An edition of Locksport (2024)

Locksport

A Hacker's Guide to Lockpicking, Impressioning, and Safe Cracking

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January 21, 2026 | History
An edition of Locksport (2024)

Locksport

A Hacker's Guide to Lockpicking, Impressioning, and Safe Cracking

  • 5.0 (1 rating)
  • 3 Want to read
  • 1 Have read

A comprehensive, fully illustrated guide to the fascinating sport of picking locks, Locksport is authored by five of the field’s foremost champions. Together, they’ll show you how to ethically, efficiently, and effectively bypass anything—from simple locks and safe dials to deadlocks and vaults.

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.

Publish Date
Publisher
No Starch Press
Language
English
Pages
416

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Edition Availability
Cover of: Locksport
Locksport: A Hacker's Guide to Lockpicking, Impressioning, and Safe Cracking
March 19, 2024, No Starch Press
Paperback in English

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Book Details


Table of Contents

Cover
Praise for Locksport
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
About the Authors
About the Technical Reviewer
Brief Contents
Contents in Detail
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: The Basics
1. The World of Locksport
The History of Locksport
Lockpicking Groups and Hackers
Competitions
Rules
Legality
US Laws
Dutch Laws
UK Laws
German Laws
Australian Laws
Groups and How to Find Them
US Groups
Dutch Groups
UK Groups
German Groups
Australian Groups
2. Types of Locks and Cylinders
Padlocks
Cylinder Locks
Euro Profile Cylinders
Key-in-Knob Cylinders
Interchangeable Core Cylinders
Rim and Mortise Cylinders
Mortise Locksets
3. Lock Mechanics
Elements of a Lock
The Housing or Cylinder
The Shackle or Bolt
The Plug
The Core
The Keyway
Pins, Wafers, Discs, and Levers
Springs
The Bible
The Wheel Pack and Drive Cam
Cams, Tails, Latches, and Ball Bearings
Locking Mechanisms
Pin-Based Locks
Wafer Locks
Combination Locks
Lever Locks
Warded Locks
Disc Detainer Locks
4. High-Security Lock Elements
Off-Axis Pins
Side Pins
Trap Pins
Security Pins
Spool Pins
Serrated Pins
Chisel-Tipped Pins
Pin-in-Pins
Other Pin Shapes
Sidebars
Wards and Paracentric Keyways
Interactive Key Elements
Magnets
5. Lock Maintenance for Locksporters
Disassembling Locks
Useful Tools
Step 1: Unlock and Remove the Lock
Step 2: Orient the Plug
Step 3: Remove the Plug’s Retaining Mechanism
Step 4: Install the Pinning Shoe (Euro Profile Cylinder Only)
Step 5: Remove the Plug
Step 6: Dump the Key Pins
Step 7: Release the Driver Pins and Springs
Repinning Locks
Reassembling Locks
Step 1: Insert the Springs and Driver Pins
Step 2: Populate the Plug
Step 3: Check the Key
Step 4: Insert the Plug
Step 5: Lock the Lock
Step 6: Install the Plug-Retaining Mechanism
Step 7: Test It Out
Applying Lubrication
Part II: Pin Tumbler Lockpicking
6. Pin Tumbler Lockpicking Tools
Tension Wrenches
Raking Tools
Picking Tools
Dimple Picks
Pick Guns
Comb Picks
Tool-Buying Advice
7. Pin Tumbler Lockpicking Step-by-Step
Tensioning
Using the Tension Wrench
Tensioning the Cam
Using a Vise
Raking
Using a Rake
Determining When to Rake
Single-Pin Picking
Picking Standard Pins
Picking Security Pins
Overcoming Single-Pin-Picking Challenges
Combining Raking and Single-Pin Picking
Using the Waltering Technique
Using Pick Guns
Picking Other Types of Locks
Dimple Locks
Locks with Multiple Rows of Pins
Locks with Passive Key Control
Locks with Sliders
Locks with Rotating Pins
Disc Detainer Locks
Locks with Unusual Keyways
Specialty Locks
Creating or Adapting Tools
Getting Experience
8. Pin Tumbler Lockpicking Competitions
Competition Basics
At the Competition
Inspecting Your Locks
Feeling the Lock
Doing Lock Recon
Organizing Your Knowledge
Observing Your Competitors
Being a Good Sport
Keeping Your Cool
The Competitions
TOOOL US
TOOOL Netherlands
SSDeV, SPASS, and the ACZ
TOOOL Australia
ACF France
Part III: Impressioning
9. Impressioning Tools
Key Handles
Purpose-Built Handles
Custom Handles
Improvised Handles
Files
Cuts
Shapes
Sizes
Key-Cutting Machines
Magnification
Lights
Power
Vises
Workbenches
Depth-Measuring Tools
Calipers
Key Gauges
Space-Measuring Tools
Locks and Blanks
Other Accessories
10. Impressioning Step-by-Step
Setting Up Your Gear
Mount the Lock
Mount the Key in the Handle
Prepare the Key
Impressioning Road Map
Impressioning an ABUS C

Edition Notes

Published in
San Francisco, CA
Copyright Date
2024

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
683/.3
Library of Congress
TS525, TS525 .W48 2024

The Physical Object

Format
Paperback
Pagination
350
Number of pages
416
Weight
0.369

Edition Identifiers

Open Library
OL36435076M
ISBN 10
1718502249, 1718502257
ISBN 13
9781718502246, 9781718502253
LCCN
2023030100
OCLC/WorldCat
1273959329, 1280264008, 1267555136, 1269032879, 1268205636
Google
wf1UEAAAQBAJ, vf1UEAAAQBAJ
Amazon ID (ASIN)
B09FP4K8W4

Work Identifiers

Work ID
OL26871465W

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January 21, 2026 Edited by ImportBot Removing unsupported identifier
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December 31, 2021 Created by ImportBot Imported from Better World Books record