Lock that breaks if picked?

[stev92]

Hello,

I need to know if there is such a lock that if once picked, it will break and become unusable? I prefer padlocks but door locks are fine too.

Thanks!

[Squelchtone]

Hello,

I need to know if there is such a lock that if once picked, it will break and become unusable? I prefer padlocks but door locks are fine too.

Thanks!

Hi and welcome to our forum,

Yes, there exist locks with trap pins that will do what you're asking. Are you a lock collector, a hobby picker, someone just doing some general research or someone who wants such a lock to install at your house or business to actually use? Are your locks being picked right now? Also, where are you from, this will help us point you to the lock brand that is available in your country or region.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

[stev92]

Hey squelchtone!

Thanks for the welcome..

I'm not a collector or anything.. I just need such a lock for use in my house.

I live in the east coast of USA.

Thank you very much for the help, I appreciate it!

[MacGyver101]

I'm not a collector or anything.. I just need such a lock for use in my house.

There may be some North American models that have trap pins... but, if there are, I haven't seen any. There are a few European manufacturers (Mila and Royal Guardian are two random ones that I'm familiar with) that have trap pins in their cylinders. There are a number of different types of trap pins, and a number of different ways that they work, but Royal Guardian has a good YouTube video that shows how they work in their product line:

[stev92]

I'm not a collector or anything.. I just need such a lock for use in my house.

There may be some North American models that have trap pins... but, if there are, I haven't seen any. There are a few European manufacturers (Mila and Royal Guardian are two random ones that I'm familiar with) that have trap pins in their cylinders. There are a number of different types of trap pins, and a number of different ways that they work, but Royal Guardian has a good YouTube video that shows how they work in their product line:

If I can't buy one of these locks here in the USA, do you know of any other method that will show evidence that someone tried to pick my lock?

Thanks!

[MacGyver101]

If I can't buy one of these locks here in the USA, do you know of any other method that will show evidence that someone tried to pick my lock?

Honestly, just to help reduce your concern a bit... outside of University dorm pranks, I've never actually heard of any thieves resorting to picking locks as a means of breaking into residences. (Although I'm assuming that you're talking about your house -- so I may be mistaken, or your circumstances may be unique.)

Regardless, that doesn't really answer your question. Unless someone else knows of a standard North American cylinder that incorporates trap pins, you should be able to find a locksmith that can get you set up with a lockset that uses European-style cylinders, and then you have a few options (see my previous post). Keep in mind that, if you go that route, you may find it difficult to get duplicate keys cut in the future: the folks at Home Depot won't stock Mila blanks. (Then again, you may also view that as a security benefit as well: people who borrow your keys would have a harder time making a copy.)

[stev92]

If I can't buy one of these locks here in the USA, do you know of any other method that will show evidence that someone tried to pick my lock?

Honestly, just to help reduce your concern a bit... outside of University dorm pranks, I've never actually heard of any thieves resorting to picking locks as a means of breaking into residences. (Although I'm assuming that you're talking about your house -- so I may be mistaken, or your circumstances may be unique.)

Regardless, that doesn't really answer your question. Unless someone else knows of a standard North American cylinder that incorporates trap pins, you should be able to find a locksmith that can get you set up with a lockset that uses European-style cylinders, and then you have a few options (see my previous post). Keep in mind that, if you go that route, you may find it difficult to get duplicate keys cut in the future: the folks at Home Depot won't stock Mila blanks. (Then again, you may also view that as a security benefit as well: people who borrow your keys would have a harder time making a copy.)

Ahh sounds complicated.. ;/

I have to live with someone I don't really trust for a while...

[Squelchtone]

So you wanna padlock your bedroom or install a knob or deadbolt on the bedroom door so your room mates / house mates can't get in while you're not there... right?

You don't need a lock that shows it's been picked, you just need a lock that is already made to be very difficult to pick. If you have cash to blow, a Medeco deadbolt will cost ya about $150-$250 depending on the door you're putting it on, but if your door is a hollow core interior door, best bet is to either install a hidden nanny cam and confront the person stealing your stuff, or get an Abloy or Medeco deadbolt or an Abloy PL330 padlock, which are unpickable. Mind you, putting a padlock on an interior bedroom is gonna look terrible, be a potential death trap during a fire and will immediately tell your room mate / house mate that you don't trust them.

Anyway, I'll stop assuming your situation until you can fill us in if you feel like it.

Squelchtone

[stev92]

So you wanna padlock your bedroom or install a knob or deadbolt on the bedroom door so your room mates / house mates can't get in while you're not there... right?

You don't need a lock that shows it's been picked, you just need a lock that is already made to be very difficult to pick. If you have cash to blow, a Medeco deadbolt will cost ya about $150-$250 depending on the door you're putting it on, but if your door is a hollow core interior door, best bet is to either install a hidden nanny cam and confront the person stealing your stuff, or get an Abloy or Medeco deadbolt or an Abloy PL330 padlock, which are unpickable. Mind you, putting a padlock on an interior bedroom is gonna look terrible, be a potential death trap during a fire and will immediately tell your room mate / house mate that you don't trust them.

Anyway, I'll stop assuming your situation until you can fill us in if you feel like it.

Squelchtone

My door came with a padlock on it already since the door knob on it is very old. I would need to do a bit of modifying of the door if I want to install a door lock. So a padlock is fine..

So this Abloy PL330 padlock is 100% unpickable?

Thanks for the help!

[Squelchtone]

My door came with a padlock on it already since the door knob on it is very old. I would need to do a bit of modifying of the door if I want to install a door lock. So a padlock is fine..

So this Abloy PL330 padlock is 100% unpickable?

Thanks for the help!

straight up unpickable. Maybe you could cut it off with really big bolt cutters or drill it out for an hour with a cordless drill, but nobody will pick it, not even the people on this site. Only thing is that it's a really nice lock and the hasp and shackle you have may not be big enough for the shackle. Is your room mate a lock picker or something?

A new one is $85 at https://securitysnobs.com/Abloy-Protec2 ... dlock.html

on ebay an older model can be had for $18 + shipping, which is a very very good price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170974085487

Does the door open out or into the room? if it opens out, make sure the hinge pins cant just be removed to take the whole door off the hinges even if it is padlocked.

good luck,
Squelchtone

[stev92]

I"m not sure what he is..don't really know the guy. Maybe if I knew him better I won't be paranoid about this..

Thanks for your help!

[EmCee]

Go for the high security lock option.

Locks with trap pins are available in Europe, as said, but be aware that many locksmiths have concerns about the safety impact. While an intruder might not have the skill to pick a lock, it may well be possible to deliberately 'pseudo-pick' such a lock in order to fire the trap pins. That leaves the owner unable to get in with the genuine key and potentially unable to get out if they are on the inside of the door.

[daniel22747]

Is there some reason to think this room mate has lock picking skills? Most people don't.

[Altashot]

Pretty much every lock cylinder can be made with trap pins. Talk to a skilled locksmith. He should be able to modify your deadbolt to trap the plug if the lock was picked.

M.