Getting locked out of the house can be frustrating. It can sometimes take hours for a locksmith to show up and you may not have that time to wait. Knowing the proper way to pick a lock can help you out of a jam and can come in handy in the case of an emergency.
How a Key Works
For the purpose of this guide, we will be looking at the most simple and commonly utilized lock today: the pin tumbler lock. This type of lock has been in use for over 6,000 years (yes, really!) and dates back to early Egypt. This type of mechanism can be found in more than 90 percent of the locks used around the world, making it the most practical suitor for our bypass shenanigans. So, let’s take a look at how they work.
A pin tumbler lock has 6 primary components:
The Housing: This contains all of the other functional components of the lock.
The Plug: A cylinder that rotates within the housing. The front of the plug is where the key is inserted.
The Shear Line: The physical gap between the housing and the plug.
Key Pins: The bottom set of pins that make contact with the key. They are various lengths to match the cuts of the key.
Driver Pins: The upper series of pins that sit between the housing and the plug. They obstruct the shear line and keep the plug from rotating.
Springs: Push the pins into the plug and help the key pins read the key.
Picking A Push-Button Doorknob
Some doors are locked by pushing a button in the doorknob when you leave and then opened by using a key when you return. Alternatively, they can be designed to be unlocked only from inside, for example in a bathroom.These can also be fairly simple to pick, and here’s how you can do it.
Lockpickmall carries many beginner lock pick sets. Whether you are a lock picking hobbyist wanting to learn basic raking or a student of the trade we have just the right lock pick set for you.Our transparent cutaway locks allow you to view the lock’s inner workings so that you can visualize exactly what you’re doing once you move on to real-world locks.