getting started and goals

[cmaltzan]

Hey everyone,

I'm just starting lock picking today and figured I should join this website. I'm starting out with a simple kwikset and Schlage. I'm 95% sure my dorm room has a BEST 83T tubular deadbolt on it as well. I researched this lock a bit and found that it might also have a side pin in it, but I don't know if it actually does or not. How difficult would you consider the BEST 83T to be? Also, what would you suggest I aim for in the future?

Thank you for your help!

[LexDevil]

No info on your lock on question here, just a little bit of friendly advice.

You have probably heard it before, but you should never pick a lock that is mounted on a door unless it is absolutely vital, or you have the expressed permission of the owner of that lock.

You risk damaging the lock and incurring costs for the owner, you risk locking yourself out if you break the lock/pick and can not use the key in it and you also risk legal action if you are caught, as it is unauthorized use of someone else's lock (I'm guessing you don't actually OWN the college dorms).

Picks and locks do not break often (a lot more frequently for newcomers to picking), but when they do, it's a million times better to have that lock in your hand or in a vice than it is to have it mounted in a door.

[Squelchtone]

cmaltzan: LexDevil has given you some solid advice, I recommend you follow it.

Here is a University of Montana article from Nov 21, 2011 about a 19 year old who was also into learning about his dorm room locks, now he's been arrested and has to pay the school to re-key the entire dorm building because of his shenanigans. The article does not mention his lock picks and that in addition to making copies of the master key, he also picked locks around the building. Not very good for his image or reputation.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/um-student-accused-of-picking-dorm-locks-for-fun/article_54b3f974-14bf-11e1-9476-001cc4c002e0.html

MISSOULA - A 19-year-old University of Montana student accused of picking dormitory locks for fun has been charged, and prosecutors say it will cost $32,000 to re-key the compromised hall.

Scott Thomas Behrman appeared in Justice Court on Monday on a felony charge of criminal mischief and misdemeanor charges of possession of burglary tools and criminal trespass.

Prosecutors say he duplicated a key he got from an acquaintance who lived in Pantzer Hall, then bought a blank key similar to the hall's master key and filed it to fit the locks. Behrman is accused of opening doors and going into an acquaintance's room to change records on his computer.

UM locksmith Alex Fradkin says the key opened doors in Pantzer and Knowles halls, and the security of all dorms was compromised.

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-a ... z1ffD46bbr

[cmaltzan]

I did not mean any disrespect to this community. I just thought it was a good opportunity. I pay tuition and room and board in order to attend so it is actually my lock until I move out. On principle, I would pay for any damages I were to do. All damages are billed to students' tuition bill at the end of the year as well anyways though.

I'm also a Resident Adviser so I have something of an invested interest in not losing my job. If I were to damage the lock I would replace it immediately since I have a master key in my room that I cant risk getting taken (if I was here for malicious reasons, I would have just used my master )

Would this still fall under something that is not allowed? It's property I am responsible for so I didn't see an issue with it. Being a long term member here seems more useful in learning to pick locks than learning about this specific lock. I will respect your advice if you still disagree.

[Squelchtone]

. I pay tuition and room and board in order to attend so it is actually my lock until I move out.

wrong logic is wrong.

it is NOT your lock, you rent a place to study and sleep, not to take apart campus equipment and fixtures. Trust me, the tuition and board agreement you have with your school does not include modifying the room or tampering with door or window hardware. We have seen this question before from college students and people who rent apartments or even rent houses. Unless you straight up own it, it is not yours, you're only renting a place to stay.

If however your tuition came with a gym membership and the person at the college gym handed you a padlock to lock your gym locker as part of your membership, then sure, you can go to town on that padlock, but now on your dorm room lock.

Think of it as license to use your lock. Just like you have a software with a Key, you were issued the right to use your door and use that key, but not to take it apart and reverse engineer it. I'm sure most software says so in the EULA.

As you as also a Resident Adviser you should be held to a higher standard, hold yourself to a higher standard, and should follow the rules, just as much as you expect all the others to follow them.

