Through inexpensive tools and a little practice, lock bumping can be done by anyone

Deadbolts. Chains. Security systems. It seems people will go to any length to keep their home and their belongings safe. But even when the homeowners get smart, so do the crooks. For every lock out there, someone has figured out a way to open it. In some cases, getting in involves lock bumping.

On many locks found on residences, a pin tumbler lock mechanism is in use. Inside the lock there are a series of cylinders known as pins. When a key with cuts corresponding to these pins’ shapes and positions is inserted into the lock’s keyway, the pins are pushed back by a series of small springs and the lock is opened. From inexpensive to very pricey locks, pin tumbler locks all work on this same principle and have been in use since the ancient Egyptians developed the concept in 2000 BC.

Several thousand years younger than the lock itself, lock bumping is a type of lock picking which involves what’s known as a lock bumping key. Much like a skeleton key, a bump key can fit into any pin tumbler lock. Bump keys are created by filing down a key blank to about one millimeter. The “bump” is then done by inserting the bump key into the lock and tapping the key with something such as a screwdriver until the lock’s pin stacks have been jolted enough to free the lock. The technique requires far less skill than traditional lock picking and can be mastered with some practice.

Scary as it may seem, lock bumping can be employed by practically anyone. A relatively new phenomenon, bumping has been seen in use by criminals in the US and Europe since 2002. Documents and several videos available on the Internet detail specifically how to bump a lock and can be instantly accessed by anyone with a computer. Bump keys first appeared in the early 1920’s when the idea was patented as a new method of lock picking. Currently, bump keys can be purchased online for a variety of lock types for as little as $3.00.

Because of the recent surge in the popularity of lock bumping, manufacturers are making strides to make their locks “bump proof”. Locks such as the Schlage Primus have sidebars that, when not aligned properly, keep bump keys from moving the lock’s mechanism. The Primus also involves pins filed to a specific angle that allow only their accompanying keys to open. Similarly, Medeco also makes a deadbolt for residences that is considered to be bump proof. Electronic locks or those that open using a key pad or don’t require a key are also bump proof just by their very nature.

More low-tech methods of preventing lock bumping include spraying the lock with WD-40. In theory, the lubricant, normally used on squeaky door hinges, make the pins inside the lock slippery. The pins then move more freely and may not make the lock entirely bump proof, but will take longer to open with a bump key. The thought is then that the criminal becomes impatient or tired of trying the lock and moves on.

Things That Go Bump In The Night: Lock Bumping Makes Any Home Vulnerable is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide

Lock bumping might be referred to as lock picking’s lesser known cousin.  It’s an unfamiliar term at best. It is, however, at least as big a problem as lock picking, and perhaps even more sinister for what it entails. Bumping is a type of lock picking.  Instead of using typical lock picking tools though, all that is required is the use of a bump key.  It has, for this reason, the potential to be much more sinister than lock picking.

One of the biggest problems is that few locks are immune from lock bumping.  This is because most locks work on the same principle.  The most common type of lock, found on every home and business in the world, is the pin-and-tumbler lock.  To understand how lock bumping works, it helps to understand how a pin and tumbler system functions.

Inside every pin and tumbler lock is a cylinder (or key cylinder.)  Within the cylinder is a chamber (the plug) containing stacks of pins.  The pins it contains vary in length.  When the correct key is inserted into the cylinder, the ridges or teeth on the key match the pins inside.  Rotating the key causes the pins to spring apart and the plug to rotate.  This rotation releases the latch from the door jamb.

Trying to insert the wrong key will produce one of two results.  Either the key will not enter the cylinder at all, or, it will enter the cylinder, but won’t be able to rotate the plug because the match is incorrect.

Old-school lock picking usually requires a broad range of tools.  Lock bumping, in contrast, requires only one special key.  A lock bump key looks like an ordinary door key.  It would be unlikely to draw any suspicion, were it to be used to gain illegal entry to a home.

To the untrained eye, a bump key might pass for a regular key.  A closer inspection, though, would reveal that the teeth (or ridges) and the notches are even.  All of the cuts, in fact, are made to maximum depth.  They may also be referred to as “dummy keys” or “999″ keys.  The number “999″ is derived from the fact that the cuts are all made to a depth of nine.

Opening a door lock with a 999 key isn’t as simple as simply inserting and turning.  It does take a particular feel and a certain degree of practice, just as old-fashioned lock picking does.

What is alarming about lock bumping is that only two tools are required: a 999 key and a small “bump tool.”  A would-be criminal will draw much less attention to himself with a bump key than with a set of locksmithing tools.

Two other major factors increase the likelihood that home and business or commercial property owners will become the target of a lock bumper:

1) Lock bumping can be learned from the Internet.  Unfortunately, the World Wide Web is rife with how-to video teaching this practice.

2) Bump keys can be purchased relatively easily over the Internet.  It’s almost as easy as finding how-to videos.

