Lock picking is easy to learn and apply, and in a short amount of time, you can learn all the basic lock picking concepts and techniques. While some locks are more difficult to pick than others, a fundamental understanding of lockpicking can help you pick the majority of the locks used today.
It can take anywhere from 7 seconds to 45 minutes for a locksmith to pick open a lock. Generally a locksmith should be able to unlock most doors in about 10 minutes. Of course this is effected by the type of lock.
Lock-picking tools and lock-picking are available and legal in the United States. In the majority of U.S. states and the District of Columbia, lock picking is legal by statute. In these states, the person lock picking must show intent. In other states, there are no specific laws regarding lock picking.
It's a useful survival skill for not only yourself but for others who may need help. Get yourself out of hairy situations. Live or work in a sketchy area? The last thing you need is to be stuck outside of safe shelter at night.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Like I said above, lock picking is more art than science. The best way to learn how to do it is to simply pick locks as much as possible. Buy yourself different pin and tumbler locks at the hardware store and keep them on your desk or by your couch.
Bump keys are specially cut keys that can bypass the security mechanisms built into traditional pin and tumbler locks. Bump keys are also referred to as “999 keys” because all of their ridges are cut to the maximum depth (999) in a key-making machine.
An ability check for lockpicking with Thieves' Tools is almost always going to be Dexterity because that represents nimbleness, agility, and finesse, which are very important for the task.
The basics of lock picking are easy because they require very little investment and very little failure.
Buying and owning lock picking tools is legal in the majority of states and most jurisdictions around the world. However, some US states, such as Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, and Virgin, have specific laws directly restricting lock-picking tools or their use in some capacity.
Tools that are 7 inches or less in length are allowed in carry-on bags. Please check with local law enforcement regarding traveling with this item. Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.
According to California Penal Code 466, anyone who keeps certain tools in their possession with the intent to enter a property, and without authorization to enter is guilty of this crime. There are 15 tools outlined in this code, and some of them include crowbars, picklocks, slim jims, master keys and more.
Lock picking is a combination of skill, training, practice, specialist tools and patience. However, trust us, that is not the profile of the typical UK burglar. UK burglars are not highly skilled, trained lock pickers. They are thugs who try and batter their way through your door and lock.
Less than 2% of burglaries involve shimming or picking a lock. It's important to remember that burglary and robbery are different. Burglars intentionally enter a property without the lawful owner's consent to commit a felony or intent to steal.
Come to the Light Side
They still want to understand the puzzle, know how all the pieces fit together and find the flaws that let them crack the system. They still enjoy the rush that goes with a successful hack or breaking through security protocols and achieving their goal.
Although lock-picking can be associated with criminal intent, it is an essential skill for the legitimate profession of locksmithing, and is also pursued by law-abiding citizens as a useful skill to learn, or simply as a hobby (locksport).
Rule 1: never pick a lock that you don't own or do not have permission to pick. Rule 2: do not pick locks that you rely on or that are in use. Rule 1 is pretty straightforward. It's your good old fashion, common sense, “stay-out-of-jail” rule.
While lock picking is relatively gentle, it can still be rough enough to push the springs past their limits causing them to deform or even break. Two common things that can increase your chance of damaging springs are raking and oversetting pins.
Locksmiths use both lock picking and bumping to legally gain access to properties and vehicles, where it is permissible to do so by law and they have the property owner's consent. Lock picking is generally the less damaging of the two, although it might be necessary to change the locks afterwards.
Older locks can be easier to pick since the tolerances become looser due to wear and tear over the years. As for the pins being harder to lift, this is down to buildup within the lock thanks to constant exposure to the elements.