Tubular locks are commonly found on small gun safes, vending machines, computer locks, etc. In fact, what prompted me to get into tubular lock picking, other than for Locksport purposes, was when my son lost his key to a small handgun safe he was using for his Airsoft pistol.

Commonly thought to be more secure and more resistant to picking than standard pin and tumbler locks, I’ve found that with the help of a tubular lock pick, they’re much easier and faster to pick.

Tubular Locks

If you’re familiar with past discussions we’ve had on ITS, you’ll hopefully know what I mean when I refer to pin and tumbler locks, the kind you commonly find on your front door. Tubular locks are very similar to pin and tumbler locks and are actually a tubular pin-tumbler lock. Also known as Ace locks, axial pin-tumbler locks and radial locks.

All the features of a standard pin-tumbler lock are still there, just configured in a circular pattern rather than inline as standard pin-tumbler lock is.  In fact, while the purpose of this post is to explain tubular lock picks, specifically built for picking tubular locks, they can also be picked with common single-pin picking. Only with a lot more effort.

As you’ll notice in the photo of the tubular lock pick trainer above, you have the spring, key pins (red) and driver pins (gold). This is also represented in the diagrams below as (red) key pins and (blue) driver pins.

Each complete pin stack is pushed with help from it’s spring towards the front of the lock. This binds the shear line and prevents the plug from turning (colored yellow in the diagrams.) The difference with a tubular key and a standard key is that instead of the cuts of a key, a tubular key has half-cylinder indentations with map to the height of the pin stack. It also means that duplicating a tubular key requires different machinery.

The top center of the interior of a tubular key features a raised protrusion that aligns the key in it’s proper configuration to map to each pin-tumbler stack. When the key is inserted, those mapped heights align, causing the shear line to separate and allow the plug to turn from the outer shell (green in the diagram below.)

Tubular Lock Picks

Standard configurations for tubular lock picks are 7 pin, 8 pin and the less common 10 pin. Some tubular locks are even six pins and while I haven’t personally tried it, the 7 pin tubular lock pick should work on the 6 pin lock. I suspect this is the case, as I’ve used an 8 pin tubular lock pick to pick “some” 7 pin tubular locks.

The parts of a tubular lock pick include independent needles that correspond with each independent pin stack. These needles are held under tension with the use of the rotating collar.

Below the needles, but before the handle, there’s a washer that facilitates resetting the tubular lock pick. This brings us to the first step in using a tubular lock pick.

1. Ensure the needles are free and can move independently and loosen the collar to the point where it’s just barely finger tight to apply light tension to the needles.
2. Extend all the needles by pressing the washer to move them beyond the end of the pick.
3. Press the complete pick against a hard surface to reset the needles to their baseline height.
4. Insert the pick into the lock slowly, allowing the picking needles to map to the corresponding pin stacks.
5. Slowly apply left to right turning torque to the pick and the lock should pop open.
6. Once the lock is picked, remove the tubular lock pick and tighten the collar.
7. *See the YouTube Video embedded above for a walkthrough of these steps.*

Now comes the amazing part. With the collar tightened down, you now hold a key in your hand that will open the tubular lock over and over again. With a tubular lock decoder you can actually measure the height of each pin as is corresponds in a clockwise pattern around the tubular lock pick. With that “code” you can have a locksmith create a duplicate key. That, or you can take your now decrypted tubular lock pick to a locksmith and have them reproduce a key.

It’s actually scary how easy it is to not only open tubular locks, but to continue to open them over and over again. To me, these are less secure than household pin and tumbler locks, due to the ease of creating a new key. There are of course ways of impressioning a key blank on a standard pin-tumbler lock, but take much more effort than the tubular lock pick does.

There’s even more to tubular locks that I’ll save for a future discussion, but if you’re interested in jumping ahead, google how to pick a tubular lock with a ballpoint pen.

As always, our goal with providing locking picking information is to continually break down the illusion of security you may depend on to keep your family and personal effects safe. Through gaining more knowledge of this skill-set, you can make more informed decisions when it comes to protecting your valuables.