Home and business owners are left in a vulnerable position.  However, there are things property owners to can do to protect themselves:

* Use a deadbolt lock in addition to a cylindrical or other type of door lock.  Deadbolt locks are much harder to bump than other types of locks.  Using both types has long been advised by locksmiths and security experts anyway.  This is just one more good case for doing so.

* Use an after market product.  Anti-bumping products can be purchased at hardware stores and online.  They are almost always worth the expense for the extra protection they provide.

* Purchase anti-bump locks.  Many lock manufacturers have come to recognize the magnitude of the problem.  They have begun to produce locks with extra anti-pick and anti-bump features built right in.

By employing one or more of these methods, property owners may decrease their chances of becoming victims of lock bumping by fifty percent or more.

What is Lock Bumping? is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide

We live in a world where everything works on chance, and thrives on uncertainties, everything from homes to workplaces from sale deeds to security arrangements of living spaces and vehicles; everything is left to chance as the aura of uncertainty does lurk above our lives owing to the nature of life itself. This uncertainty was the primary motivation for the creation of locks and keys and safes and this uncertainty is also the reason behind the creation and existence of the concept of Locksmithing and lock bumping. By definition or understanding Lock Bumping is a technique used by Locksmiths to pick locks. They do this by using a bump key specially used for pin tumbler locks. One such bump key will act as a convenient tool for all locks of the same type. This technique works on pin tumbler locks by acting on the heap of stacked pins and bumping them open without really breaking the lock. This technique is almost the top of the mind technique for locksmiths as this is one of the foremost techniques they gain expertise in before they perfect the art of lockpicking.

The background of Lock Bumping:
Lock bumping as a technique used by locksmiths has been in existence for a long time and the first patent according to reliable historical sources date back to 1928 filed by H R Simpson., however the technique remained obscure until the late 1970s and rose in popularity only as late as 2005-2006 when this organization called The Open Organization for Lockpickers (TOOL) started active talks and promotion of this technique to the whole of the United States and Europe. However like all lockpicking techniques this technique too must follow the strict code of conduct lay down by the locksmiths of the past and must adhere to certain rules owing to the nature of the technique and the possibilities of it.

The method:
Lock bumping uses the key in the first place by inserting it into the notch foremost in the keyway but it into the keyway however care is taken to avoid a full insertion into the notch. The key is then bumped inward and sent deeper into the keyway. The bump key has teeth with a special design which transmits a very mild impact fierce on the lower pins in the pin tumbler lock, where the pins of the key then transfer the same force to the driver pins which ensure that the keys do not get disturbed from tire position. Due to the elastic pin movements the pins jump a bit for a miniscule second and causes the cylinder within to lie lower than the pins taking the jump, it is in this fraction that the lock is bump opened. The key pins, the cylinder and the lock itself remain undamaged yet the lock has been opened. This technique an almost open any pin tumpler lock however safe they may claim to be. Locksmiths never bump a lock without the permission of the lock owner or a law enforcing entity thus giving the technique and the profession a high level of personal ethics and work culture.

Why is lock bumping a relevant concept and how is it useful is a question that hardly needs an answer owing to the fact that most of us at some point in time have been stuck with a bad lock situation. Whether it is a car key that is lost or the house keys that have remained inside the house while we are out, whether it is an ancient safe handed over to you whose keys have been lost in the slipping away of time or your travel suitcase that refuses to open in any way… locksmiths can help and bail you out of these situations by using the simple lock bumping technique. Similar to the pick gun technique, lock bumping is very useful for travelers, realtors, law enforcing personnel and the like. All said and done the intrigue of a lock that needs more than a key is too much to resist, in fact this has led to popular lock sport clubs where newer more efficient lock picking tools are invented and lockpickers have a field day displaying their talent to pick almost any lock and create records.

The Rationale Behind Lock Bumping is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide

Try this at home. \ Really, try this at home

Lock Bumping – 5 News Report / How to Pick a Lock is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide

Interesting news video about lock bumping, shows how anyone, professional criminal or a novice can use a special lock bumping key to open most locked doors with ease in seconds.

Magic Key opens most locks! lock picking trick lockpicking lockbumping bumping how to bump locks is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide

The term lock bumping conjures up images of people in stripy jumpers with eye masks on bumping against a locked door on the off chance that it will open and they can fill their bags full of ‘swag’. The reality is a lot less glamorous and a lot more worrying.

Lock bumping refers to a method of picking a lock that is effective against pin-tumbler locks. These types of lock are prevalent throughout the world and are used on most North American doors. It involves the procurement of a key blank for the type of lock that you want to open and an amount of work dependant on the type of lock that you have.

It has been shown on popular television that an average person can effect entry into your home using this technique with very little training. It is not a new practice by any means. Lock bumping was first documented over 50 years ago in Germany when Dutch and German locksmiths were experimenting with this technique for legitimate reasons.

