A Lock That Used To Pick Has Suddenly Become Hard?

[coderz]

So I've been practicing on the Master 1115DLJ. This lock is not exactly easy, but I was getting to the point where I could pick it easily in under a minute. Suddenly, I'm using the same picks, same technique, same everything but I can't get it for the life of me. Does anyone have any ideas? I've heard spraying WD40 into the pins can help? Perhaps the pins are binding losing their lubrication or something.

Why does this happen? I really appreciate the help guys. I feel I'm advancing quickly, but any feedback is great.

[Devhen98]

I have found sometimes picking a lock over and over again tends to do that sometimes. Usually I find picking a few other locks and coming back can help. Other wise I have repinned them and then and it’s back to about the same. I haven’t ever tried lubing them though. Picking a lock over and over again will wear it down. After picking a sparrows revolver around at least 3 times a day for about 2 weeks wore the bottom pins from there usual points to pretty flat I found.

[coderz]

I have found sometimes picking a lock over and over again tends to do that sometimes. Usually I find picking a few other locks and coming back can help. Other wise I have repinned them and then and it’s back to about the same. I haven’t ever tried lubing them though. Picking a lock over and over again will wear it down. After picking a sparrows revolver around at least 3 times a day for about 2 weeks wore the bottom pins from there usual points to pretty flat I found.

Thanks for the help friend! I finally got to picking this again easily. It just has a weird sweet spot so to speak.

[mseifert]

Sometimes it is just a matter of over confidence, you have picked it quickly so many times you are not truly focusing on what you are doing or trying to learn from the experience... Move on to something else for a few days and come back to this particular lock

[coderz]

Sometimes it is just a matter of over confidence, you have picked it quickly so many times you are not truly focusing on what you are doing or trying to learn from the experience... Move on to something else for a few days and come back to this particular lock

This also just happened to me with the Magnum 15 from Masterlock. 5 Standard pins easy to pick, I picked it a million times in like 20 seconds or less. All of a sudden I'm struggling for no apparent reason. I'm not sure why that happens?

[billdeserthills]

Sometimes it is just a matter of over confidence, you have picked it quickly so many times you are not truly focusing on what you are doing or trying to learn from the experience... Move on to something else for a few days and come back to this particular lock

This also just happened to me with the Magnum 15 from Masterlock. 5 Standard pins easy to pick, I picked it a million times in like 20 seconds or less. All of a sudden I'm struggling for no apparent reason. I'm not sure why that happens?

Have you tried a spritz of spray lubricant in the keyhole recently?

[Squelchtone]

Sometimes it is just a matter of over confidence, you have picked it quickly so many times you are not truly focusing on what you are doing or trying to learn from the experience... Move on to something else for a few days and come back to this particular lock

This also just happened to me with the Magnum 15 from Masterlock. 5 Standard pins easy to pick, I picked it a million times in like 20 seconds or less. All of a sudden I'm struggling for no apparent reason. I'm not sure why that happens?

as a new picker you're probably scraping the snot out of the soft brass pin tumblers, is gold fairy dust coming out of the keyway onto your picks and hands? The lock might need some spray lube like bill suggested or it may have a pin stuck up blocking the plug or just be full of brass dust. Sometimes I just end up getting another lock and throwing the trouble lock away or marking it a bad apple. does the key still work on it? if the key works then you may just be having a bad mojo day and your pick fu is off.

we all ran into this sort of thing when starting out
Squelchtone