Remember, locks and security in general is only to buy you time. They’re there to keep honest people honest.

The folks at DG3 Locksmithing have come up with an ingenious way to modify a key blank to ensure you can quickly restrict access to a household lock without needing to call out a locksmith to rekey. Provided you still have a way into the dwelling that is.

By taking Schlage and Kwikset key blanks and cutting a 90 and 45 degree angle into them, DG3 has effectively created a way to bind the Lock-Kill key in the cylinder. As it’s inserted the 90 degree wall allows each pin to drop into the valley and the 45 degree cut allows that same pin to pull back out until the Lock-Kill key is inserted completely. To further complicate matters, the head of the key has a groove etched into it that makes it easy to snap it off, simply leaving the broken key in the lock with nothing to grip to remove.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

I’ve had these Lock-Kill keys for some time now but wanted to thoroughly test them to see if there was any way to remove it before I wrote up an article on them. Picking didn’t work, bumping the lock didn’t work and neither did a broken key extractor. I couldn’t get a pick into the keyway with the Lock-Kill key still in there and with the head of the key broken off, there’s nothing to tap when bumping. The key extractor didn’t work because that pin was still locking the blank in.

by ITS Tactical

by ITS Tactical

You could take some needle-nose pliers, grip the broken-off key and tap the cylinder or pliers in an attempt to bump the pins, but I couldn’t get it to work. The only way to gain entry again would be to either have another way in, which hopefully you do if you’re the landlord and you’re using Lock-Kill, or to drill the lock. In the video below I show how gaining access to the pins will allow you to remove Lock-Kill, so if you’re skilled enough to be comfortable removing pins and you have access to take the lock apart, there is a way to remove the device.

Lock-Kill is definitely a sure fire way to ruin someone’s day if doors are the only means of entry and this review certainly isn’t meant to highlight that. If you have a true need to quickly disable a lock for legal reasons, Lock-Kill will do the job well. If you ever encounter Lock-Kill being used for unintended purposes, my hope is that this review will at least give you a heads up on what you’re dealing with.

Lock-Kill keys can be purchased directly from lockkill.com  in Schlage and Kwikset blanks. They’re also currently on sale for 1/2 off with free shipping at the time of this write-up.

You may have read the previous post I wrote on how easy it is to pick your way out of handcuffs with a bobby pin and how readily available they are to the masses. This not only makes possessing the same “technology” that officers have at their disposal available for illegal restraint (like a home invasion), but also puts the simple handcuff key in the hands of anyone who wants it.

Between this and why most departments don’t issue trauma kits and rely 100% on EMS to save their officer’s lives in a traumatic injury scenario, are some of my big soapbox issues. My hope with this article is to bring any awareness that I can to the handcuff issue and also to open up some conversation so we can learn from some of the LEO readers out there.

National Handcuff Day

February 20th was chosen because it’s the birthday of the modern handcuff. It’s on that date in 1912 that the US Patent office issued patent 1,017,955 to George A. Carney for a “swinging bow ratchet – type” adjustable handcuff.

Before that handcuffs were heavy and bulky and there was no standard style. Carney’s design was always ready and was light weight compared to older models. Since that patent, most modern handcuffs around the world have been made with the same swing through design, with minor modifications.

The Carney Patent was bought by The Peerless Handcuff Company of Springfield, Mass., and the first models were manufactured for them by Smith & Wesson.

Via  www.nationalhandcuffday.com

Handcuff Downfalls

I know most every LEO is well aware of the downfalls of the ratchet adjustable handcuff design, but my question is why isn’t something being done about it? Sure it’s hard to escape handcuffs if you’re properly restrained with your palms facing out and if other techniques officers use are implemented, but it’s not impossible.

There’s also the double lock, which as I’ve demonstrated isn’t an issue to someone with a bobby pin and especially someone with access to a key. So why are they still in use? Is it an issue of cost and requiring every department across the US to change keys? Why is the same equipment used by officers available to the masses to use illegally? It happens. Here’s an article about a Baltimore couple that was illegally restrained by Police impersonators.

