How Do You Pick A Circular Lock?

[roboman]

I've been examining one on my safe at home and have no idea where to even begin if I wanted to pick this thing....I can padlocks without a problem but don't know where to begin on circular ones....thanks!

[master in training]

its a bit odd to see one on a safe, but ok...

its called a tubular lock and you'll be needing a tubular lockpick to pick it.

[mcm757207]

Tubular locks are actually semi-common on cheap digital safes as a means of entry if the battery dies.

[master in training]

aaah, ok then, my cheapo safe only uses keys but it has a 10lever lock on it, so its quite secure

[stick]

With a tubular key.

[vector40]

A tubular lever lock would be awesome.

[master in training]

how would it be possible considering how the two are made?

[NKT]

Easy. Just get a normal lever lock and bend it round a rod.

The tricky bit is bending the *key*

Seriously, the tubular locks (not called rotary locks, apparently) are picked with a tubular pick (and not the rotary pick )

The cheap safes have them as over-rides, yes. They reduce the security even further! I picked one with a small screwdriver and a scapel. Just master finding the way to put the tension on, and then hit each pin as you go round. You can see which ones catch. Try to remember the order, as you will need to do it several times to get the latch to lift inside the safe. You then have to pick it back the other way. Try to avoid the trap of letting the last pin rotate into the space normally taken by the driver, as it often gets stuck rather solidly.

Forget doing a coke machine. The lock literally unscrews. You need to pick it either 7 or 8 times per rotation, and it can be twenty rotations!

[master in training]

ha ha, yeah, the rotary pick isnt a good way to pick!

i had an idea of a lock that had pins flat as you look at the lock face, rather than sticking up at you, then have a sort of jagged key that fits it, then there is no way to tension it as all the pins simply turn, if you tried to apply tension to one pin while you picked the rest, it just wouldn't work. all the pins would have to be pressed upon together to unlock it. dont know if it would work though!

[NKT]

The Bramah lock is kind of like this, actually.

I've got two, one of which I might be selling. You can see a description at http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/bramah/ or run a search for "Bramah".

The same design has been used since 1784 (yes, the year!), and they are really very secure. Took me a while to very carefully chop these ones out with a disc cutter then replace them with regular mortice locks. And that was with the keys!

[master in training]

thats similar to my idea, but not quite, i know this drawing is very crude, but it sort of gives the idea, the key has to be the same shape and no tension can be applied like with a normal tubular lock, since it is all pins.

[WhiteHat]

you could call it the "singularity" which sounds like a funky brand name and sort of looks like that diagram.....

[master in training]

you think it would work? i know how i imagine it, its whether it would actually be secure or not. but if you see a funky lock in a few years, its either me, or i've been very ripped off

[NKT]

Use some nice diamond-plate and ceramic bit breakers, and you could happily say it eats even the toughest drill bits!

I still can't quite get my head round the design, though.

So there is no bit to turn, because it is all pins? How do you throw the bolt then?

[master in training]

i dont know!

i suppose it wont work...

the only way to throw the bolt would be either have the lock move down or the key move down inside the lock then turn again or turn together when all the pins are set. i dont know, if anyone comes up with an idea to make it work, i'd like to hear it, lol