Locksmith Advice: What Is Lock Bumping?
Chances are you’ve probably heard of “lock bumping,” the most sensational home break-in fad since lockpicking— or so the local Henny Penny news would have you believe. The idea is that since most homes still use the classical cylinder style lock, they can easily be compromised. Essentially, the would-be robber would insert a specially cut lock into the keyhole and then bump the key with a mallet or with blunt force. The force would cause the pins to shove toward the shear line which allows that key to turn the lock and open the door. If you’re concerned your Whitehall property might somehow fall prey to the bump key, you should reach out to Buckeye Locksmith to schedule a security consultation for your business or home.
Bumping Keys
Wondering if these robbers are actually skilled locksmiths themselves that tried their hand at creating a key that opens every lock? It’s actually much more simple than that. You can just purchase them off of Amazon and then use a mallet that you picked up from a hardware store. It’s been around since 2002, but it wasn’t created by some sort of evil genius which means you can certainly outsmart the trend with a little elbow grease and a care for the security of your property.
The Lock Bumping Origins
Lock bumping was originally a technique locksmith would use to help their customers gain more immediate access to their property. It was nifty back then because if we needed to make a copy of your key, we’d first have to access the original that was on the wrong side of the locked door. Thus, lock bumping became a typical locksmith technique but that was a popular tactic back when lock picking was still the best way to gain access to a place you weren’t supposed to be entering. If you know nothing about lock picking, you should at least know that it is now the least likely way a thief will gain entrance to your property. It’s extremely complicated, requires an entire host of tiny tools and plenty of time. That bit in the movies where the super secret spy picks the lock with a bobby pin in mere minutes before the bad guy comes around the corner simply isn’t realistic. Forcing a door open with sheer force is loud and leaves signs of a break in behind, whereas lock bumping will rarely even manage to break the lock.
What is a Bump Key?
Bump keys are strange. If someone is pretty intent on breaking into your property in Whitehall, it’s more likely that they’ll have a whole host of bump keys. This is mainly because the bump key needs to be the same size as your actual key. While there are a variety of standard sized keys, narrowing down the specific size down can be easier said than done. The key itself will have a host of ridges that are cut to the maximum depth which allows the pins to slide past with ease after the initial bump. Funny enough, because expensive newer locks are cut to be more precise, bumping actually works better on them than it does on older cheaper locks. The pins don’t move as smoothly and the clunkier mechanics of the lock render it harder to manipulate even with a good bump key.
Are The Statistics For Your or Against You?
Since lock bumping can’t be determined if you don’t catch the thief actively trying to bump the lock, there is very little in the way of actual lock bumping statistics. It doesn’t break the lock and it shows no signs of forced entry, but it’s the general conclusion if there’s a home invasion without any signs of force. In fact, two-thirds of all home break-ins show no sign of forced entry, so you can probably easily do that math.
Prevent Lock Bumping with Buckeye Locksmith in Whitehall
Schedule a consultation with your Buckeye Locksmith to evaluate how susceptible your current security system is to a break in. We may suggest fitting your door with a variety of chain latches or we could look into modifying your existing locks by creating a different pin system. If we think you’d benefit from installing bump-proof locks we’ll certainly steer you in that direction and provide a variety of options for you so that you can better navigate your own security with ease. Interested in having the optimal control and security always at your fingertips? Contact us to inquire about installing a keyless entry system to protect what’s your even better. Reach out to our Whitehall staff to find out more about your lock needs and if lock bumping is prevalent in your neighborhood today.
