mirror-textfiles.com/anarchy/LOCKPICKING/master.txt

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                _/      \_  ____________________________
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              |  (__)        Mastering the Masterlock   / 
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                         Written By: \/   The Gypsy   
                         From:         Dead On Arrival


  This file will instruct you on how to build a master key for the type of locks
that are found in many school systems. These locks are locks that are generally
rented to the students for the school year. It is a combination lock on the
front, and each has a different combination that is given to the student with
the lock. On the back of these locks is a small keyhole. This keyhole can be
easily mastered once you have one. Also on the back of these locks as a number
that has been imprinted on by Masterlock, Inc. at the factory. The types I have
encountered and master are #53 and #69, both of which are popular in my school
area.  The first step involved is to get one of these locks. The way best to
get one is to wait until you see one left unlocked. Then just take it and
leave. This is the best way, because they just think, "Damn... I left my lock
unlocked and someone stole it"... If you go around breaking them off, then the
school is wondering what is going on, even before you begin the master!
Once you have one, you must next remove the back cover. This can be done in
one of the following ways:

1. Place a screwdriver (flathead) into the place where the keyhole on the back
is. Not in the actual keyhole where the key is inserted, but on the side,
between the keyhole peice and the back cover. Then simply jam upward on the
screwdriver or hit it firmly with a hammer (sledge if available!).

2. Use a wheel-grinder to grind off the edge on the back of the lock all the
way around the lock. Then, simply pull off the back cover with a pair of
pliers. Note: the metal housing of the lock is very firm, and when using the
grinder on it, it will become red-hot and begin to glow before it is filed off.

3. Bang the lock around on the ground and stomp on it till it breaks open!

I used the 2nd method.

   After the back cover is removed, you then find a thicker second plate. If
you used method #2 then you can simply use the grinder to grind off the small
peice of metal in the middle of that plate, which holds it on. (On some
versions of the lock, there may be other peices of metal from the main housing
holding on that plate, just grind them all off)... Once ground off, you must
then only use a screwdriver and pry the second plate off. If you didn't use the
grinder then this is still possible, but will be a lot harder to remove. If
when you finally get it open, peices of the lock fly all over, don't worry...
Unless you were planning to put the lock back together (yeah, right!) then you
do not need the parts together. The part you DO need (a lot!) is a small silver
-colored peice that contains the brass key-hole section inside. Just get this
part... It's all you need. You should also note the version number of the lock
which is on the back plate (which you've already taken off)... you will need
this number so you know what type of lock the master key goes to.
Now... the trickiest and actually the hardest part of this project is getting
the little brass peice out of its silver lining. The silver part is hard to
break apart, and hitting it or prying it can cause it to be dropped. The brass
peice contains pins that will fall out very easily. The best way I have found
to remove the brass portion without the risk of dropping it or losing the pins
is to melt off the silver-like portion. The complete peice looks something
like this:
               ___
              / K \     K represents the keyhole
              | K | 
              \_K_/ 
                |  /___ Piece Mentioned  
                |  \     Below...

   The side opposite of the portion which sticks out the bottom is the part
which should be melted. Use a blow-torch to melt the portion away. It will melt
at a temperature slightly above normal solder with a soldering iron. Once you
have melted the portion away enough so that you could pull out the brass peice,
let it cool. After it has cooled, pick up both peices together (do not remove
the brass from the silver yet!). Turn both peices over (holding the brass in
the silver still!!). You will then have the brass portion in one hand below the
silver portion in your other hand... Carefully remove the silver portion,
making sure no pins fall out of the brass peice. The silver peice can then be
discarded. Place a peice of clear tape around the brass peice to hold the four
pins inside.

   Now comes the key forming process. Go to your local K-Mart or Wal-Mart and
get a couple of key blanks. If you are then you may pay for the keys if you
like.) The key that works the best is model CO-10 made by CURTIS. You may or
may not later need to file a tiny amount off the TOP of that key. Anyways,
it is the best key I have come across that fits. Now use some form of a file
(I suggest using the grinding-wheel again) and file off about 2-3mm (Yes,
milimeters) from the bottom of the key. Now, remove the tape from your brass
peice (be sure the pins are up, so they do not fall out!!). Insert the key into
the brass peice key-hole. Push it in until it sticks out the other end about
 0.5mm (or just... "not very far"). Starting at the far end of the key (the
fourth pin) look and see how much of the pin is sticking out of the brass
peice. Remember approx. that distance and remove the key. Take your file and
file down on the key a dip in the place where that pin (4) would line up on
the key. Do NOT file down too far. Every-so-often re-insert the key to see how
far the pin is getting closer to even with the brass peice. When the pin sticks
out none and is also NOT inside the brass peice at all, then move on to the
next pin doing the same thing. If you file down too far then the key is
worthless and must be re-done. After all four pins have been completed, they
should be perfectly even with the brass peice when the key is in place. Be sure
to re-tape the pins inside the brass peice. Finally your key is complete, try
it out on another lock (with the same version number on the back-plate)... You
may need to move the key around a little inside of the key-hole to make it
work. If it does work then turn the key back and forth inside the key-hole
about 10-20 times to 'break-in' the key to work better. If it doesn't work then
try the key in your brass portion again. If they are incorrect then try again.
Don't worry, with a little practice, you'll be able to file out a key in under
5 minutes!  Well, that's it! My school also had normal master locks that they
used for other things (Stadium fence, power boxes, etc.) that I also mastered.
It's done in just about the same way, so you can experiment. Just a warning...
be sure NO ONE sees you using or just having the keys. Also, be sure not to
sell them to anyone unless you're sure they're not gonna give them to everybody
else. I say this because I was suspended from school for 14 days because the
kid that I worked on the keys with, sold one to another kid. So once people
found out he was selling them, others wanted one. He then had to tell people
no (so that not everyone in the fuckin' school would have one!). One of these
persons decided to be an asshole and narced on us. That, of course, is what
got me suspended. There also is a way to determine the combination of a lock
after taking it off and using the master key. This will be explained in the
next file. That's it for now... Thanx for reading this file intended for
ENTERTAINMENT purposes ONLY!       hehehe...