Is it a mindset issue, where it’s just been done like that for so long and will continue to be done like that? I find it troubling that our world continues its technological advancements, like the development of complicated electronics such as UAVs and other devices that benefit our officers, but we’re still using handcuffs based on a design from 1912.

What are your thoughts? Am I off base with my thinking and overlooking something?

This can be especially beneficial to your DIY Lock Picks I went over in my last article. You’ll be amazed at how well a properly polished pick glides over the pins of your target lock.

The simple process we’ll go over will give you the finishing touch that your lock picks need.

Materials

To complete this project, all that’s required are various grits of sandpaper, some metal polish, a small amount of WD-40, time and patience.

I recommend using sandpaper in grits up to 2000 or even 3000. How high you want to go depends on how meticulous you are. I would personally start off with a 400 grit paper and work up to about 1500 to 2000. Anything beyond that I find to be overkill. However, your preference may vary.

Process

Begin to sand the pick, being sure to evenly cover the surface. As you progress, sand out all the marks from the previous grit papers. This does not take much effort. Be careful not to over sand the pick and make it paper-thin.

When you reach the really fine sandpaper grits your pick should look shiny. Now it’s time to break out the metal polish. This polish can burn your skin, so be careful and use protection. The polish also has a strong ammonia smell. It’s probably best to do this part outdoors. Rub the polish in, wipe it off, and repeat until you are satisfied with the finish.

After completing the metal polish, I recommend placing a small amount of WD-40 on your finger tip and wiping the pick down. This will provide some extra protection against rust. When cared for in this manner, you should rarely find rust on your pick. If you do, you should be able to simply wipe it off.

Editor’s Note

We encourage everyone reading this article to get involved with lock picking as a skill set through various lock sport groups such as  Toool  and  Lock Sport International. There’s a large community out there of people who understand the value of this skill-set and also like to have fun picking locks. Also check out our  Bogota Entry Toolsets  for a great pre-made set of lock picks in Stainless or Titanium!

Remember, when practicing your set you should always follow the Lock Sport code of ethics.

You may only pick locks you own or those you have been given explicit permission to pick.

Lock sport is an honest, ethical, and legitimate hobby. Unfortunately, the whole world hasn’t figured that out yet (though we’re working on it!). Because the lay person has a tendency to perceive what we do as somehow nefarious, it is extra important that we commit to following a strict code of ethics. For this reason, the above credo is non-negotiable in the lock sport community. Lockpicking should never, ever be used for illegal or even questionable purposes. Please do not misuse this information. We assume no responsibility for your actions, and in no way condone immoral activity. Help keep locksport fun for all by following strictly the one rule.

Picks can also be expensive, and difficult to acquire for some. Previously we demonstrated how to make your own pick out of a paperclip. Today, I’ll discuss how to craft your own pick set.

Tools & Materials

by ITS Tactical The pick set itself will be made out of metal. For this tutorial, spring steel from an aircraft wiper blade was used. Hacksaw blades or spring steel from automotive windshield wiper blades may also be used. Keep in mind that a thin set can help when picking certain locks.

In addition to the required materials, a few commonly available tools are needed for the project.

• Grinder or Dremel tool – You can make your picks by using files, but it will take more time
• Sandpaper – You will want to use (at least) 220 grit all the way up to 600. This is to smooth and polish the metal after grinding, allowing it to slide over the pins with ease
• Propane torch
• Pliers
• Cup of water
• Safety Glasses

During this process, please remember to utilize protective equipment and be wary of where any sparks go. It’s hard to use a pick set when you’re blinded by a hot shard of metal!

The Pick

by ITS Tactical The first thing to do is take your material and cut it to a length that feels good in your hand. This may take a couple of tries. Different lengths work better on certain locks, so experiment.

After you have your material cut to size, it’s time to set up your work area. Take a cup of water and set it in a way that you can dip your pick in as you grind away. You don’t want to heat the metal up too much. Doing so will cause the pick to be very brittle. If you do overheat the metal, you will have to heat treat the steel, which we will discuss later. Do try and avoid this issue though.

