2 day newbie question

[fgdgafdf]

I started picking when I was 1... oh picking locks? ah, 2 days ago.
I got my little 14 piece kit in the mail, got a cheap practice dead bolt and went on my way.

The lock on the front door of my house is a 5 pin dead bolt, I managed to get past it 3 times so far. I notice that once I compromise all the pins, the lock turns with no resistance for 1/4 a turn, then encounters resistance for about 1/8 of a turn, then unlocks. This is how it behaves with the key as well. When I was picking it I got past the the pins many times, turned the 1/4 turn with no resistance, and it just stopped there, unable to move it further. Im not 100% on this, but I think I got past it by compromising the pins, turning it a few mm only, then quickly turning it all the way? Not sure, I got past the pins 10 or so times, and only fully unlocked it 3 times.

I have found a read some literature online about picking, but nothing that gives me a clear picture as to what is going on inside this kind of lock.

Hope my description makes sense. Any advice/anyone to tell me exactly what is going on inside this lock?

ty

[djslacker]

First off, welcome to the forum.

Second, don't pick a lock that is in use, or that you depend on. Because if something breaks (and it will), you will be screwed. And who knows, you may be screwed and locked into your house, or screwed and locked out of your house.

But anyways, back to your post.

It sounds like since it's a cheap deadbolt, then the shaft inside of the cylinder isn't perfect the whole way around. Or the pins aren't the most perfect fit for that key in the cylinder. I've noticed that same thing happening on a couple of my cheaper practice locks after I get bored and rekey them. It doesn't sound like any problem with how you are picking the lock, just with the quality of your lock.

[freakparade3]

First off, it's a really bad idea to pick the lock on your house if you don't know what you are doing. You can damage the lock making it useless for it's intended purpose, which is not for picking practice. Second, do a goodle search for the MIT guide to lockpicking, it will help you understand what is going on inside the lock.

[ToolyMcgee]

I would like to again like to put emphasis on don't pick the lock on your door. I have a schlage 600 series knob with the mushroom security pins and the floating bible plate(is that right?) and exposed springs. If I would have been using a real pick instead of a saftey pin I undoubtedly would have blown the springs out the top prying at it.

That being said maybe you have overlifted a pin stack in your deadbolt and bound it up in the spring, or like one of the previous posts said you just have a cheapy that isn't perfectly round. It could have been master keyed with a paper thin pin spacer. I have had these pop out and jamb the lock up. Get a cheap lock that you can take apart to examine that isn't being used. Read through all the sticky's in the forums. There is lots of good info to be had in old posts. Sorry for the redundancy, and welcome to the boards.

[Ibn]

I don't know where are you from, but Czech locks do this very often.
When it stops and you can't turn it, try releasing force on tension wrench, stab all the way to the back of the keyway with a pick and apply a little force on tension wrench.
It should turn after that. Try it and experiment with it. But I agree with that it is bad idea to pick a lock that is in use.
I hope it will help you.