Practice Locks
An amazing site is art-of-lockpicking
We're not trying to copy them or call their work our own. They did it, and they deserve the credit. We're trying to bring what we've learned to our own site to maybe make it easier for others.
This is a well put together list of locks to progress though. Each gets progressively harder as you go and you encounter more security features. More pins, security pins, tight warding, tension restrictions, etc. By the time you get to #9 you will be VERY comfortable with locks, and almost a blue belt! We have them all, and we're trading them around so just ask and we'll get them to you. The info may not really mean anything to you yet, but once you start into this come back here to check out what you're dealing with in each lock. It will help you choose how best to attack the lock.
Master Lock #3
Master Lock #7
Master Lock 140
Brinks 40mm Brass Padlock
ABUS 55/40
Master Lock 570
ABUS 64TI/50
ABUS 80TI/50
American Lock 1100
1. Master Lock #3
4 pin core – 4 standard pins
Open keyway
Very light spring loaded core
The Master Lock #3 is absolutely the first lock you should ever consider getting as a beginning lock picker. While these locks can be short lived in the amount of time it takes to master them — no pun intended — they are one of the most versatile practice locks for the beginner.
These locks are poorly made and have terrible tolerances — meaning finding and setting binding pins is especially easy because they have tons of slop in the core. They can literally be opened using any method of bypass including single pin picking, raking, bitch picking, zipping, shimming, light tension, heavy tension, or even a chicken bone (yes a chicken bone)… it doesn’t matter because you can easily find success with any method available and it will lay an important foundation for each method to be built upon.
They have only four standard pins and a very wide and open keyway. They also have a very light spring loaded core that fortunately doesn’t do much to muffle your feedback. It’s almost like Master Lock made these as practice locks just so you could learn lock picking!
Pro Tip: You can also use a Master Lock #1 or #5 instead as they have the exact same core as the #3. The only difference is that the #1 has a smaller body and the #5 has a bigger body — all three will pick the same.
2. Master Lock #7
4 pin core – 4 standard pins
Open but tiny keyway
Very light spring loaded core
Now that you have you a slight understanding of how the picking process works, it’s time to hone those skills with a Master Lock #7.
This lock is very similar to the Master Lock #3. It has 4 standard pins, poor tolerances, an open keyway, and a very light spring loaded core. However, its keyway is smaller, much smaller.
This small keyway will not only refine your skills, but teach you the art of finesse — which an important cornerstone to lock picking.
You will learn how to squeeze and maneuver your picks in very tight spaces and be forced to learned how to leverage the most out of your picks.
3. Master Lock 140
4 pin core – 1 standard pin, 3 shallow spool pins
Open keyway
Light spring loaded core
Now it’s time to bump up the difficulty a bit to a lock that has slightly higher tolerances… oh and a few security pins — YIKES!
Security pins may seem scary at first, but they are nothing to worry about and as you’ll learn, they can actually make the lock much easier and more fun to pick.
There is nothing like counter rotation in the morning to make you feel alive!
The Master Lock 140 is a great introduction to spool pins as, like the #3 and #7, it has a very open keyway, light spring tension on the core, and terrible tolerances.
These practice locks have a four pin core and typically include one standard pin and three shallow spool pins (the shallower the spools the easier the pick.) However, there have been cases in which there are sometimes less spools, but in most cases there are three.
This lock can sometimes throw new pickers for a spin, but regardless it will teach you a critical lesson in how to tension spool pins and help you better understand the feedback locks provide.
4. Brinks 40mm Brass Padlock
4 pin core – 1 standard pin, 3 spool pins
Open keyway
Spring loaded core
The Brinks 40mm brass padlock is an absolutely amazing lock that can play a pivotal part in transforming any beginner’s skills.
Just like the Master Lock 140, this lock has a four pin core with three spool pins and one standard pin. Yet, it is a much higher quality lock with tighter tolerances and much deeper cut spools.
The feedback you’ll receive from these deeper cut spools is significantly amplified compared to the Master Lock 140 whose spools are shallow and allow for very little counter rotation. The deeper cut spools will provide you with a nice amount of counter rotation that is almost impossible to miss.
These locks are an absolute must for learning spools and will help you truly understand false sets and counter rotation!
