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beebs44 t1_j3ixg32 wrote

How does lock picking work then

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viomoo t1_j3j5pyz wrote

You just say ‘click out of one, good click on two, three is binding’ then the lock opens.

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ruiner32 t1_j3jikiv wrote

Everyone is responding with Lock Picking Lawyers videos memes, and for good reason.

Here’s a pretty good video of him picking locks with a part cut away, so you can see what’s happening.

https://youtu.be/T_sy3dLwHkc

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FlyingWeagle t1_j3jwo05 wrote

The one thing he doesn't mention is that you use the turning tool to apply pressure throughout the pick. Turning the cylinder traps the pins against their housing. They're all slightly different thicknesses, which is why different pins are binding at different times.

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tyrellrummage t1_j3kcrzw wrote

What I don’t get is, if they have a spring to push them down, how and why do they stay up when he lifts them (sometimes)?

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FlyingWeagle t1_j3kecy1 wrote

That's the click he mentions. The pin pushes up into its housing and allows the cylinder to turn just a little bit further. The pin doesn't fall back because it's now resting on the edge of the cylinder

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Dlh2079 t1_j3jwed2 wrote

Came to post this exact thing. Thank you

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BLParks12 t1_j3iyyb7 wrote

You use a lock pick to try and work the pistons in the right position so you can turn the lock and open it. You use a pry tool to put pressure on the lock while using a pick to push the pistons up trying to get the pistons to get in place. Sorry, the terminology I used it not the correct terminology but I think I got my point across.

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Llamaalarmallama t1_j3jkead wrote

You force the inner chamber to twist in the direction it would eventually go to unlock. Most locks inner core will have a tiny bit of play. You then go down the line pushing each pin up until the split gets stuck in the top, outer part. Once all pins are "out" the inner barrel will turn, lock picked.

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cappz3 t1_j3jh0ha wrote

You use a torque wrench to turn the bottom chamber slightly, then you push up on the a pin until it sets. What does it mean to set? It means the top pin gets stuck in the top chamber, resting on the bottom chamber. Rinse an drepeat until the dividing line in the middle is clear, and the lock opens. This can happen because the holes in the chamber aren't drilled in a perfectly straight line, and lockpickers take advantage of it

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Scoobz1961 t1_j3jvgqv wrote

Not sure if people explained the main principle properly. The key position every pin at the same time into the correct position to allow the lock to open. If all the pins were perfectly made there wouldnt be other ways to unlock it.

But they arent. They wont be. They cant be. And you can use this to position each of the pins into correct position one at a time. This is why you have the turning tool that you apply pressure to to make the pins press into the sides of their holes. At any given moment, due to the imperfection, only one will be pressed against the walls completely.

Once you position that first pin, the lock will turn ever so slightly and another pin will now be the one that is pressed. Do that for all pins and the lock will eventually turn open. All that is left is to find the correct order of pins being pressed into the side of the cylinder.

The pin that is pressed is the one that is "binding". When there is "nothing" on a pin, it means its not being pressed at all. When pin that was binding "clicks" it means it has been set into the right position, which made the cylinder rotate and now a new pin is "binding".

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