Start grinding away at the blade. Take your time and dip it in the water to keep it cool. What you want to end up with is called a pick blank, which can then be further ground into the desired pattern.

by ITS Tactical From here you need to figure out which pick you want to make. Patterns can be found everywhere on the internet, or you may use the pattern of another pick in your collection. Once you’ve found the desired pattern, use it to grind your blank into a pick. Remember to constantly dip the metal into the water to keep it cool. (Previously, I tried marking the blade with a pattern but found that as I ground away the markings disappeared.)

Once satisfied with the pick, use sandpaper to knock off the rough edges. Work your way to a fine grit to polish it up. This is an important step; the pick must be smooth enough to glide over the pins of the target lock.

The Tension Wrench

by ITS Tactical A pick is great, but useless without a tension wrench. This is where you need to get your propane torch out. I recommend making the wrench with some spring steel from a wiper blade. You can shape the steel either before the bending or after. It’s a matter of preference, I find it easier to shape the metal if I bend it first.

Bending

Light your propane torch and grip the spring steel with a pair of pliers. Heat the section you want to bend until it is cherry red. This section should be close to the end of the steel. While keeping it in the flame, take another pair of pliers and bend it 90 degrees. Then immediately dunk it into the cup of water. If you have not yet done so, you may shape the tension wrench now.

Shaping the Handle

by ITS Tactical The tension wrench can be made easier to handle by giving it a twist in the handle area. The process is similar to before: heat the metal up until it is cherry red and, with your two pliers, twist the metal while it is in the flame. Then immediately dunk it into the water. Your result should be something like the wrench in the accompanying photo. The bow isn’t much of a concern, as it will not interfere with the operation of the wrench.

Treating the Steel

If you were hard on the grinder and overheated the pick you will need to heat treat the steel. The process sounds difficult, but is actually quite easy. Just light your torch and with a pair of pliers heat the pick at the cool part of the flame (not the blue cone). Wait for the metal to turn colors, but not cherry red. Once it changes color, work your way down the pick, then set it to the side and let it cool naturally. Your pick has now been heat treated.

Conclusion

After you’ve made your set, you will probably want to put a little oil over the tools to keep them from rusting. When practicing, I will thin out the tension wrench as I try it out in a lock.

With patience you can build a decent set to start learning the skill with. Combine this with a DIY Lock Pick ractice set and you will be well on way your way to mastering the skill of picking locks. So get to the workshop and start picking!

Editor’s Note

We encourage everyone reading this article to get involved with lock picking as a skill set through various lock sport groups such as Toool and Lock Sport International. There’s a large community out there of people who understand the value of this skill-set and also like to have fun picking locks. Also check out our Bogota Entry Toolsets for a great pre-made set of lock picks in Stainless or Titanium!

Remember, when practicing your set you should always follow the Lock Sport code of ethics.

You may only pick locks you own or those you have been given explicit permission to pick.

Lock sport is an honest, ethical, and legitimate hobby. Unfortunately, the whole world hasn’t figured that out yet (though we’re working on it!). Because the lay person has a tendency to perceive what we do as somehow nefarious, it is extra important that we commit to following a strict code of ethics. For this reason, the above credo is non-negotiable in the lock sport community. Lockpicking should never, ever be used for illegal or even questionable purposes. Please do not misuse this information. We assume no responsibility for your actions, and in no way condone immoral activity. Help keep locksport fun for all by following strictly the one rule.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join ITS Tactical in welcoming Chris Rea as a contributor to ITS Tactical. Chris is a former Coast Guard boarding team member and currently working with the Maryland State Police as an Aircraft Mechanic. He also shares our passion for learning all he can and giving back to our community!

One of the skill-sets we advocate here at ITS Tactical is picking locks as well as handcuffs to prepare yourself for any situation, including this recent Baltimore scenario. While Police are unsure of the motive in the Home Invasion/robbery, there’s no denying that being able to escape this kind of illegal restraint is beneficial to know!

Here’s our article on How to Pick Your Way Out of Handcuffs, as well as some related articles linked below. Stay safe and learn the skill-sets that could one day save your life!

