Locksport

Locksport

by Jos Weyers, Matt Burrough, Walter Belgers, BandEAto, Nigel Tolley
Released March 2023
Publisher(s): No Starch Press
ISBN: 9781718502246

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Book description

Welcome to the world of locksport, the sport of defeating locks. Whether you’re new to the challenge of lockpicking or aiming for championship gold, this book serves as your definitive guide, packed with practical advice from a team of experts.

DIVE INTO THE ESSENTIALS WITH LOCKSPORT FOUNDATIONS

  • How various locks work and how to maintain and disassemble practice locks
  • What makes some locks more secure than others
  • The laws, competitions, and communities that make up the world of locksport

MASTER YOUR CRAFT WITH HANDS-ON TECHNIQUES

  • How to pick pin tumblers and lever locks, make impressions or craft a working key from a blank, and manipulate open combination safe locks
  • How to work with picks, rakes, tension wrenches, files, magnification tools, safe-lock graphs, and depth-measuring instruments
  • The intricacies of security pins, wards, dimple locks, keyways, and antique locks

GAIN THE COMPETITIVE EDGE WITH COMPETITION INSIGHTS

  • The ins and outs of competition setup and tools and how to host your own competitions
  • Expert strategies for managing your nerves and gathering lock intel
  • What it’s like to participate in timed head-to-head competitions, PicTacToe™, escape challenges, and other lockpicking contests

