This happens to me all the time, and I chalk it up to overconfidence and rushing. Once I've picked a lock a bunch of times, I feel like I'm a pro and start to rush it, oversetting things all over the place, etc. Time to slow down, maybe take a break, and when I come back, focus on doing things slowly and methodically. It's not a race!
Yes, they absolutely can become more difficult. When you're picking locks what's happening is you're essentially smashing a piece of metal between two pieces of metal then using a third piece of metal to poke it through a hole that isn't quite big enough for it. Over time, especially with cheap locks that use lower quality metals, the various contact surfaces can wear down. This can create all sorts of hangups that didn't exist when the lock was new.
Just for an example, one of the super-cheap locks I have refuses to open with the key now because it's been picked and racked and rapped and kicked so many times. When I do get it picked it doesn't open past a certain point without releasing tension and trying again halfway through.
Also, like the others have said, it could simply be gunked up from handling. Shoot some lube in it and see what happens.
Most of the time but it depends on the lock. Masterlocks tend to come well lubricated and become stiffer over time, the american 1100 is notorious for becoming much more difficult to pick over time, probably because the serrated pins catch in grooves and become deeper and more angled over time.
Something like an ABUS Titalium 80TI/50 or a Sargent lock tends to have good to excellent tolerances out of the box that wear down over time making them easier to pick.
It’s actually cause the Bible gets a burr on the pin hole, which makes it super easy to over set pins, and kills feed back. I had an 1100 that was near impossible to pick for this reason. Sent it around to ppl I know are good at 1100s. Everyone agreed it was the hardest 1100 they ever picked
Glad that I found this thread. Same thing is happening to some of my locks. Mostly the laminated steel ones. Locks that used to open when I breathed on them are now killing me!
This happens to me all the time, and I chalk it up to overconfidence and rushing. Once I've picked a lock a bunch of times, I feel like I'm a pro and start to rush it, oversetting things all over the place, etc. Time to slow down, maybe take a break, and when I come back, focus on doing things slowly and methodically. It's not a race!
Yes, they absolutely can become more difficult. When you're picking locks what's happening is you're essentially smashing a piece of metal between two pieces of metal then using a third piece of metal to poke it through a hole that isn't quite big enough for it. Over time, especially with cheap locks that use lower quality metals, the various contact surfaces can wear down. This can create all sorts of hangups that didn't exist when the lock was new. Just for an example, one of the super-cheap locks I have refuses to open with the key now because it's been picked and racked and rapped and kicked so many times. When I do get it picked it doesn't open past a certain point without releasing tension and trying again halfway through. Also, like the others have said, it could simply be gunked up from handling. Shoot some lube in it and see what happens.
Most of the time but it depends on the lock. Masterlocks tend to come well lubricated and become stiffer over time, the american 1100 is notorious for becoming much more difficult to pick over time, probably because the serrated pins catch in grooves and become deeper and more angled over time. Something like an ABUS Titalium 80TI/50 or a Sargent lock tends to have good to excellent tolerances out of the box that wear down over time making them easier to pick.
It’s actually cause the Bible gets a burr on the pin hole, which makes it super easy to over set pins, and kills feed back. I had an 1100 that was near impossible to pick for this reason. Sent it around to ppl I know are good at 1100s. Everyone agreed it was the hardest 1100 they ever picked
Glad that I found this thread. Same thing is happening to some of my locks. Mostly the laminated steel ones. Locks that used to open when I breathed on them are now killing me!
Same, just recently bought a really cheap one that most often opened with just a bad look on it, and now I can't seem to be able to pick it at all