Jack had misplaced the keys to a very sturdy trailer hitch lock and needed to remove it to hook up a trailer. Rather than spend the money and time to call a Locksmith, I was more than happy to accept his cup of coffee bribe and help him out.

Practical Applications

As we’ve mentioned before on ITS Tactical, our intention in going into detail on Lock Picking as a skill-set is not to advocate illegal methods of entry. Primarily it’s to illustrate the “illusion of security” and help you realize how unsafe all those locks are that you use in your daily life.

Secondary to the illusion of security is the practical application of the skill-set, demonstrated here in the video that Jack filmed while I was helping him out with his lock.

Recap

While it did take me around ten minutes to pick the hitch lock, it was a difficult lock to pick with the Bogota Entry Toolset that I EDC (Every Day Carry). I’m not here to make excuses, but to give you a perfect example of what you may run into out there when helping out your friends and family.

The keyway on this particular lock is very small and oddly shaped. I say “odd” due to the fact that there’s no lip to wedge a tension wrench into that you’ll commonly see on locks. Because of the small overall height of the keyway, my only option with the tension wrench I had was to wedge it in sideways to provide tension. While this worked, it also took up almost the entire keyway, eliminating the space needed to insert the rake of the Bogota Entry Toolset.

What took me the better part of the 10 minutes was having to improvise and use the single feeler pick to wedge/twist into the keyway to provide the tension needed, while gaining the room to rake the lock. (as seen in the photo to the upper right) While it wasn’t graceful single-motion lock picking like you see in the movies, this is definitely real-world. You’re not always going to go right up to a lock and open it with ease.

I certainly don’t consider myself a pro and have seen quite a few people I do consider pros get stumped now and again with locks that they’re not familiar with. Just more reason to practice on as many different kinds of locks as possible. I have a large bag of different locks that I practice with when I have downtime and Jack gave me this lock to add to my growing collection.

I definitely need more practice with smaller keyway locks! What kind of locks have stumped you before?

The Locksport community was designed for just this purpose and the recreational challenge of lock picking. What we’d like to do with this article is to introduce you to the concepts behind Lock Picking Forensics and why this seemingly untraceable method of entry is becoming a thing of the past.

Leave no Trace?

While this article is just a starting point in our discussion about lock picking forensics, we wanted to provide you with a few basic principles. Like the “illusion” of security mentioned above, there’s also the “illusion” that lock picking is an invisible method of entry. The truth is, it’s definitely not. We hope that Law Enforcement and insurance companies will eventually have the capability to use lock picking forensics. We have heard of some Law Enforcement using lock picking forensics already and hopefully it becomes widely adopted.

The big problem right now is with insurance claims, where without signs of forced entry, they won’t process loss claims. Does anyone here have any experience with a denied claim due to lack of forced entry evidence?

Leave a comment with your thoughts on lock picking forensics, do you see it as a good thing?

]]> http://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/lock-picking/lock-picking-forensics-and-what-gets-left-behind/feed/ 5 http://www.itstactical.com/intellicom/diy/how-to-make-an-inexpensive-diy-lock-pick-practice-set/ http://www.itstactical.com/intellicom/diy/how-to-make-an-inexpensive-diy-lock-pick-practice-set/#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:14:18 +0000 The ITS Crew http://www.itstactical.com/?p=8129 View Article]]> Whether you consider yourself a novice or pro when it comes to lock picking, there’s no denying that everyone needs to keep up their skill-set without damaging their house locks.

Today we’re going to show you how to build an inexpensive lock pick practice set for less than $40 that will rival the stands, kits and sets that cost three times that.

With just a quick trip to Home Depot, you’ll be on your way to creating your own set to work with and ensure that the next time you’re locked out of your house, you’ll be able to get back in!

Comprehensive

The way we’ve designed this practice set, is to enable you to practice providing tension from both directions, i.e. clockwise and counter clockwise. As you might know from practicing yourself, it’s nearly impossible to tell which direction the plug in a cylinder is going to turn simply by looking at the lock.

