Recoil Offgrid – August-September 2019

puts rotational tension on the cylinder plug (the part you
put the key in), and the rake lifts the pins up to the correct
spot (called a shear line) and allows the plug to turn. This
takes a lot of time and practice to learn, as the user must
feel when there’s too little or too much tension, in addition to
when a pin is set. With these two items and a heck of a lot of
practice, a skilled locksmith can open nearly every lock they
come across, and nobody would know.
Bump keys: These have been around for quite a while,
but they really gained notoriety in the early 2000s. Similar
to picking, bump keys work by lifting all of the pins in a lock
to the shear line while maintaining rotational tension on
the lock cylinder. Unlike picking, bump keys don’t require a
whole lot of skill or practice to master. One simply has to in-
sert the key most of the way into the lock, put a finger on the
bottom of the bow of the key to apply tension, and then tap
the back of the key with any small tool. This action sends the
pins flying up into their respected chambers, and if you’ve
got the correct tension, it will allow the cylinder plug to spin.
This rarely happens on the first or even the second attempt,
and your bump key must fit into the lock you’re trying to
defeat, so this method requires more trial and error com-
pared to picking. It’s noisy, potentially time consuming, and

A LOOK

AT L O C K S

1: Tubular

lock picks

2: Lock picks

3: Padlock shims

4: Bump keys

you’ll need different bump keys for different locks, but it’s still

something to be aware of when purchasing a lock.

Padlock shims: Padlock shims work by squeezing be-

tween the shackle and body of a padlock until it can bypass

the latching mechanism and allow the shackle to move

freely. This takes time and the shims are often damaged in

the process. But they’re cheap and easy to get a hold of, so

they should still be considered when picking a padlock.

Quality Door Locks

A good door lock, such as the Bowley deadbolt, is cast

from a solid chunk of metal, so it’s very resistant to brute

force attacks (hammers, drills, firearms, etc.). YouTube

videos showing the inner workings of this lock also confirm

the use of security pins, as well as warding, making this

particular lock virtually unpickable and unbumpable.

The Bowley lock thoughtfully combines our modern

pin and tumbler locks with one large ward that essentially

blocks any attempt at defeating the lock via picking. In my

opinion, this is the most secure lock on the market right

now. However, this security comes with certain caveats.

Having to navigate the warding in this lock before even

engaging the pin and tumbler portion means you have to

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ISSUE 32