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At the time I attended Manhattan School of Music, I also studied locksmithing at nights in NYC. I had an opportunity to put it to use yesterday when the middle school I student taught at asked me to remove about a dozen locks from their instrument lockers. Seems knuckleheaded kids just forgot and left their own locks on at the end of the year. We didn't have boltcutters and it was imperative to leave no marks on the lockers, so using a Big-A$$-Hammer was not an option.

First I picked the keyed padlocks. Most were relatively easy using profesional picks and 15 years of experience, but one labeled UHaul gave me a hard time (after I hackedsawed the brass case and pulled the pins out, turns out there were 3 pickproof pins in it!).

Then on to the "gym locker" style locks with the big black dial in the front. Using SMALL HANDTOOLS that could fit in your pocket, I was able to silently break open most of those locks in about a minute each. The ones that were genuine Master brand put up a longer fight but still fell to the same technique. The weakeness is due to the dial being the entire front of the lock and I will not elaborate further.
If you have expensive instruments in a school locker, DO NOT USE THESE KIND OF LOCKS. Almost any padlock can be cut with big enough boltcutters, but try walking around with those in your hip pocket without being noticed by security. Picking is for the midde to high end pros, and not always successful. But any punk with one or two small tools in his pocket can open up a lock designed to protect only gym shorts and and lift your $$$ Wunderphone.

Hope this helps someone out there.

MartyNeilan wrote:it was imperative to leave no marks on the lockers, so using a Big-A$$-Hammer was not an option.
...
Then on to the "gym locker" style locks with the big black dial in the front. Using SMALL HANDTOOLS that could fit in your pocket, I was able to silently break open most of those locks in about a minute each. The ones that were genuine Master brand put up a longer fight but still fell to the same technique.

In boot camp I learned to never trust, even Master brand, big dial combination locks.

Our method of removing them when a combination was forgotten?

The heal of a boot. Take the boot off, and one swing is all it takes. No need for a hammer, big or other-size. A sock (thoe one on the foot the boot came off?) rolled up behind the lock would protect the locker's paint.

If it's worth protecting with a lock, it's worth getting a good lock:



I've never heard of a Medeco that could be picked in less than an hour.

What about the "hockey puck" style locks that cost about $30? I know people who use them on their U-rent-it storage facility spaces.

??

MA

MaryAnn wrote:What about the "hockey puck" style locks that cost about $30? I know people who use them on their U-rent-it storage facility spaces.

??

MA

The primary benefit of a "hockey puck" lock is that the shackle isn't exposed (i.e. forget the bolt cutters). But the basic locking mechanism still must be pick-resistant.

Those diskus locks are often a good choice. They can't be hammered open and if they are on a sizeable hasp they can't be cut either. Many models do use a traditional flat key, but some do have pick resistant mushroom pins. I have owned two, one for a storage locker and one for a motorcycle, and they have never been broken into - although I admittedly could pick them (they are older and I am unsure if they have the special pins.) For the average theif, the only way to open them is to drill the cylinder which is both time consuming and noisy.

the elephant wrote:Medeco and Abus; I have never heard of either of them. Care to make specific suggestions for specific applications? This is pretty interesting stuff.

Plenty of online information, Wade.

Medeco:

http://www.medeco.com/

Abus:

http://www.abus.de/us/main.asp?ScreenLa ... elect=0900

A locksmith is a good place to frequent; the locks are also sold online--just google.

Well, at least Abus makes combination locks. I can't find any in Medeco's site.

ThomasDodd wrote:In boot camp I learned to never trust, even Master brand, big dial combination locks.

Our method of removing them when a combination was forgotten?

The heal of a boot. Take the boot off, and one swing is all it takes. No need for a hammer, big or other-size. A sock (thoe one on the foot the boot came off?) rolled up behind the lock would protect the locker's paint.

Are there other kinds of combination locks that aren't so easy to remove, or are we better off sticking with keyed locks?

When I worked for a locksmith shop briefly in 1990, I remember that nothing with a combination was considered secure short of an S&G safe lock (which can still be manipulated in 20-60 minutes by a pro.)
Master does make a couple of different models of heavy duty combination locks, including one with the big round dial on the bottom of the lock case. I know of warehouses and truck depots that use then, but I have never personally had to defeat one so I can't vouch for its toughness. But even Master does not include that lock in its list for high security applications. There are also the locks with four rotary dials (like on a suitcase,) but there is an easy trick for finding the combination on most brands of these.
Medeco does not make combination locks, the company was built around their pick restant (for years thought to be pickproof) cylinder.
BTW, a locksmith is the best place to go for locks. I wouldn't buy my locks from the same place I buy my underwear.
Besides, a lock is only as good as what it is attached to. A few years ago, someone went around ripping the padlocks off of "homebuilt" lockers at my school; the hasps were screwed with thin 1/2" long screws to a block of wood held on to the locker frame by two very thin finish nails. One decent tug and both the lock and hasp were in your hands. The only thing stolen was an oboe that turned up in a shopping cart in a Walmart parking lot a few days later. The next gereration of lockers they built fixed this problem.
Another thing to think about is attracting attention. If you have a $60 lock and everyone else has a $2 lock on their locker, a thief with time and tools may go all out to do what must be done if he can be concealed.
Then, the UHaul type lock may just be the best bet - average looking but double locked hardened shackle and pick resistant.

Look what I started!
I will have to tear up a boxful of gym locks now just to let all this out!