Disc Detainer Padlock Pick

You don’t need to let the words disc detainer put you off picking the lock. This pick is a clever design that will make quick work of detainer copies, such as Blackspur and Monterey.

It’s difficult to pick disc detainer locks, but we’ve made it effortless with this crafty tool. This is a classic part of the essential locksmith kit for getting into more locks.

How Does a Disc Detainer Lock Work?

A disc detainer lock (also called disc tumbler lock) uses “discs” as its primary locking mechanism. Every disc inside the lock has a cutout called the true gate. At the side of disc detainer locks, a component called a sidebar is placed.

The sidebar is a rodlike small component that prevents the lock from twisting without the correct key. Take note that this lock operates by turning the discs. The key of a disc detainer has unique rectangular cutouts that guide the discs to rotate toward the sidebar. The grooves of disc detainer locks differ in length. 

Some grooves are longer, while some are not. The grooves’ length difference is due to the distance between the disc’s true gate and the sidebar. Thus, when you twist the key, all discs will rotate and align at the sidebar.

The discs will only align if the sidebar falls on the true gates of all discs. After alignment, twisting the lock further will release the ball bearings and unlock the lock.

Disc Detainer Lock Picking

Before you start lock picking, you must first understand how disc detainer locks work. You can watch videos or read guides about this kind of lock. After understanding the mechanism of this lock, you can start learning how to pick disc detainer locks.

To start, get your tension wrench to zero out all the discs. Zeroing out all the discs means that you need to put them on one side, whether clockwise or counterclockwise. Doing this can help you count the number of discs inside the lock.

Then, count the number of discs using the disc detainer pick. To pick the lock, you need to pressure the tension wrench to force the sidebar into the true gate. If there is still resistance, it means that not all discs are aligned.

From here on, you just have to continue picking the lock using a disc detainer pick. The picking will be a trial-and-error process. Even with the best picks and tools, you still need to have excellent skills and patience.

Beware of False Gates

Sometimes, picks will hit on grooves that feel like the true gate. These grooves are called false gates, and they will not fit on the sidebar.

When you feel like the pick hit a groove, try rotating it toward the sidebar. If it will not fit, then it’s a false gate. Thus, you’re back to square one.

False gates are added security measures to prevent the manipulation of locks. Though false gates don’t make disc detainers unpickable, it delays lockpickers from unlocking the lock.