using the rake, though I think I use it more like a pick to push pins up as I go in and back, rather than rake it outwards. Anyway, I've noticed that sometimes I will attempt to pick it for a few minutes and seemingly get all the pins up, but the chamber won't turn. So I release tension and even remove the wrench, and upon the second attempt it seems to open in five seconds.

Is this a case of pins sticking from the first attempt, or just more of a luck thing?

[Schuyler]

luck

and you likely take a deep breath and stop aggressively oversetting pins for a moment.

[Euphman]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind

[jpb06080]

Or just gaining a familiarity for the particular lock. Each successive time you pick a given lock, I find that it gets much much easier.

[Schuyler]

there's also this crazy phenomenon whereby you have a lock you can pick consistently, and yet, for some reason, are absolutely unable to open the thing no matter how hard you try until you put it down and walk away from it.

lockpicking is weird...

[Euphman]

I've come across that on one of the Brinks padlocks I have. Usually opens in 5-30 seconds, but then sometimes...just wanna chuck the thing out a window.

[Archive555]

Similar thing happened with a padlock I had, seemed to open on the second attempt.
I could even hear the pins fall back down when I released tension.

[Euphman]

It does seem to be a luck thing, though I also figured out that some of my old junky padlocks will actually not reset when tension is released. Two Master 3's do it. I also have to use a ballpoint pen clip as a tension wrench on them because they're harder to turn, and when I reclose the lock I have to manually turn the plug back to a locked position.