                           Opening Master Locks
                           ====================

                              By Mach Three

 
If you read the last file, "Opening Master Locks," and tried it out, you
probably have realized that it doesn't really work.  When you turn the dial
with the lock closed, most of them will NOT stop at some number.  Here is a
technique that does work to some degree, but it's not very powerful because you
need access to the open lock.  Well, here it is:

1)  You need to get access to the lock when it is open. If you just want to
impress your friends, this is usually pretty easy to do.  Most people will open
up their locker or whatever, and leave the lock open while they are nearby
working on something.  Then, when they are done, they'll lock the stuff up.  
So when your friend is working, go up to the open lock and pull the shackle
(the horseshoe part that opens) up to the top.  With the lock open and the
shackle pulled hard to the top, NOW turn the lock all the way c
lockwise until you can turn it no farther.  Add five to the number it is on,
and you now have the first number.

2)  Now, before you did step 1, what you should do is read the number on the
combination lock before turning the dial.  99% of the people will leave their
combination on the last number when they open it (You don't spin the dial to a
random number every time you open and close your lock, do you?)  So just by
visually inspecting what the number is, chances are you have gotten the last
number.

3)
 Okay, now that you have the first number and the last number, when your
friend has closed his lock and is gone, or whatever, you can open it up to get
the second number.  Just try every possible second number, and try to open the
lock, which will not take too long because you only have 60 numbers to go
through.


Addendum:  Are there really sixty numbers to try?  No!  Just because there are
sixty numbers on the dial does not mean you have to go through sixty numbers. 
In reality, you can be off by 1 number.  For example, if the combination is
10-20-30,  you could spin to 9-19-31 and still open the lock.  This means that
instead of 60 numbers, in effect there are really only 30 numbers.  Cuts the
lock down pretty small huh?

So if you HAD to open the lock, you can use this technique of "fewer numbers"
to try every possible combination. For each number try 2-4-6-8...and so forth
until you get back to zero.  This can be useful in case you can get only one of
the numbers (such as the last number, which you can just read off the dial, or
only the first number).  In this case, when you have one number, there are only
two more to get.  This means there are about 900 more combinations for you to
try....sure, it's a lot of combinations to spin through, but if you are good it
would take you about one hour to try them all.  So on the average, it would
take a half an hour to open a combination lock, given one of the numbers.

Only a half hour...not bad, considering there might be some good stuff inside! 

One final note is that many locks have a KEYHOLE in the back...I have no idea
why they do this, because it totally defeats the purpose of the combination
lock.  These keyholes are usually pretty small - and if you are a decent
lockpicker you can open the lock up by picking it through the keyhole in around
10 minutes.


                        HOW TO PICK MASTER LOCKS

    Have you ever tried to impress your friends by picking one of those Master

combination locks and failed? Well then read on. The Master lock company has

made this kind of lock with a protection scheme. If you pull the handle of it

hard, the knob won't turn. That was their biggest mistake...... Ok, now on to

it.



    1st number.  Get out any of the Master locks so you know what's going on.

1: The handle part (the part that springs open when you get
the combination),

pull on it, but not enough so that the knob won't move. 2: While pulling on it

turn the knob to the left until it won't move any more. Then add 5 to this

number. Congradulations, you now have the 1st number.



    2nd number. (a lot tougher) Ok, spin the dial around a couple of times,

then go to the 1st number you got, then turn it to the right, bypassing the 1st

number once. WHEN you have bypassed. Start pulling the handle and turning it.

It will eventually fall into the groove and
 lock. While in the groove pull on

it and turn the knob. If it is loose go to the next groove; if it's stiff you

got the second number.



    3rd number: After getting the 2nd, spin the dial, then enter the 2 numbers,

then after the 2nd, go to the right and at all the numbers pull on it. The lock

will eventually open if you did it right. If can't do it the first time, be

patient, it takes time.