Lock stuck at 180 after picking - help a noob out.

[Hexlockpick]

Hello there!

In my apartment I have a spare room that I some how managed to lock myself out of, there is nothing of important in there so I decided to set myself the challenge of not using the key and ONLY lockpicking my way in there - just for fun ya know.

I picked the lock itself quite easily after 30 mins or (I am quite a new lockpicker) although once the lock was picked I rotated it clockwise to open the lock and it gets stuck at 180 degrees! I can 'unlock' the lock from this position by pushing the pins back up and turning back anti-clockwise to it's original position.

How do I remedy this and get the lock to turn the full 360 degrees to unlock the door? Thanks very much!

(I have a picture of the specific lock in case that is needed - just let me know).

[just1pick+open]

1st, never attempt to pick a lock that is in use!...2nd pictures always help.

[least]

Probably some part of driver entered the keyway - take a pick or a BOK wrench, insert it into the keyway, so that it reaches the last pin and press the driver pins back to the bible. Now the core should be free to rotate...

[Hexlockpick]

A lil update - I found that when the lock is stuck at 180 and I pick it again and keep turning it open it just goes back to how it was before I picked it once it becomes up right again.

[Hexlockpick]

1st, never attempt to pick a lock that is in use!...2nd pictures always help.

I have a picture of the lock yes, and don't worry I don't mind if I bugger the lock - I have picked and 'unpicked' it many time and have not messed it up yet.... yet.

[Hexlockpick]

Probably some part of driver entered the keyway - take a pick or a BOK wrench, insert it into the keyway, so that it reaches the last pin and press the driver pins back to the bible. Now the core should be free to rotate...

When looking inside the keyway I could see there is a pin at an angle to the pins at the bottom that I was picking - is this the driver pin?

Looking from the keyway it is a pin that is tilted 180 and a little over to the right compared to the pins I am picking.

[madsamurai]

...pictures always help.

Read this as "POSTING a picture will help us help you." What you're describing doesn't really make sense...

[Hexlockpick]

...pictures always help.

Read this as "POSTING a picture will help us help you." What you're describing doesn't really make sense...

I'm describing what's happening exactly. I just have a picture of the lock one second.

[madsamurai]

OK, makes a lot more sense now. Your description didn't make sense because that's not a lock I would expect to find on a spare room, especially here in the US. One of our european friends can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that side pin is a passive anti-picking pin that prevents a springed pin from pushing into the cylinder when there's no key. Try pushing it out while you've got the key pins lifted as described above.

[Hexlockpick]

OK, makes a lot more sense now. Your description didn't make sense because that's not a lock I would expect to find on a spare room, especially here in the US. One of our european friends can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that side pin is a passive anti-picking pin that prevents a springed pin from pushing into the cylinder when there's no key. Try pushing it out while you've got the key pins lifted as described above.

Ah yes I do hope so.

So I should go back, pick the lock like normal and then once all the pins are up somehow hold that pin up at the same time as turning it?

[madsamurai]

So I should go back, pick the lock like normal and then once all the pins are up somehow hold that pin up at the same time as turning it?

If I'm correct, that would be correct Might take three hands, tho... If you keep tension on when you lift the key pins up, it might turn enough to hold them in place while you pick the side -- but I'm honestly just going on theory here, I've not picked one of those myself. Hopefully someone else can chime in who's had their hands on one.
If you have a bit of metal or a tension tool that's small enough to slip in flat at the top of the keyway so the driver pins won't drop in at 180, that might help... then you'd have both hands free to tension and work the side pin.

[Visitor]

You've picking it many times before so you shouldn't have a problem?
The pins have dropped into the bottom of the keyway and need lifting with your wrench to continue picking however something feels fishy about this whole story.

[MHM]

You've picking it many times before so you shouldn't have a problem?
The pins have dropped into the bottom of the keyway and need lifting with your wrench to continue picking however something feels fishy about this whole story.

Agreed.