Newbee Having Problems Picking Master Locks

[JackCF]

I just started this hobby a few weeks ago and below is the list of locks I'm working with.

Sparrows Cut Away 5 Straight Pins
Tru Guard 40mm pad lock with 4 Straight Pins
Guard Security 40mm pad lock with 5 Straight Pins
Kwikset Deadbolt in the door of my house
Master Lock #3 pad lock
Master Lock M115XDLF weather resistant pad lock

I can open all of the above locks by raking except for the two Master Locks. The Master Locks are supposed to be the easiest locks for beginners to pick put these are giving me the fits. Can anyone tell me why I'm having so much trouble with these "easy to pick" Master locks?

[Gantry]

Looks like you've got the idea of raking down, how ever I'll give you a few of MY thought's. First- It's a bad idea to pick a lock that's in use (Kwikset Deadbolt in the door of my house)! Raking can be very hard on the pins and springs, so stop doing that one. 2- I don't know what the bitting is on the 2 master locks but a tough bitting (lot's of high & low pins) can make raking rather hard. 3- even raking you still need to use different tension on different locks (maybe change you tension). I'm not the pro here so take what you will from my thought's.

EDIT: Corrected "bidding" to "bitting". Darn auto-correct gets me if I don't look closely, too.

Gordon

[Safecrackin Sammy]

You shouldnt try to pick the Kwikset on the door to your house. Or any other lock in use.

On the Masters its hard to say. Try different tensions and picks. Keeping the shackle slightly depressed takes the additional tension off the back of the cylinder plug and may make it easier.

[GWiens2001]

A lot of the newer Master locks seem to have a deep cut the second cut in, with a high cut behind it. That makes it more difficult for a beginner at raking to rake the lock open because they frequently overset the deep cut.

Aside from that, the other guys seem to have hit the right points.

Gordon

[petemoss]

As another newbie, I feel your pain. In my limited experience, some Master locks seem to throw themselves open to raking and some seem to refuse. I will say that for the ones I have been successful with, a full sized rake with like four humps, have not worked very well for me. I have had the most success with the smaller rake, I think it is a called a worm or something. It has like two humps with one large and one small one. This may go back to the bitting issue, where a full sized rake can overset the first pin or two, not sure. Just my limited experience speaking.

[JackCF]

2- I don't know what the bitting is on the 2 master locks but a tough bitting (lot's of high & low pins) can make raking rather hard.
Gordon

Here are the keys for the two master locks.
Can you tell if this is a difficult bitting?



Thanks,
Jack

[GWiens2001]

They do have a deep cut on either the first or second cuts. You will likely have an easier time picking them instead of raking them.

You can even use what you know of the bitting as seen on the keys to help you to understand what you are feeling when you pick. When raking, you will most often feel far less of what is happening compared to picking.

Done correctly, raking can open a lock scary fast. But some locks just don’t like to be raked, but can easily be picked. The reverse occasionally happens, too.

Keep in mind that neither of those locks are using security pins. Well, the second one just might, but that top one certainly not.

Gordon

[JackCF]

I guess I will set those aside until I get my get single pin picking skills up to snuff then.

When I try to pick to pick the Master #3 I can't seem get any of the pins to bind but I can get them to over set. I have use light tension to heavy tension and no luck. Maybe I'm not good enough yet to recognize when they are binding.
Any suggestion on that?

[bearl1118]

If you still have no luck, you can try to ignore the springy pins at the front

[sisk]

Try picking them the other direction. Some locks don't like turning one way or the other for whatever reason.