Other visual queues must be used in order to read the direction the plug is going to turn and from which direction you’ll provide tension with your tension wrench. While we could take up an entire article just on technique, we’ll save that for an upcoming article.

Suffice to say that this set will allow you to practice for what you may potentially encounter when LEGALLY picking locks and makes an excellent practice station for your Bogota Entry Toolset. What it won’t help you practice for are the dummies that install their locks upside down, which will eventually cause pin spring problems. Make sure you don’t make that mistake when building this setup.

Versatile

Not only will this practice set allow you to turn plugs in either direction, but the cylinders you’ll have with your purchased deadbolt sets will allow you to re-key or remove pins.

Removing pins is a great building-block method for learning how to pick locks. While again the scope of this article is the creation of this set, not necessarily teaching how to remove the pins. However, this is something that will be addressed in an upcoming article.

The cylinders you’ll see in the image to the right are removable from the deadbolt housing and with a simply sliding/prying motion, you can remove the cover and access the pins.

Beware of cheaper deadbolt sets you’ll see in your hardware store adventures, some lack the ability to access the pins and remove or re-key the lock.

Materials

The only real expenses for the set, provided you own tools, are the two deadbolt sets and wood. However, there are some specialized drill bits you’ll need that you may have hiding out in your tool box.

Don’t be afraid to open the deadbolt package up in the store to make sure it’s the kind we’re describing.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• (2) Deadbolt Sets (with removable cylinders)
• (2) 12″ long x 9″ wide x 1 1/2″ deep (actual dimension) blocks of wood
• (3) 2 1/2″ wood or exterior screws
• Small diameter drill bit long enough to reach all the way through the 1 1/2″ deep block of wood (smaller in diameter than your screws)
• 2 1/8″ Hole Saw
• 1″ Wood Boring Bit
• Countersink (size of your screw heads)
• 1″ Wood Chisel
• Bastard File (to sharpen your chisel if needed)
• Hammer
• Phillips Head Screwdriver
• Ruler or Speed Square
• Pencil
• Optional: non-slip drawer liner material (to line the bottom of the stand)
  

Assembly

Essentially what you’ll be creating is two door jambs, but first you have to build the stand. We were able to find a 48″   x 9″ wide x 1 1/2″ deep piece of wood to make two stands for about $2. What’s great about buying this at Home Depot was that they’ll cut it for you. So for $2 we had four 12″ pieces of wood to work with, even though the project only requires two.

Make the Stand

Assembly is very straightforward after your wood is cut. Simply draw an outline of the upright 12″ piece of wood on the base piece and mark the location for your pilot holes in the bottom side of the upright piece and the top side of the base piece. Our three holes were marked at 2″, 4 1/2″ and 7″.

Now drill pilot holes (to keep the wood from splitting when you screw the two pieces together) with your small diameter drill bit all the way through the base piece, as well as up through the bottom side of the upright piece of wood. Flip your base piece over and using the pilot holes you drilled all the way through, countersink these to allow for clearance of the screw heads so they’ll fit flush.

Keeping the base board flipped over, line up the upright piece underneath it and screw your three screws in. You might want someone to hold and provide pressure to the base piece to ensure it stays still and that you don’t wind up with a gap where the two pieces meet.

Drilling Deadbolt Holes

As you’ll read in the instructions for the deadbolts you’ll buy, the 2 1/8″ circle that needs to be cut is either 2 3/8″ or 2 1/2″ in from the outside edge depending on what. Our measurement was at 2 3/8″. Remember that you’ll be repeating the instructions for both sides. Our instructions even had a template you could use to mark the location of your holes.

On our 12″ piece of wood, we measured 3″ down from the top of the upright piece and drew a nice straight line all the way around the upright. This will help you out when you drill the 1″ holes required for the actual deadbolt backset.

We’re not going to get into how to drill these holes, as it’s pretty simple. You need to (2) 2 1/8″ holes and (2) 1″ holes drilled deep enough in the sides to meet the larger 2 1/8″ hole on each side.

