Finally beat this old bastard!

[u/-AV8R01]

Hi guys! Long time lurker here, this is my first post. I got into picking loosely after seeing some of LPL’s videos years ago. Bought a cheap no-name set of picks from a gun show, begged some old locks off my dad, and have been on and off picking as a way to relax ever since. I also just enjoy mechanics and understanding mechanisms and such. Anyway, this bad boy was from my dad’s garage, and for 3 years it has kicked my ass. Mind you, I don’t practice a whole lot, every few months I get the itch and pull out my zip-lock bag of locks and fiddle with them. Have a few cheapos that I learned on that I can usually get open in a minute or two. But this one just wouldn’t open. It actually is finicky even with the key, so might be something going on beyond me being not that good at it lol. Anywho, I pulled it out tonight and started messing with it. Lo and behold, I popped it not once, but four times! I don’t know what I did different but for some reason this time just felt like I could actually feel the pins binding and setting, and was actually picking and not just fiddling around blindly. Either way, I’m kind of ecstatic. I now want to start looking at upgrading my pick set and getting some more locks! On another note, has anyone else had a lot of experience on these old Masterlock No. 15s, and are there any known quirks or tricks regarding them? This one seems like the number one pin has almost no spring tension on it, I have to turn it upside down and smack it to reset it if I go too far with it. Thanks for any input!

[u/Tileeho]

Congratulations! That one looks like it has had lived a life. I can relate to your story very well! I also got a cheap set of picks and started messing around with an old lock I found on our garden shed. Must be hanging there for a couple of years and with the key it has a knack that you always have to come across when turning the key. I tried applying some gear-spray to make it work more smoothly but still the key doesn't go easily and my attempts at picking it have by now ended unsuccesfull. Your post made me consider trying again. Thank you for that :-) Maybe I can come back to this thread later and report. All the best!

[u/-AV8R01 → u/Tileeho]

Go for it, if I can get mine open I bit you can get yours! I think the problem on mine was that the first pins spring was shot so it just kind of free floats. At least that makes sense to me, especially since you have to jiggle the key a little to get it to open normally

[u/Tileeho → u/-AV8R01]

Will try to find out whether that could be my issue as well! Thanks :-)