Master Lock 175D Combination Lock

[Rio]

Hello,

I recently purchased a master lock 175D to try picking it. If you are not familiar with this lock, here is a link.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/inde ... age=family

With this lock, you dial the correct combination on the bottom, and depress the shackle to open the lock. Because of this, putting upward tension on the shackle has no effect on the contact points, and pressing down on the shackle doesn't seem to create any added tension on the dials that will help reveal the combination.

The combination cannot be changed unless the lock is opened, so this rules out picking the lock reset hole to change the combination while the lock is still locked.

Anyone have any ideas on how to crack the combination on one of these?

[Rio]

To answer my own question....

After playing around with different tensions pressing down on the shackle, I decided to just listen to what was happening when I turned the dials.

What I noticed was that I would hear two distinct metalic "clinks" for lack of a better term when rotating a dial. It might take rotating both directions to find the two different numers that clinked, but what happened 90% of the time was that the click would occur just after the correct number had been passed.

So to open this lock, simply rotate the dials slowly until you hear a clink, rotate the dial one number in the opposite direction, and you have the correct number.

I really thought this lock was going to be a lot more difficult.

[Rio]

Just to clarify, you will need to hold the lock right up to your ear to hear the clink sound. It's not like hearing the pins drop in a tumbler lock....it is a very faint sound.

[Rio]

LOL Hey admin, an edit button would be helpful for us forgetful types

One other thing. Sometimes crossing the 0 will also generate a clink. This is usually much louder and more distinct than the true number. However....if nothing else makes a noise, you can always try 0.