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I am haven a beat my face off the wall hard time reading the feed back from my american locks . I have read alot of posts and watched some good videos . I am just having a hard time reading these Fu Ken Serrated pins. ( invented by a god dam evil genius asshole) I just don't know by feel if the pins are set . These locks make me feel like a

I'm getting my ass kicked by an American right now too...

If you have the ability, take the lock apart, dump 4 of the pin stacks and put it back together. Pick it over and over and over. Then put the second pin stack back and pick it over and over. Continue this until you can pick all 5 pin stacks.

Using light enough tension you should notice that the pin is easier to push past the serrations than when set, by just a slight margin. Of course it depends on the lock as well; the older and more worn out the lock is, the more difficult it will be to pick. Of the 6 or so 5200's I've got, I can pick four in less than a minute every time. The other two, though, take much much longer and even then sometimes I just can't get them in one sitting. Don't stress out about them and keep at it. You'll get it!

If you're still stumped, Oldfast wrote a hell of an article about these. If you can't find the info you need in there, it hasn't been written.

I will have have to try dumping some pins as suggested . All my Americans are old and used most with no keys except one 700 . I live on an island and I just never came across American locks to buy until lately . I have these 2 1100s and 1305 haven't opened them once makes me want to put them in the forge and burn them alive!

I got lucky...I think. After never being able to pick an American, I watched the video that Clearmoon made, and along with the tension wrench he sent me, I was able to open two different American padlocks. Unfortunately I could not get them open a second time, lol.

Jeffmoss26 My First attempts at lock picking were locks my dad gave me 4 abus 85 50 and 2 65 50 they almost killed my picking hobby. I thing I need to look for my box of easy / esteem booster locks lol!

One cyrano video was all that I needed to cure my serratatosus.

Also a good read of this article might help you. Oldfast did an amazing write up on them. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6905&hilit=american+lock+article

And sometimes a video... is worth a thousand words. lol

Glad to hear you're gettin' the hang of em'. They really are fun locks.

How did I not come across this video old fast picking them like there master locks great post this is pure info gold .

Mdchurchill thanks for the pointers they are appreciated and will not go unnoticed .

Thanks The 'Great American Orgy' is not instructional, but certainly turned out to be entertaining. Still one of my favorites.

Hear, hear!