After your holes are drilled, insert the deadbolt backset and trace around the face plate of the latch. This is now the area you’re going to chisel out. This takes some patience and work, as you need to continuously check the fit to ensure the chiseled out area is deep enough. Be careful not to chisel out too much. You’re not going for style points here, just make sure it fits flush.

You can also mark where the screw holes are in the faceplate and drill pilot holes for those, although it’s not really necessary.

Hardware Assembly

At this point you can spray paint your stand if you’d like to, we just used flat black spray paint. This is just cosmetic though, but you’re welcome to throw some support our way and slap some ITS Stickers on there too!

Following the assembly directions on your deadbolts is the best course of action here. All you’re essentially doing though is inserting the backset, screwing down the faceplate, placing the deadbolt cylinder set in the hole (make sure your cylinder is facing the right direction!), placing the turn piece on the back and screwing it all together with the long screws that are included.

What you have now is an awesome place to practice your lock picking that allows you quick access to change out pins or even replace the deadbolts completely if you wear them out. Keeping graphite in the locks is a good way to ensure proper operation.

An option modification to this stand is to purchase a piece of non-slip drawer liner material and spray glue it to the bottom like we mention at the end of the video below. This will ensure your stand doesn’t slide around while you’re practicing.

Notes

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on creating your own Lock Pick Station, please follow the lock sport code of ethics below and have fun! Stay tuned for our next article where we’ll show you in detail how to remove pins and some good techniques for picking.

]]> http://www.itstactical.com/intellicom/diy/how-to-make-an-inexpensive-diy-lock-pick-practice-set/feed/ 27 http://www.itstactical.com/gear/tactically-organize-and-employ-your-entry-tools-with-215-gears-custom-tactical-bag/ http://www.itstactical.com/gear/tactically-organize-and-employ-your-entry-tools-with-215-gears-custom-tactical-bag/#comments Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:35:43 +0000 Bryan Black http://www.itstactical.com/?p=8030 View Article]]> I’ll admit I’m a bit of an organizational freak, but my wife and those that know me would probably say that’s an understatement. With that being the case, I knew I had to get one of 215 Gear’s Custom Tactical Bags to organize my entry tools.

The Custom Tactical Bag is the Gucci of entry tool bags. Nowhere have I seen a more comprehensive and modular way to carry method of entry equipment on the market today. Up until now, it’s been limited to throwing everything in a big bag, or trying to come up with your own velcro panels to mount all those little items.

While purpose built for carrying entry tools, the Custom Tactical Bag is functional enough to be used for just about anything, including medical supplies or EOD tools.

Custom Tactical Bag

As described on 215 Gear’s Website, “this project was designed from the ground up for one specific purpose, for the tactical organizing and employment of method of entry tools.”

Through the use of custom designed panels, pouches and accessories, the Custom Tactical Bag fills a large void in carrying entry / lock picking tools and does so with a well thought out design that makes efficient use of velcro to bring tremendous modularity to the bag.

Description

The Custom Tactical Bag is smaller than it appears, but don’t let that fool you. It measures 16″ long x 8.5″ tall x 4″ deep and literally held everything I needed it to.

Exterior

Starting with the exterior of the bag, the first thing you’ll notice is the nice rubber-coated nylon webbing handle that provide a nice comfortable grip, despite any amount of weight you may be carrying. Moving away from the handle in either direction will land you at the ITW Nexus/Fastex buckles that allow the shoulder strap to be removed if unnecessary.

The adjustable shoulder strap itself is made from 1.5″ webbing with a contoured, slip-not backed pad that keeps the bag in place whether carried on a shoulder or in a messenger bag style configuration.

Moving to the backside of the bag reveals a low zippered-compartment running the width of the bag. This pocket opens to reveal a hook lined velcro field spanning the entire interior of the pocket for attaching small panels, or to take advantage of the well thought out drop cloth integration.

Measuring a whopping 36″ wide x 28″ tall the fold-out drop cloth not only neatly tucks away in this compartment, but also integrates a 11″ wide x 7″ tall loop velcro area that attaches directly to the inside of the compartment. This ensures that the stored drop cloth stays with the bag at all times and is ready to catch any metal filings or scraps that may get created from entry.