Pro Tip: As you start learning how to pick security pins, you’ll want to start using lighter tension. If you are applying too much tension without fully understanding what counter rotation feels like, you won’t be able to sense it. Lighten up a tad for this and the following locks!
5. ABUS 55/40
4 pin core – 1 standard pin, 3 spool pins
Open but tiny keyway
Spring loaded core
Now it’s time to combined everything that you have learned so far into a new and more challenging lock — behold the ABUS 55/40.
These cool little locks have a four pin core and a very small but open keyway, much like that of the Master Lock #7. However, these locks contain three nicely cut spool pins and one standard pin. They also — like most ABUS locks — have very good tolerances and typically a nice challenging bitting.
These little guys are freaking awesome. If you are having a bad picking session or haven’t picked in a few days, warming up with one of these little guys will usually set you straight. They truly force you to learn how to maneuver your pick.
6. Master Lock 570
5 pin core – 1 standard pin, 4 spool pins
Open but tighter keyway
Dead Core
Alright pickers, now it’s time to upgrade to five pins!
The Master Lock 570 is a higher quality lock with much better tolerances than the previous Master Locks on this list. Like stated, it has five pins, four of which are spools and one standard. These spool pins are not as shallow cut as the Master Lock 140 making it slightly more challenging in that aspect.
This lock’s keyway is very open and shaped just like the Master Lock #3, except in reverse. The keyway is also slightly smaller and the key pins sit a little further down in the plug giving you less room to work with — which is why you practiced on the ABUS 55/40 right?
These locks will also introduce you to a feature called a dead core. This means that the core is not spring loaded and that there will be no spring acting against you while tensioning.
Dead cores are tricky little devils when combined with spool pins because they require you to really focus on tension control. Unlike spring loaded cores where you can simply release tension to set a spool, dead cores don’t give this luxury. Sometimes you’ll find that you manually have to pull back on the tension to let the spool slide to a set.
Dead cores also don’t absorb vibrations like springs loaded cores do. This means that you will receive more feedback from these locks.
Pro Tip: Because of the extra pin and the tighter keyway, these are excellent locks to begin learning how to tension from the top of the keyway!
7. ABUS 64TI/50
5 pin core – 1 standard pin, 4 spool pins
Open Yale style keyway, slight warding
Spring loaded core
Now it’s time to really have some fun.
The ABUS 64TI/50 is an amazing lock that has a five pin core and typically contains one standard pin and four quality spool pins.
These locks are excellent training locks because they have very high tolerances and provide a lot less feedback than most locks.
This forces you to really focus on the feedback the lock is giving you and will teach you a thing or two about patience.
Additionally these locks have a Yale style keyway with a mild amount of warding to add a little extra pain to the process. Warding can not only get in the way of your pick, but can also muffle the feedback as it absorbs some of the vibrations from the pick!
8. ABUS 80TI/50
6 pin core – 1 standard pin, 5 spool pins
Open keyway, very slight warding
Spring loaded core
So what could possible be next? How about 6 pins?
Just like their little brother the 64TI, they are absolutely amazing training locks with very good tolerances that make you really focus on what you are feeling with your tools.
These locks have a 6 pin core with one standard pin and 5 spool pins.
They also have a pretty open keyway with a very small amount of warding for good measure.
9. American Lock 1100
6 pin core – mixture of spools and serrated pins
Restricted keyway
Dead core until picked, then spring loaded
Alright pickers, it’s finally time to move on to something worthy of the title Lock Slayer. It’s time for a true challenge — a test that will surely break your confidence, bring tears to your eyes, and perhaps even instill regret from ever picking up this hobby in the first place!
It’s time for the American 1100 and her nasty gang of serrated pins.
Did I hype that enough?
Fear not, these locks aren’t as terrible as they seem and once you understand how to pick them they are heaps of fun and are amazing practice locks!
The American Lock 1100 is a classic favorite among many pickers and have a 6 pin core that contains a mixture of serrated and spool driver pins.
They also have serrated key pins that snag at the shear line if you accidentally overset them which is a common problem for those just starting out with serrated pins. If anything these locks will teach you finesse while lifting pins.
American locks will also force you to use top of the keyway tension as the core is designed to bind if tensioned from the bottom.
