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My impression is that they're really loud, hard on the wrist, and take way too long to open even the easiest locks... or not at all. Maybe I'm not using it properly but from what I've seen they're pretty worthless. What's your experience with them?

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I always carry one in my lockout kit. My order of work is usually pick > pick gun >bypass > bump > drill as a last resort. They come in handy in the field when the situation is less than ideal like when it's raining, snowing, or negative temperatures and I can't feel my hands. Also it's tough to pick sometimes when there is a really shallow cut behind a deep cut, and the pick gun can help with that.

If you're a beginner, it's best to stick with regular picking for a while, and get a good feel for tension

I have opened a lot of locks with pick guns, but never anything that had security pins. I've purchased many different kinds of pick gun but I've never had consistent, reliable results - it's possible to open many locks with a pick gun, but it's finicky, the pick gun has to be perfectly level, and you have to adjust the tension to get good results. If opening locks was my day job, I might spend some time and effort learning how to efficiently open locks with this tool, but somehow I don't think it's ever going to be the magical lock opening tool As Seen on YouTube for me.

The Multipick Kronos gets far better ratings from the guys in the trade than these old manually driven things...I think if I made my living out of lockouts then I'd spend the money and get the high tech German piece of kit. As a hobbyist of course it's a complete waste of money. YMMV.

This is like all techniques. If you want to become proficient, you must practice, practice, practice. When I did this every day I was pretty good with one of these. Most times it took 2 to 8 snaps, seldom more, usually 2 to 4. EDIT; I don't know that I ever ran into security pins.

I'm curious about what kind of locks you were using the gun on. I had better luck with Kawaneer (yale keyway) mortise and Weiser locks, and some GMS locks, but less luck with Schlage. I'm sure my technique sucked pond water though.

--Ted.

I don't think it is so fair to write them off. Personally, I have never owned a manual pick gun for more than a few days and never really liked them much when I have used them. I vastly prefer an EPG, especially if it on a job and picking is getting me nowhere. Indeed, the Klom EPG is a fantastic tool and one that has opened many, many locks that I have failed to pick.

But back onto the manual pick guns; I know a guy (he's a member on here actually) who is absolutely fantastic with one. He uses it to open dimple and pin tumbler locks with shocking ease. He has practised a lot with it down the years and you can tell when you watch him using one.

So if you practise a lot with one I can attest to them being very, very effective.

Is he on YouTube? How many clicks does he take?

Nah, he aint on YT. Sometimes he never opens with his pick gun but often he'll do it in < 1 min.

The physics of using a pick gun is similar to the physics of raking or bumping type energy attacks... you want to tap the key pins sharply enough to launch the top pins over the shear line, but not actually lift the key pins. Very much the same thing as a Newton's Cradle. Try using very light tension and position the pick gun so that when it strikes it's just tapping the tips of the pins rather than actually pushing them up. Otherwise you'll be oversetting more often than not. Same deal with raking, I like to think of it as 'tickling' the pins rather than lifting them.

The main issue I have with them is that they're so LOUD! It sounds like a train is passing by. Very uncomfortable on the ears...

I'm curious about what kind of locks you were using the gun on. I had better luck with Kawaneer (yale keyway) mortise and Weiser locks, and some GMS locks, but less luck with Schlage. I'm sure my technique sucked pond water though.

--Ted.
Ted I used mine on many differeent residential locks. When I took a job at a university I found it particularly effective on the Corbin locks there.

Ilco brand manual pick guns really sucks. Everyone I know that has one tells me how useless it is. I used to have one but sold it.

I've never used a purpose-built pick gun, but has anyone tried to make one from those cheap 2AA electric toothbrushes, like these. Is there any reason this wouldn't work?

https://www.amazon.com/Oral-B-White-Act ... 202&sr=8-8