The dangers have been brought home to the public by the power of information technology. Lock bumping was picked up by the media in 2003 and a report was commissioned by the lock pickers association in 2004. The information was picked up by the TV companies and then spread through the internet. It has now become a much debated topic.

The reality is that you are far more likely to be burgled because you left the front door or a window open or someone simply broke down your door. The main reason for this is that lock bumping requires the procurement of a blank key that fits your lock and an amount of tapping around the lock on your door with a hammer, something that would not go un-noticed in the most unfriendly neighborhood.

The message has to be don’t panic. Most modern locks have some degree of protection against bumping and Schlage and Medeco locks cannot be bumped. Many locks and keys are patented and this means that the availability of the key blanks is strictly controlled through authorized dealers. Only a rogue employee or a disaffected dealer could cause problems in this area, someone who can easily be traced.

Although statistics show that a large percentage of break-ins have no sign of forced entry the reality is that these probably occurred because a window or door was left open or the homeowner misplaced their keys and could not admit to it for insurance purposes.

If you are concerned that your lock could be susceptible to lock bumping the best thing to do is to ask a professional locksmith for a survey of the locks used at your property. They will be able to tell you if you are at risk from lock bumping techniques and will also be able to recommend new locks that cannot be bumped.

The main thing is not to worry unduly about this supposedly new technique. It has been around for many years and you are not likely to arrive home and find your house full of uninvited teenagers, unless you’ve got one of your own and they’ve invited their friends around for a party.

Lock Bumping – a New Phenomenon? is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide

During the summer of 2007, a rash of mysterious burglaries occurred in the Dallas, Texas area.  Residents of upscale apartment complexes would return home at the end of the day to find their doors unlocked and their apartments robbed.  Even more puzzling, the thieves were able to hit a dozen or more apartments in one day!  How did they do this?

Detective Scott Peterson was the one to finally solve the crime, discovering that the thieves, later known as the “Bump Key Bandits,” were employing lock bumping, a technique often used by locksmiths to open doors.

A locksmith in Denmark first developed the technique of lock bumping.  At first, the method was to insert a key and apply a slight pressure while tapping on it with a hammer or screwdriver.  The force caused the tumblers in the key’s cylinder to jiggle and sometimes open up.  Sometime around 2002, a simple tool called a “bump key” was developed to make the process easier.  Bump keys are not illegal, and can easily be purchased on the internet.  In fact, most commercial and residential locksmiths keep bump keys in their arsenal of tools for opening locked doors.

In 2005 Barry Wels and Rop Gonggrijp of the Dutch organization TOOOL (The Open Organization of Lockpickers) drafted a paper detailing the method and application of lock bumping.  This technique finally attracted a great deal of attention in 2005 following the broadcast of a Dutch television show.  The show detailed the risk of illegal entry and potential for theft by using lock bumping techniques.

Around the same time, an American security expert, Marc Tobia, began to publicly discuss the technique and its serious security risks.  This information began to circulate through the media, and criminals in the United States and other countries quickly took note.  Now there are numerous online resources for anyone wanting to learn how to bump locks.  Kits for making bump keys are readily available to anyone with a credit card, and thus the technique of lock bumping has become a major security risk to the general public.

So how do you protect yourself and your family?  Ironically, many high quality locks on the market today only make lock bumping easier.  Very expensive locksets are manufactured with precise tolerances in the key cylinder.  Because the pins work so smoothly, lock bumping becomes much easier.  Furthermore, locks made of hardened steel are even more vulnerable because they are less prone to damage during the bumping process, whereas a cheaper lock is more likely to jam and not open.

Locks with security pins (for example, spool or mushroom pins) combined with a regular tumbler mechanism generally make lock bumping more difficult.  Electronic locks, magnetic locks, and locks using rotating disks are even better options because they can rarely if ever be opened via lock bumping.  Another option is a type of lock featuring “trap pins.”  The pins in these locks’ key cylinders are designed to jamb when someone tries to bump the lock.

Many companies now sell “bump proof” or “bump resistant” locks; however, bear in mind that as of yet, there is still no official standard as to what constitutes a “bump proof” lock.  For absolute security, look for locks that don’t have a slot for a key, such as touchpad locksets requiring you to enter a combination to open the door.  After all, a thief can’t enter your home with a bump key if there’s no place to insert it!

Apartment dwellers remain the most vulnerable to lock bumping attacks.  Because most apartment locks can all be opened by one master key, they are extremely easy to bump, thus the reason why the Dallas thieves targeted only apartment complexes.  If you do rent an apartment, insist that the locks be changed before you move in, so that prior residents cannot enter your home.  If your landlord refuses to change the locks, inquire if you can replace them on your own.  If all else fails, choose a safety prop or some other device to prevent unauthorized entry.

Lock Bumping is a post from: Your Lockpicking Guide