padlocks - progression for someone learning

[Fadelight]

I started picking locks last week. I bought a master no.3, master no.5 and a cheapie $2.57 lock at Walmart to start me off. I also have a "public storage" master lock left over from a few years ago.

The #3, #5, and cheapie locks I can single pin pick in about 3 seconds. I have yet to open the public storage lock. I can get 3 pins to set in about a minute but the last two pins will not set no matter what I try.

So anyway, on to the question... with the first 3 padlocks firmly under my belt, what are the next padlocks up on the ladder for me to learn?

[Abbe]

I have the Master #3, #5, a Magnum and a Pacsafe padlock that I started out with. My progression was with deadbolts next. All of my padlocks were 4 pin and the deadbolts that I bought were all 5 pin. Start with a Kwikset 5 pin. You can pick one up at Lowes or Home Depot. I now have 10 locks that i cycle through picking multiple times a day.

If you're looking for padlock only, get a Brinks at Walmart. Mine appears to have security pins and it much more of a challenge for me.

[Fadelight]

At the moment my main interest seems to be with padlocks, but I'm not sure I'm far enough along to take on a lock with security pins since I can't even open my 5 pin that doesn't have them.

As far as deadbolts, is there one particular kwikset, or are they all pretty much the same?

[Abbe]

Avoid the Smartkey Kwiksets, other than that, just pick up the least expensive one at home depot. They are not too challenging, but more fun than the master padlocks.

[Fadelight]

Good deal. Thanks for the advice!

[chaos4zap]

What do you mean by a "public storage lock"? When you say that, I think of the disk locks (the entire lock is round and has the bolt that spans a gap int he top of the disk) Is that what you have? If so, how do you know that it doesn't have security pins? Could it be that it does and that may be why you are having a hard time with it? Are you getting a false-set? As for your progression, I started with buying up just about every master lock I could find and a couple of the same master locks so I had different keying and different challenges. Once you know what to look for, you can pick through locks and pick out specific keying that will be different and more challenging. Off brand locks too, but for some reason, it seems like locks can actually surpass a generic lock "sweet-spot" and they are so sorely made that they actually seem to be more difficult to pick. That is just from my own personal experience. Defiant brand door locks and deadbolts are a good step up too, they are cheaper and provide a decent challenge for someone just starting out.

[Fadelight]

Nah, its not a disk lock. Its just a 5 pin master lock with the "public storage" branding on it. Ill take some pics when I get home from work tonight. (I get home around 2100 EST).

I'm almost 100% sure it doesn't have security pins. Pin #1 is nearly fully exposed, and it looks like a regular pin.

I'm not getting false sets... I just simply can't get 2 of the 5 pins to set at all (I believe pins #2 and #4). The other 3 pins set fine, although it takes me a minute or two to get them.

The other thing I'm noticing is that it takes considerably more tension to get them to set than it does on a #3 or #5 master lock. The key doesn't turn that hard, though. But if I let off on the tension even a little, the pins all reset. I know I'm turning it the right way... the cylinder is partially covered, so there's only one way you can turn it anyway.

I did some searching on the forum for info about the lock the other day and there is a thread another new guy started about the lock. Someone whom I presume is a locksmith responded and said they are a pain in the butt and it takes him about 5 minutes to spp those locks.

[Squelchtone]

I started picking locks last week. I bought a master no.3, master no.5 and a cheapie $2.57 lock at Walmart to start me off. I also have a "public storage" master lock left over from a few years ago.

The #3, #5, and cheapie locks I can single pin pick in about 3 seconds. I have yet to open the public storage lock. I can get 3 pins to set in about a minute but the last two pins will not set no matter what I try.

So anyway, on to the question... with the first 3 padlocks firmly under my belt, what are the next padlocks up on the ladder for me to learn?

If your public storage lock is like the one in this thread, then it is made by ABUS in Germany and has multiple spool pins in it. http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36013

Happy New Year!
Squelchtone

[Fadelight]

If your public storage lock is like the one in this thread, then it is made by ABUS in Germany and has multiple spool pins in it. http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36013

Happy New Year!
Squelchtone

Yes sir, that is the same type of lock... and that's the thread I was referring to in my post above. I'd have posted a link to it but I'm posting from a cell phone, so its a bit tough.

This is the post I was referring to...

I had an opportunity to remove these kind of padlocks from a storage unit a couple months back for a customer. The ones I encountered were a bit smaller than a Master No. 3 but very very tricky non the less. Took me about 5 mins each to pick them with a SO slimline pick and a homemade tension tool. Definately not a easy lock to pick.

But yes, that's why I started this thread. It became very clear to me that lock was not the next lock to try after picking a few #3 and #5 master locks.

[Evan]

But yes, that's why I started this thread. It became very clear to me that lock was not the next lock to try after picking a few #3 and #5 master locks.

@Fadelight:

Once you get a little more experience on you, eventually you will be able to recognize padlocks like Master #3 and ones made by Abus from a few feet away by the shape of the punch-pressed metal lamination pieces...

~~ Evan

[Fadelight]

Thanks for torturing me. Haha. I have another 6 hours at least before I am home, and ill probably be staring at them side by side the rest of the night.

[Squelchtone]

Thanks for torturing me. Haha. I have another 6 hours at least before I am home, and ill probably be staring at them side by side the rest of the night.

Get that ABUS/public storage lock, insert a wrench, wobble or pulsate pressure on the wrench from very light pressure to slightly medium pressure just so the wrench is starting to flex, and as you do this over and over, insert an S rake or half diamond if you dont have an S rake into the lock all the way and quickly pull the pick out of the lock just at the moment as you go from light tension to light/medium tension, keep doing it until it opens. The S rake has a hump on it, you want that hump to be facing up towards the pins.

good luck
Squelchtone