Calac64 wrote:Hello! I'm pretty new and just started learning how to SPP a lock. What are a few good locks to practice on?
Being what I guess can be called an intermediate lock picker, here's my 2 cents...
I started with lots of cheap brass padlocks with standard pin tumbler cores. You can probably buy new ones in various local hardware stores and the like for less than $10. Go for the "medium" sized ones, 40-50mm or larger, and look for fairly straight and/or open key ways. You can also find 2nd hand ones on on-line stores like ebay.
However, they can vary greatly in difficulty, so don't get discouraged if one or two proves to be too difficult.
Things you should probably avoid:
Tiny locks; can be easy to pick in principle, but the size adds an unnecessary level of difficulty, or at least frustration.
Cheap laminated 4-pin locks ("Master lock" style). They're so bad that they're either no real challenge even to a beginner, or they seize up when you poke them too hard. (I have one that can get jammed by just using the key.)
Transparent, acrylic "practice locks". They are probably good for learning how locks work, but usually not so great for practice. They tend to be very easy, and they wear out and get very loose after awhile. (All according to other sources, I don't actually own one myself. Never felt the need for one.)