From mastering your first padlock to conquering a competition, Locksport will show you how to take your skills to the next level—and have endless fun doing it.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication Page
  5. About the Authors
  6. About the Technical Reviewer
  7. BRIEF CONTENTS
  8. CONTENTS IN DETAIL
  9. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  10. INTRODUCTION
    1. Locksport Origin Stories
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. Who This Book Is For
  11. PART I: THE BASICS
  12. 1 THE WORLD OF LOCKSPORT
    1. The History of Locksport
      1. Lockpicking Groups and Hackers
      2. Competitions
      3. Rules
    2. Legality
      1. US Laws
      2. Dutch Laws
      3. UK Laws
      4. German Laws
      5. Australian Laws
    3. Groups and How to Find Them
      1. US Groups
      2. Dutch Groups
      3. UK Groups
      4. German Groups
      5. Australian Groups
    4. Summary
  13. 2 TYPES OF LOCKS AND CYLINDERS
    1. Padlocks
    2. Cylinder Locks
      1. Euro Profile Cylinders
      2. Key-in-Knob Cylinders
      3. Interchangeable Core Cylinders
      4. Rim and Mortise Cylinders
    3. Mortise Locksets
    4. Summary
  14. 3 LOCK MECHANICS
    1. Elements of a Lock
      1. The Housing or Cylinder
      2. The Shackle or Bolt
      3. The Plug
      4. The Core
      5. The Keyway
      6. Pins, Wafers, Discs, and Levers
      7. Springs
      8. The Bible
      9. The Wheel Pack and Drive Cam
      10. Cams, Tails, Latches, and Ball Bearings
    2. Locking Mechanisms
      1. Pin-Based Locks
      2. Wafer Locks
      3. Combination Locks
      4. Lever Locks
      5. Warded Locks
      6. Disc Detainer Locks
    3. Summary
  15. 4 HIGH-SECURITY LOCK ELEMENTS
    1. Off-Axis Pins
      1. Side Pins
      2. Trap Pins
    2. Security Pins
      1. Spool Pins
      2. Serrated Pins
      3. Chisel-Tipped Pins
      4. Pin-in-Pins
      5. Other Pin Shapes
    3. Sidebars
    4. Wards and Paracentric Keyways
    5. Interactive Key Elements
    6. Magnets
    7. Summary
  16. 5 LOCK MAINTENANCE FOR LOCKSPORTERS
    1. Disassembling Locks
      1. Useful Tools
      2. Step 1: Unlock and Remove the Lock
      3. Step 2: Orient the Plug
      4. Step 3: Remove the Plug’s Retaining Mechanism
      5. Step 4: Install the Pinning Shoe (Euro Profile Cylinder Only)
      6. Step 5: Remove the Plug
      7. Step 6: Dump the Key Pins
      8. Step 7: Release the Driver Pins and Springs
    2. Repinning Locks
    3. Reassembling Locks
      1. Step 1: Insert the Springs and Driver Pins
      2. Step 2: Populate the Plug
      3. Step 3: Check the Key
      4. Step 4: Insert the Plug
      5. Step 5: Lock the Lock
      6. Step 6: Install the Plug-Retaining Mechanism
      7. Step 7: Test It Out
    4. Applying Lubrication
    5. Summary
  17. PART II: PIN TUMBLER LOCKPICKING
  18. 6 PIN TUMBLER LOCKPICKING TOOLS
    1. Tension Wrenches
    2. Raking Tools
    3. Picking Tools
    4. Dimple Picks
    5. Pick Guns
    6. Comb Picks
    7. Tool-Buying Advice
    8. Summary
  19. 7 PIN TUMBLER LOCKPICKING STEP-BY-STEP
    1. Tensioning
      1. Using the Tension Wrench
      2. Tensioning the Cam
      3. Using a Vise
    2. Raking
      1. Using a Rake
      2. Determining When to Rake
    3. Single-Pin Picking
      1. Picking Standard Pins
      2. Picking Security Pins
      3. Overcoming Single-Pin-Picking Challenges
    4. Combining Raking and Single-Pin Picking
    5. Using the Waltering Technique
    6. Using Pick Guns
    7. Picking Other Types of Locks
      1. Dimple Locks
      2. Locks with Multiple Rows of Pins
      3. Locks with Passive Key Control
      4. Locks with Sliders
      5. Locks with Rotating Pins
      6. Disc Detainer Locks
      7. Locks with Unusual Keyways
      8. Specialty Locks
    8. Creating or Adapting Tools
    9. Getting Experience
    10. Summary
  20. 8 PIN TUMBLER LOCKPICKING COMPETITIONS
    1. Competition Basics
    2. At the Competition
      1. Inspecting Your Locks
      2. Feeling the Lock
      3. Doing Lock Recon
      4. Organizing Your Knowledge
      5. Observing Your Competitors
      6. Being a Good Sport
      7. Keeping Your Cool
    3. The Competitions
      1. TOOOL US
      2. TOOOL Netherlands
      3. SSDeV, SPASS, and the ACZ
      4. TOOOL Australia
      5. ACF France
    4. Summary
  21. PART III: IMPRESSIONING
  22. 9 IMPRESSIONING TOOLS
    1. Key Handles
      1. Purpose-Built Handles
      2. Custom Handles
      3. Improvised Handles
    2. Files
      1. Cuts
      2. Shapes
      3. Sizes
      4. Key-Cutting Machines
    3. Magnification
    4. Lights
    5. Power
    6. Vises
