Pick Guns: Snap Picks for Pin Tumblers
A pick gun (snap gun, snapper pick) is a locksmith tool that strikes all pin stacks simultaneously to open pin tumbler locks quickly. Manual guns fire a needle upward into the keyway; electric models oscillate continuously.
Pick guns function like bump keys — kinetic energy separates drivers from key pins at the shear line — but use a tool instead of a cut key.
How Pick Guns Work
Insert the needle below the bottom pins, apply light tension with a wrench, and snap the trigger. Drivers jump while key pins stay seated; if every stack clears the shear line momentarily, the plug rotates. Several attempts are normal on mid-security locks.
Electric and Vibration Picks
Motorized guns buzz the needle at varying frequencies hoping to resonate pin stacks open. They leave more forensic scarring than manual snaps because of constant motion inside the keyway. Homemade variants adapt electric toothbrushes or similar motors.
Limitations
Security pins do not block guns unless tension is applied too early. Upside-down cylinders are awkward but workable. Wafer and disc locks are poor candidates — energy damages components without opening. Restricted keyways limit needle access.
Forensic Evidence
Pick guns are classified as covert entry but mark pins and plug faces distinctly — useful in investigations distinguishing gun use from raking or bumping.
Locksmith Practice
Guns speed low-security lockouts when picking would take longer. They are not a substitute for skill on high-security hardware. Technicians document when guns are used on commercial calls for liability records.