Padlock Decoding Tip

In our locksmith company, we usually decode many combos of padlocks. We usually do it as an exercise, but its also good to preserve the padlock itself, learn the theory behind it, and other basic things. One of the things that usually give us a hard time while decoding is after reading the gates through the shackle hole, we can't get the combination right on the first try.

For a Master 1500D padlock, we usually add 11 to the number decoded from the shackle hole, to get the combination number. At times the reading will be off by one or two increments and will cause it to not working. With other padlocks, the number added will vary,  but will only be found with trial and error. Running into these kind of issues, I learned how to get the right combination. Here its where the progression and manipulation kicks in.

When misreading the gates, we would usually end up locking some of the padlocks we would work on, with no way to start over since the shackle will be locked out. We needed to find a way to start over. When it comes time to test the combination, we don't lock the lock's shackle. What we do is use another combo padlock's shackle.

This is done by pushing in and twisting the shackle until the locking dog engages. Pull on it and it is effectively locked. The borrowed shackle lock is perpendicular to the back of the lock to be worked on. Now the right combination is set, and the shackle will pop out just as if it were the lock's own shackle. But the advantage this time is that if we won't get the right combo, and need to start over, the shackle won't lock and we will be able to do that. Check out the following link for more interesting tips.