A hot topic amongst seasoned locksmiths is whether or not pick guns — whether manual or electric — are truly better than hand picks. Like so many other issues that involve skill and experience, this one has no ultimate answer, but a discussion is warranted.
Speaking strictly from a personal standpoint, I can say that there have been MANY times during my locksmith career that the use of a GOOD pick gun bailed me out of a tough situation. One of the tools you have at your disposal when trying to pick a lock is pure and simple ‘variation of technique’. This comes into use every time you vary the tension on your tension tool, alter how you hold your pick, and whenever you change picks. It also comes into play, and is useful, when you change from manual picking to mechanical. That can be using a manual pick gun, an electric, or even going to key bumping or rapping. I think the value in changing your approach is that it prevents you from becoming fixated on one technique that might simply not be appropriate for the lock you’re working on, and it also staves off boredom.
Of the variations in technique you have open to you, I feel the manual pick gun is one of the better choices. Because it is capable of delivering a lot more energy to the pins (each time you click the trigger), you have one more device that might be just what was needed. Also, it can be used for a longer period of time without causing exhaustion . . . though even here you should alter how you hold it and which finger you use to pull the trigger from time to time.
Proper use of a pick gun is another topic altogether. Many locksmiths have best results if they are absolutely level with the pick needle. Others, like myself, seem to get better results by varying the angle JUST SLIGHTLY, and doing so as the gun is being fired. There isn’t much use in trying to ‘rake’ a lock open when you’re using a pick gun because the gun works on the principle of percussion alone. The needle strikes the bottom of the bottom pins and the energy is imparted to the entire pin stack (in most cases you’ll have the needle inserted all the way to the rear of the plug, so you’re actually affecting all the stacks at once). The pin stack jumps upward but for a fraction of a second there is a separation between the bottom and top pin, particularly as the energy bleeds off and the stack begins to fall back down. The idea is to have just enough turning tension on the plug at the EXACT instant that all the top pins find themselves in the upper chamber and all the bottom pins have separated from them enough to create a shear line. In that instant, the plug will rotate.
The short answer, in my opinion, to the title question is YES. Pick guns (good ones) do work. Which are the good ones? Wow, another topic still. But the short answer is that we carry only the models that we personally endorse, so you can’t go wrong selecting from our inventory. My favorite?
Lockaid, only because I’ve used this brand for so many years I feel very confident with it. And, oh yes, because if anything goes wrong with it there is a LIFETIME replacement warranty through the manufacturer, and I have had to take advantage of that one time in 20 years.
Thanks for reading!
George Robertson, administrator
Tags: electric pick, lockaid, pick gun, pickgun