The drop cloth itself is very nicely made with heavy-duty pack cloth and bound edging all the way around. Definitely a feature that adds great functionality to the bag and doubles as a nice place to lay out your equipment.

Made from 1680 ballistic nylon for durability, the Custom Tactical Bag is sure to last a lifetime.

Interior

Accessing the interior of the bag is handled by a clamshell opening on the bag. When carrying the bag, the opening almost seems wrong until you understand the true purpose of the bag and how filleting it open via the heavy-duty zipper allows full access to all contents.

Both the top and bottom inner lid feature hook velcro allowing the placement of any loop velcro backed panel manufactured. Some of 215 Gear’s panels offered are covered in a plush fabric, which also adheres very well to the hook velcro.

The true modularity of the bag lies with the removable main interior panel that allows twice as much storage in the same amount of space. The interior panel is also attached via a PALS/MOLLE connection and can be mounted in either of the three channels of PALS provided to make more room for bulkier items.

This is a great feature of the bag, as it allows some of the larger pouches to be mounted in a way that doesn’t cause the interior panel to ride over them and cause unnecessary bulk in the bag.

Last but not least are the ingenious panels and pouches that 215 Gear has designed to hold everything from bump keys to files for the fine art of lock impressioning. There are over 10 different panels and pouches to configure the bag however you’d like. How awesome are these?

Just take the bump keys you see in the photos of this bag, before I stumbled across the GP Panel #1 I was literally storing all 35 of those keys on a large binder clip ring. Each time I’d need a specific key I’d have to rattle though all of them to find the one I was looking for and then open the binder clip to remove one.

I’m also a huge fan of the GP Panel 2 and 3 which not only do an excellent job of securing a pick set case, but even hold a pair of vice grips extremely well.!

Equipment Carried

Here’s all the items, panels and pouches carried in this bag; despite the numerous items there are still plenty of places let for expansion. Worst case, I just change the configuration and have a brand new set up (Many of these lock picking items can be found at 215 Gear).

Bottom Side

• GP Panel 3 – Peterson Elite 4 Bypass Pick Set
• GP Panel 2 – SouthOrd Assorted Pick Set
• GP Pouch 3 – Security Bit Set, Pin & Tumbler Trainer Lock (For Practicing)

Interior Panel Side 1

• Stanley Mini Crow Bar – Shoved into unused PALS webbing
• GP Panels 11-13 (4) – County Comm Micro Widgy, Mini Multi-Tool, Lock Graphite, Peterson Bump Hammer Weight Kit, Rolled Aluminum Can Strips for Padlock Shimming
• GP Panel 4 – Wire Strippers/Cutters, Pens, Hemostats (curved and straight), Mirror

Interior Panel Side 2

• Adams Rite Slim Jim – Shoved into unused PALS webbing
• GP Panel 1 x 2 – Bump Keys, Featherweight Tension Wrench, SerePick Bogota Entry Toolsets
• GP Panel 10 – Warded Padlock Picks, Automotive Jigglers, Keys for Trainer Lock

Top Side

• GP Pouch 1 – Craftsman Screwdriver/Bit Set, Petzel e+Lite, Peterson Bump Hammer
• GP Panel 2 – Craftsman Auto-Lock Vice Grips
• GP Pouch 4 – Gerber EOD Multi-Tool

Coupons!

Before you rush off to 215 Gear and order a Custom Tactical Bag, they have provided you guys with some killer coupons for not only the Custom Tactical Bag Complete Kit, but Lock Picking supplies, lights, mag pouches and T-Shirts as well!

• Use code ITSCBkit in the coupon code section of checkout for 40% off the complete Custom Tactical Bag Complete Kit a new item set up just for this review that includes the bag and 1 of each panel and pouch. Valid thru December 7th.
• Use code ITSlocks in the coupon code section of checkout for 25% off all lock picking items, lights, mag pouches and T-Shirts. Valid thru December 7th.

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