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So, I picked up some 3mmx5mm cylindrical neodymium magnets to try in some locks. I stuck 4 of them in an old Corbin 6 pin cylinder that I can normally pick in about 30 secs and I've spent almost an hour trying to pick it with the magnets in. Seems with ball bearings underneath them to protect the softer magnet, they can make killer challenge locks.

Any thoughts on why it makes the lock harder?

im not 100% sure, but I think it has to do with how the magnets attract one another at the shear line. it could cause them to float in the chambers a bit. I saw a video from Bosnian bill where he actually declared defeat because of them which gave me the idea to try it.

Especially when someone is using picks made from magnetic stock. I can just see the pick 'sticking' to each pin stack, killing feel.

Gordon

I've tried this. If you use a stainless pick it doesn't work. Also as stated the neodymium is soft. After a week or so in the lock and picking once or twice a day, the magnets were all worn and chipped. Grit (micro magnet dust) was finding it's way to the springs, the pin chambers and in the sheer line making it gritty and prone to failure.

Ultimately I decided that for me, I couldn't ruin a lock like that. I have also drilled a hole in the side of the plug the size of a big neodymium magnet I had. I expoxyed the magnet in the hole. The hole ended about 2 mm from the side of pins 234 and 5. I then filed the protruding magnet from the edges of the plug so it was round and turned n8xe in the core. I tested it for hours and days making sure it wouldn't mess the lock up. It was great. Then I sent it to Texas Jim. Who promptly picked it open without any trouble. Cause he makes his picks out of stainless. Something I found out after. You can see the magnet in the plug on his video, but he doesn't even mention it cause he didn't even know it was there.

Lol it was still fun, and he can still send the lock to someone else.

Neodymium magnets usually come coated in nickel but with rubbing it easily comes off and then when the ferrite is exposed it chips and grinds up very easily. You can get them coated in rubber, or even teflon if you're feeling rich.

Aren't there some actual commercially produced pin tumblers that use magnetic pins for kinetic attack protection? I suppose the idea would be that the pins would stick together instead of going all Newton's Cradle on you.

Not that I know of. But then again I don't claim to know much lol. I know of magnetic locks that use magnets internally, but they all use magnetic "key" as well and I doubt they have a rotating core with springs and sheer line.

...and there was my problem. I always figured sparrows picks were non magnetic stainless. I tested all my sparrows picks and the magnet stuck to them. My southord picks on the other hand had little attraction to the magnets. That makes sense why I could pick the lock that I modded later without difficulty with a southord pick.

Mottura c35 or c38 iirc has one magnetic pin stack and a magnet in the key.
The concept is the opposite. You need the magnet to lift the springless magnetic pin and separate it from his bottom friend.
Yes I said bottom. The euro profile cylinder is supposed to be mounted euro stile.

Cheers