Lock Bumping and Bump Keys

Lock bumping is a lock picking trick that has been getting a lot of attention in recent years. Nearly all homes still use cylinder locks as a main basis of security, and these locks are easily compromised with a little know-how and a few essential tools. A special cut key is inserted into the lock, and then the key is gently “bumped” with a mallet or a screwdriver. This forces the pins in the lock to jump up to the shear line as the key turns, and the door opens. The “bump key” required to complete this is simple to acquire, and can now be ordered over the Internet or made at home easily. The technique requires no special skill and is effective most of the time. This allows burglars to go into your home without any indication of forced entry. Lock bumping is a reasonable danger that you should take seriously when evaluating the safekeeping of your home.

Lock bumping is a method that had long been used by the locksmith industry when a locksmith needed to open a lock with no key available.

Records of its use go back over 50 years, but it was not a recognized technique in the criminal community until recent years (thanks to the internet). Lock picking was still the most renowned way around locks, and that takes time and requires specialized tools and training. Bully force to get around a lock makes racket and leaves behind signs of break-in. Lock bumping is quick and rather quiet. It was first classified as a security concern around 2001.

Bump Key

A bump key is required for lock bumping to be effective. The key must be the right size for the lock in question, but the only other requirement is that each ridge in the key is cut to maximum depth.