.UT@ [+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+] [+] [+] [+] L O C K P I C K I N G [+] [+] [+] [+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+] [+] [+] [+] WRITTEN BY: DARC DEATHE [+] [+] [+] [+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+][+] This tutorial will demonstrate how to "pick" a pin tumbler lock. Use of this material is for locksmiths only, any use of this information for illegal purposes is forbidden and against the law. (as long as we are at it, do you want to buy some land in Florida?) In order to pick a pin tumbler lock, you will require four items: a lock, you, a pick, and a tension wrench. you can ussually get these at a locksmith store, if you can not find one near you there will be an address at the end of the article that you can order them from. Here is an illustration of a pick and a tension wrench: ________/ !________ pick tension wrench Most people know of the need for the pick, but have no idea what the wrench is for. It is very important and with- out it it would be impossible to pick a lock. In order to pick a lock, we must count upon the imperfection of the lock. Before we look at how to actually pick the lock, we will look at the parts of it and how the imperfection part fits in. Here is a dissassembled lock: .FF / / / / \ \ \ \ springs -> / / / / \ \ \ \ _ _ _ _ ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! drivers ->! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !_! !_! !_! !_! _ _ ! ! _ ! ! bottom pins ->! ! ! ! _ ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ _____________________ ! : : : : : : : : ! housing ->! : : : : : : : : ! ! : : : : : : : : ! !___: :_: :_: :_: :___! ! : : : : : : : : ! plug ->! : : : : : : : : ! !______________________! ! ! ! ! ! ! !_____________________! ___ / \ ! !__ _ _ ! \__ / \_/ \__ ! \/ \ \__/------------------- <- key When you insert a key into a lock, the bottom pins are pushed up, and if it is the proper key, the tops of the bottom pins will match with the spot where t he plug and housing meet, thus allowing you to turn the plug, and open the door, etc.. When you insert the key, the bottom pins go into the valleys of the key, thus meaning that the key must have the right height valleys to make the lock open. Pretty elementary, right? Well now we can move on to how to pick a lock. In order to pick a lock we (as I said before) depend on the inaccuracy of the manufacturing process. The first thing to do is to insert the tension wrench into the lock and apply a slight press ure to the left (or right if you wish) so that if you could look inside the lock at where the plug and the housing would meet, it would look like this: ! !*! ! housing ! !*! ! ! !*! ! __________! !*! !___________ __________ !*! ____________ ! !*!! plug ! !_!! ! _ ! ! !*!! ! \_/! Now a slight presure is on the pins. Because the pins can not be produced exactly the same, there is one pin wh ich is the widest and therefore has more tension on it, and one which is the thinnest and has almost no pressure on it. We now use the pick to >gently< push each pin up (and try to feel it when you let it down) until we find which is the tightest on and which is loosest. Getting the feel for this is the hardest part of lock picking. Now that you have found the loosest one, gently press it upward until you feel a slight reduction in tension on the tension wrench. This will happen when the top of the bottom pin becomes even with the junction of the plug and the housing. DO NOT RELEASE ANY TENSION FROM THE WRENCH NOW! The driver will now be trapped in the housing as illustrated here: (don't I draw pretty) ! !*! ! housing ! !*! ! ! !*! ! ___________! !_! !___________ _______________ ___________ ! !*! ! plug ! !*! ! ! \_/ ! ! ! Now you continue this process with each of the pins until you work your way up to the one tha t is widest. With some practice you can get fairly fast at this. I suggest practicing on a four pin tumbler lock that is bought from a hardware store, the cheaper the better. I would like to discuss a particular configuration of the pins now that may present a particularly hard job to pick. This is graphicly shown here by the two middle pins: !*! !*! !*! !*! !*! !*! !_! !*! !*! !*! _ !*! !_! !*! !*! !_! _ !*! !*! _ !*! !*! !*! !*! !*! !_! !*! ! *! !*! _ !*! !*! !*! !*! !*! !*! \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_______________ When you try to push the 2nd pin from the left up, you will unavoidably be pushing the one in front of it up be- cause of it's long bottom pin. The only solution for this is to get a special pick that looks like this: \ \ _______________ \_/ The major problem with this is that it is hard to initially detect. The reason that it makes it harder if it is not immedietly a parent is that you un- avoidably push the 3rd pin from the left up into the housing, getting it jammed: ! !*! ! housing ! !_! ! ! _ ! ! !*! ! __________! !*! !________ ___________ !!*! ________ !!*!! plug !!*!! !\_/! .FF I would also like to address a technique called raking. It uses a tool like this: \/\/\/\___________ Basicly you "rake" it back and forth across the pins, hoping that combined with the tension it will give you the right combination. This way has been known to work fast sometimes, but is not very reliable, and I would suggest learning to actually "pick" the lock. Earlier I promised an address to order locksmithing materials from, so here it is: GARRISON PROTECTIVE ELECTRONICS BOX 128 KEW GARDENS, NEW YORK, 11415 Sources: personal practice and many excellent books from mentor press, if you would like their catalog, send a SASE to: THE INTELLIGENCE LIBRARY MENTOR PULICATIONS 135-53 NORTHERN BLVD. FLUSHING, NY 11354 and ask for any information available on THE INTELLIGENCE LIBRARY. This concludes our extraordinairely graphic article on lock picking. if you have any questions, leave e-mail for DARC DEATHE on most national BBS's. (> Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253