No disrespect taken, we just have to discuss things some time and it's always good to have a conversation about things in order to understand where each person is coming from. We appreciate your enthusiasm, but please leave that dorm room lock alone, it's gonna lead you down a dark road, and there's no coming back.

Squelchtone

[Evan]

I did not mean any disrespect to this community. I just thought it was a good opportunity. I pay tuition and room and board in order to attend so it is actually my lock until I move out. On principle, I would pay for any damages I were to do. All damages are billed to students' tuition bill at the end of the year as well anyways though.

Would this still fall under something that is not allowed? It's property I am responsible for so I didn't see an issue with it. Being a long term member here seems more useful in learning to pick locks than learning about this specific lock. I will respect your advice if you still disagree.

@cmaltzan:

Think of it this way: if you did not purchase and install the lock in a door which you own the lock is not yours...

You pay a to use a hotel room however payment of the daily lodging rate does not give you license to take apart the door locks... You pay a landlord monthly rent to occupy an apartment or house but this does not give you license to take apart the door locks in use there either... So why would the highly similar situation of paying dorm fees to use housing space in a college owned or operated facility where the fees are paid by the semester be any different...

If you look into your college's rules there will be one about not tampering with "life safety devices" like door locks, exit doors, fire alarm system components and fire extinguishers... Such rules warn that not only are such activities against the college policy/rules, they constitute a criminal offense under state laws... It sounds to me like when you received your room key that you were not informed that the key you were given (and all the locks on campus) is/are the property of the college and must be returned to an authorized college official at any time upon demand or to the housing office upon vacating your assigned housing unit...

Just because you are held responsible for assuring that something (the room, the furniture, the door, the lock, your room/dorm key, the light switch, the wall outlets, etc.) you are assigned to use stays in good working order and that any damage or vandalism is promptly reported to the proper authorities does not mean that it becomes your actual property to do with as you please... You never obtain ownership of the property in question, it has merely been assigned to your room by the management and you as the occupant of the rented space are deemed responsible for anything that happens to it while you are using that space...

Imagine for a moment what the tuition rate would have to be to cover the additional costs of repairs and replacement of broken furniture and damaged fixtures if the college did not hold the room occupants personally financially responsible for anything that happened during the time they used the room...

~~ Evan

[cmaltzan]

Okay, I understand now. Thank you for taking the time to explain your reasoning to me and understanding where I was coming from. I think I'll just work on the locks I purchased from the store yesterday

[LexDevil]

You didn't disrespect anyone. No one was having a dig at you either, just trying to guide you in a safer direction

When I started picking I was all too keen to pick the lock on my back door (I rent, so technically the Land Lords back door). Long story short, the pick broke in the lock and became jammed. I was completely new to picking and did not have the knowledge to dis-assemble the lock to fix it so it had to be replaced.

Luckily there where no negative consequences other than having to pay for a new lock, but there easily could have been. Needless to say I never picked a mounted lock again.

[cmaltzan]

Haha good to keep in mind

[Irma Herms]

All of the Posts advising you to not touch that lock are grounded in very solid and real experience and Legal (depending on your Jurisdiction) reason. It is very Unwise to even try your key in locks that are part of the same system that you should not be poking around in. As far as the Best Lock on your Dorm room, the model Lock does not matter so much, Best cores are a standard that can apply to any lock that accepts what is called a Small Format Interchangeable Core SFIC. SFIC cores, are fun to pick, well for most people they are a night mare since they can be very very difficult to pick, especially to the control line. I happened to Have the Dorm Great Grand Master that works in every single lock across 24 buildings Land on my door step completely out side of my doing, it was both scary and fun at the same time. However, I did not use it at all to do anything Illegal or try it, I knew what key it was since I worked for the security office. Another University I use to work for which has one of the largest Best Systems has given the local lock smiths pretty serious threats if they duplicate a university key and also said they would reward anyone who turns in a student or staff member if they come to their shop asking. this is an easy thing since all the University Keys Are Stamped with U of M on them. Sadly the University is going to a Keymark System over the next 20 years.
Try Ebay for a simple 6 pin Best Core for a start to pick, move on to the 7 when you get good with a 6
you can also try a Key mark Core, however they are harder to come by.