    7. Workbenches
    8. Depth-Measuring Tools
      1. Calipers
      2. Key Gauges
    9. Space-Measuring Tools
    10. Locks and Blanks
    11. Other Accessories
    12. Summary
  23. 10 IMPRESSIONING STEP-BY-STEP
    1. Setting Up Your Gear
      1. Mount the Lock
      2. Mount the Key in the Handle
      3. Prepare the Key
    2. Impressioning Road Map
    3. Impressioning an ABUS C83
      1. Secure Your Key
      2. Make the Initial Marks
      3. File the First Cut
      4. Repeat the Process
    4. Impressioning a Schlage
    5. Using Other Tips and Tricks
      1. Spacing and Depth Guidelines
      2. Filing Tips
      3. Mark-Reading Techniques
    6. Summary
  24. 11 IMPRESSIONING COMPETITIONS
    1. Honing Your Contest-Level Skills
      1. Do One Thing Well
      2. Calibrate Your Technique
      3. Keep Up Momentum
      4. Break Keys
      5. Listen to Your Body
    2. Optimizing Training
    3. Packing
    4. Understanding the Competition Environment
      1. Arriving at the Venue
      2. Registering to Compete
    5. Choosing Competition Tactics
    6. Going Through a Competition
      1. Round One
      2. Finals
    7. Organizing an Impressioning Competition
    8. Summary
  25. PART IV: SAFE-LOCK MANIPULATION
  26. 12 SAFE-LOCK MANIPULATION TOOLS
    1. Choosing a Lock
      1. Lock Classifications
      2. Lock Recommendations
      3. Lock Sources
    2. Gathering Other Safe-Lock Manipulation Supplies
      1. Lock Mounts
      2. Graphing Charts
      3. Index-Line Stickers
    3. Performing Lock Disassembly and Assembly
    4. Making Your Own Cutaway Lock
    5. Setting the Combination
    6. Using Other Resources
    7. Summary
  27. 13 SAFE-LOCK MANIPULATION STEP-BY-STEP
    1. Dialing with Precision
      1. Design Tolerances
      2. Wheel Rotation
    2. Finding Contact Points
    3. Graphing to Find Your First Number
      1. Moving All Three Wheels
      2. Running Only Wheel 3
    4. Finding True Center
    5. Running High Low Tests
    6. Finding Your Second Number
    7. Brute-Forcing to Find the Last Number
    8. Summary
  28. 14 SAFE-LOCK MANIPULATION COMPETITIONS
    1. Considerations for Organizers
      1. Registration and Divisions
      2. Timing and Combination Setting
      3. Lock and Personnel Distribution
      4. The Competition Environment
    2. Considerations for Competitors
      1. Consistency and Speed
      2. Graphing Charts
      3. Simplified Dial Reading
      4. Pregame Decisions
      5. Game-Time Tips
    3. Competition Rules
      1. Example 1: The Czech Lockpicking Championship
      2. Example 2: The Safe & Vault Technicians Association Competition
    4. Summary
  29. PART V: LEVER LOCKPICKING
  30. 15 LEVER LOCKPICKING TOOLS
    1. Single-Acting Warded Locks
    2. Types of Wards
    3. Double-Acting Lever Locks
      1. Lever Lock Keys
      2. Lever Lock Precision and Tolerances
    4. Hobbs Picks
    5. Lever Lockpicks and J Wires
    6. Practice Locks
    7. Lever Lock Disassembly and Reassembly
    8. Summary
  31. 16 LEVER LOCKPICKING STEP-BY-STEP
    1. Lever Lockpicking Overview
      1. Tension the Lock Bolt
      2. Locate the Lever Pack
      3. Probe the Levers to Determine Their State
      4. Move the Binding Lever
      5. Repeat the Process to Open the Lock
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Pack Compression
      2. Antipicks
    3. Decoding the Lock
    4. Summary
  32. 17 LEVER LOCKPICKING COMPETITIONS
    1. The Competition Setup
    2. Competition Tools
    3. Competition Locks
      1. European Competition Locks
      2. UK Competition Locks
    4. Improving Your Odds of an Open
      1. Controlling Your Nerves
      2. Getting Intel on the Lock
    5. Competition Dos and Don’ts
    6. Running Your Own Lever Lockpicking Competition
      1. 2014 LockCon
      2. 2019 LockCon
      3. 2022 LockCon
      4. Other Hosting Considerations
    7. Summary
  33. A OTHER LOCKSPORT GAMES
    1. Timed Head-to-Head Challenge
      1. Timed Challenge Tips
      2. DIY Set Instructions
    2. PicTacToe
      1. PicTacToe Tips
    3. Escape Challenges
      1. Escape Challenge Tips
    4. Direct-Entry Chain and Cable Locks
    5. The Room
    6. The Belt System
  34. B WHERE TO GET EQUIPMENT
    1. Picking Tools and Tensioners
    2. Impressioning Tools
    3. Safe Locks and Accessories
    4. Lever Locks
    5. Lock Maintenance Tools
    6. Miscellaneous Items
    7. Other Books and Papers
  35. INDEX

Product information

  • Title: Locksport
  • Author(s): Jos Weyers, Matt Burrough, Walter Belgers, BandEAto, Nigel Tolley
  • Release date: March 2023
  • Publisher(s): No Starch Press
  • ISBN: 9781718502246