Manuals for snappers and lockguns?

[MarkMcGrath]

Honestly I haven't even played with my lock gun yet. I did a search for How to's on here etc, and keep hitting a wall of answers. I am looking for a post PDF or PPT that explains how to use the lockguns and snappers to open things. Any guide etc would be great. Maybe its here and my search was just dumb.

[Squelchtone]

I hate to say it but I think snappers and pick guns are just one of those things you have to learn by doing, can't learn it from a book or manual, which is why the little sheet of paper included with pick guns usually only talks about adjusting the spring tension and re-tightening the tips.

Perhaps someone should write one, or make a definitive youtube video for all to learn from.

Squelchtone

[raimundo]

I would like to see a snapgun compete with a handmade snapper, I think the big gun and trying to hold it in the lock without sticking it in too deep is a difficulty. I do not suggest this because I know what the outcome will be, but because I genuinely would like to see the result.
I do think that someone who uses the snapper, (lets say my new improved design) can probably be faster than the over=engineered and heavier gun.

and whichever wins the tool and the person can then compete against the electro pick. (john henry was a steel drivin' man) google it if you don't know what that means

[MarkMcGrath]

Raimundo that was my favorite song I was FORCED to sing when I was a kid. If you want to really test learning and speed I will have a bunch of military guys that have never picked a lock running around! I'd love to get my hands on your snappers and play with them next to my lockaide.

[MarkMcGrath]

Also thanks for the "don't put the lock gun to deep" info see this is the stuff you guys should be writing down for us idiots!

[LockDocWa]

With one of the pick guns I purchased it mentioned that you
should be striking the pins as squarely on the bottoms of the pins as possible.

In practice, I have found you may need to tip the gun in order to get a full
strike as well as not getting the pick jammed in the keyway.
The more convoluted a keyway is, the more likely you will need to tip the gun.

6 Tips I use for the Pick Gun

Always lube the lock to be picked.
Run the pick in and out a couple of times to get a feel for how deep you need to place the pick.
Start with the lightest pick gun tension ( or near the lightest ) after 3 to 5 tries then adjust the tension.
Normally three pulls on the trigger (or less ) then relieve the tension on the wrench and begin again.
Tip the gun if necessary.
I always use the heaviest tension wrench I can fit into the keyway with light to medium torsion.

[maintenanceguy]

(1) Start with a light adjustment
(2) Figure out exactly where to hold the needle so it just strikes the tips of the pins.
(3) Avoid inserting it too deep, it's easy to insert far past the last pin
(4) Light tension - so light that sometimes you don't even realize you've picked the lock

And for me - it seems that if I'm going to be successful with a pick gun, it happens in the first 2 or 3 snaps. If I don't get it in the first 2 or 3, it's probably not going to happen.