Bump keys when properly used will open any lock it fits into. It is not a new technique, and has been used by criminals and locksmiths alike for decades. Even today a lot of the locks inside of door handles and deadbolts from mega stores can be bumped open. The lock on your front door is likely vulnerable to this technique. The general public doesn’t have a clue about bumping locks, and therefore homes are not protected. This also goes the other way too, not many people are likely to have a set of bump keys or know how to use them.

In a lock, the key’s ridges and valleys line up with pins when inserted all the way in. There are 2 pins on top of each other, and if where they meet is lined up perfectly with the end of the lock, it will allow the tumbler to spin and unlock. They way Bump Keys work, is the valleys are cut down to the lowest setting leaving very small ridges to come into contact with each pin when fully inserted into the lock. Just like a set of billiard balls, when you hit the first pin with the ridge, the second one will move.

Insert the key part of the way into the lock leaving one or two ridges outside. Hit or “bump” the key all of the way in. This is what sends the top pins higher creating a gap to turn the cylinder and unlock the lock. Sometimes they will open with just the bump, but most of the time you’ll have to time the turning of the key with the “bump” of the pins. Like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. A great way to learn how to properly use Bump Keys is to become an apprentice locksmith.