***** MAKE YOUR OWN ***** ***** SIMPLE PICK GUNS ***** BY THE IMPACTOR First! Pick guns are hard! That's right! Don't even think about trying to do this unless you are ready to PRACTICE! You don't just poke them in the keyhole and have an open lock! How they work: You know this toy? ______ ______ /||||| |||||\ / ||||| ||||| \ / ||||| ||||| \ / ||||| ||||| \ O ||||| ||||| O OOOOO OOOOO Pick guns work the same way: \ / <-- Spring, pushes pins down. \ |-| ------- | | ------- <-- Sheer line, where the |_| plug meets the cylinder. |-| | | |_| ^ <-- Keyway | | Pick gun delivers sharp blow to bottom pin. With luck, right after the gun delivers its blow: \ / \ |-| | | <-- Top pin thrown up by blow. |_| -------------------- <-- Sheer line, where the plug meets the cylinder. |-| | | <-- Bottom pin stays in place. |_| NOTE: Pick guns ONLY work on PIN TUMBLER LOCKS! DO NOT USE THEM ON WAFER OR DISK TUMBLER LOCKS! YOU WILL DAMAGE THE LOCK! Three "pick gun" type implements described in _PICK GUNS Lock Picking for Spies, Cops and Locksmiths_ by John Minnery: The simple clicker, made from a metal clothes hanger: Thumb presses here, then releases with a snap. | v _______________________ / _____ | | / / \ | | | | | | | <--- Pins go here, where \ \-----/---------------|--------------- they will receive \_____/ \ / ^ the force of the \_/ | "click". ^ | | ^ Flatten needle with hammer, | | shorten height with file. Wrap around something | This part goes into like a broom handle. | the lock under the pins. | This part imparts force to the needle which imparts force to the pins. With one hand, a tension wrench is used to apply rotational tension (see _The MIT Guide To Lock Picking_, http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/). The other hand, manipulating the clicker, places the needle against the pins. The thumb pushes down where indicated, and releases with a snap. The force is imparted to the needle, which is imparted to the pins. With luck, a wide gap opens at the sheer line, and the lock opens. Frequently multiple clicks are needed. Experiment with different tensions on the tension wrench and different ammounts of force with the clicker, which can be adjusted by changing how far down the thumb pushes before releasing. Be careful to put the needle in the lock as straight as possible. Friction against the sides or back of the lock will prevent the full force of the click from going into the pins. Holding the needle level against the pins helps to make sure the force is applied evenly to all of the pins. Clothespin Clicker: ____________________________________ \ _ --------------| <-- Thin strip of metal placed -----------/-\___/ \_| in groove cut in top of -----\-/ \_/ | clothespin. /_______________/ ^ | Lower part shortened to make operation easier. Finger pulls up here, and then releases. Force is transfered to needle, and then pins. Clothes hanger pick gun: __________________ _ / \ / \ | / | | /| | | || | | || | Needle. This part | __________ || _______________ <-- transfers force to | / || | pins. Hammer thin, | | | \_/ and file down height. | | | | | | <-- Trigger. Forefinger pulls here, and | | | releases with a snap. | | \ | | | __ | | / \ | |\ || <-- Wrap around something \_\___/| like a broom handle. \___/