Alternative Methods for Breaking Locks

Sometimes, you may not have enough time or skill to pick a lock quietly and cleanly. In such cases, you might have to resort to more forceful methods. Be aware that these techniques are noisy, attract attention, and leave significant mechanical damage to both the lock and the door. However, sometimes stealth must be sacrificed for speed.

Tools You Might Need

To break locks, you’ll need certain tools. Where you get them-buy, make, or steal-is your own business. Remember, the type of tool used can often be determined by the damage left behind.

Blowing Up the Lock

This is a favorite method of gangsters and secret agents in movies, but it’s rarely used in real life. An explosion will cause a commotion, and police will likely arrive within minutes. Also, the blast wave in a closed space can injure the person setting it off. If you try to stick 20 grams of C-4 to a door and detonate it from around the corner, you’ll likely be recovering from a concussion for at least two months.

For serious attempts, it’s best to blow up locks on sturdy wooden doors. Use high-brisance explosives like TA, HMTD, or EGDN derivatives. For mortise locks, place the charge (using modeling clay) on top of the cylinder or at the latch area. Use 20-50 grams depending on the lock type. For padlocks, place the charge between the shackle and the body. Plastic explosives are especially effective, as they can be packed into gaps or drilled holes around the lock. Always stay out of the line of sight during detonation, hide at least 10 meters away, and protect your ears and mouth from the blast.

Note: There’s no need to blow up the entire door!

Drilling the Lock

In the past, locks were drilled using hand drills, but now battery-powered electric drills are available. The battery will last long enough to drill through a lock. Drill out the cylinder with a large bit, then turn the cam mechanism through the hole. You can also drill around the latch and knock it out of the frame. For metal doors, drill around the lock and file the holes if you have time.

Sawing the Lock

Use a hacksaw or a battery-powered electric saw. For mortise locks, you can saw through the frame and latch. For padlocks, saw through the shackle, or sometimes it’s easier to cut the hinges. Surface-mounted bolts can also be cut with an electric saw. You can even cut out a section of a metal door along with the lock fittings.

Smashing the Lock

This is a very crude method. Use a sledgehammer or other heavy object. For padlocks, hit the body from top to bottom, not the shackle. Weak locks may break after the first blow. For mortise locks, hit perpendicular to the lock body at the latch level. A small battering ram-a metal bar with handles-works best.

Burning the Lock

You can try burning through a padlock or bolt with thermite. Attach a large thermite charge to the shackle and ignite it. Once the metal is red-hot, knock off the lock or pry it open. Alternatively, use a homemade portable torch. Buy a small propane tank for a camping stove and a medical oxygen apparatus (like the KI-3M used in ambulances). Connect the oxygen and propane tanks to a gas torch with high-pressure hoses. Fill the oxygen tank beforehand. This setup fits in a small bag and provides 10-15 minutes of cutting time-enough to cut a shackle or a section of a metal door.

Cutting the Lock

A padlock shackle can be quickly cut with heavy-duty bolt cutters. These cutters, with extra leverage and hardened jaws, can sometimes be purchased, though they are expensive and bulky.

Using a Crowbar

The classic burglar’s tool: a hardened steel bar with a bent, flattened end. Essentially, it’s a strong steel lever. Wedge the pointed end between the door and the frame near the latch, then pry the latch out of its socket. Crowbars can also be used to rip off padlocks.

About Digital Locks

Household digital locks are usually simple. They come in two types: padlocks with a disk code and button-operated (surface or mortise) locks, often used on building entrances.

Padlock-type digital locks can be opened by force (smashing, prying, or sawing) or by code. These locks usually have 3-5 disks with 5-8 positions each, making brute-force guessing time-consuming. However, if the lock has been used, the correct numbers may have looseness. Gently pull down on the lock and turn each disk, listening for a different click. A stethoscope can help. Repeat for each disk. This method requires sensitivity and experience.

Button-operated mechanical locks have buttons numbered 0-9. Some require pressing the combination simultaneously (order doesn’t matter), others require a specific sequence and pulling a lever. The code is usually no more than three digits, as it’s hard to press more than three buttons at once with one hand. These locks are easy to open due to human error. Dust the buttons with talcum powder or makeup powder, wait for someone to use the lock, then check which buttons have the powder rubbed off. Even if the order is unknown, you can try all possible combinations of the identified digits.

How to Open a Car Lock

Car thieves use two simple methods. First, use a thin, flexible steel ruler. Slide it between the window and the rubber seal at the bottom of the car door. The ruler reaches the lock mechanism, and with practice, you can press the latch in about 30 seconds.

The second method is even easier. Most car doors have a small triangular vent window with a glued-on lock. Light a cigarette and press the lit end against the glass where the lock is glued. The glue isn’t heat-resistant, so the lock will fall off. Then reach in and open the main lock.

Regarding alarms: a blinking light on the windshield doesn’t always mean there’s an alarm-it could be a fake. If the car has a vibration sensor, you can hide nearby and shoot rubber or plastic pellets at the car with a slingshot. When the owner gets tired of the noise, they may disable the alarm. Just don’t get caught with your slingshot.

If the car has an infrared key alarm, universal remote controls sold in electronics stores can sometimes pick the code, as they automatically search for codes for TVs and other devices. These remotes can sometimes unlock car alarms, though they can be expensive.

Simple Latches, Bolts, and Hooks

These are the simplest locking mechanisms and can be easily opened with a metal ruler, nail file, or plastic card. Slide the tool between the door and the frame to lift or move the latch or hook.

Alternative Entry Methods

Sometimes, it’s more productive to look for another way into a locked space than to force the main door.

• Most buildings have a back door, often with a weaker lock than the main entrance.
• Windows are a classic entry point. First-floor windows are often barred, but you can climb to the second floor. Cut a small section of glass near the latch with a glass cutter, reach in, and open the window.
• Basements are easier to enter, often through a vent window, and from there into the building.
• Ventilation shafts can be accessed from the roof. They usually have no alarms or locks-just unscrew the outer grate and climb in. Just don’t get lost!
• If all else fails, you can blow a hole in a wall using a shaped charge placed in a drilled recess.