I’m following up my post on auto jigglers, with a post on bump keys. Bump keys are another lock picking item you look at and say “It shouldn’t be that easy”. The practice has been around for a long time for those in the know, but has only recently in the past few years come into the light for the rest of us. Of course lock companies wouldn’t want you to know how ineffective their products could be. And it is too late now, but we didn’t want would be criminals to know about this, if they didn’t already that is.

But thanks to the internet and online videos, everybody who wants to knows how to make and use bump keys. To make one you take a new or old key and cut it down to its maximum depth size of nine. It can be made by machine, or you can file it down yourself.

To use it, one inserts the bump key into a lock and taps on it with another item like a screwdriver or hammer. The theory is that by banging on the lock the pins inside will jump up and allow you to turn the lock as they fall back into their correct unlocking position. There is an abundance of videos and tutorials online, which like most things relating to lock picking can be a good or bad thing. Here is a news clip on the subject.

Another scary lock picking tool for people to think about being used against them is the auto jiggler. Auto Jigglers are basically metal cut outs of car key shapes that are essentially bump keys for cars. There are professionally made sets, and from what I've seen on the internet a relatively easy do it yourself project. One just needs to find the right style of key and wiggle it around inside the car door lock. If they hit the right spot the lock will open , letting them into your car. Like many locksmith tools, these can be used for good or for evil.

I like this video because it shows a little trial and error, but still demonstrates how easily someone can open your car door. This must be one of the reasons for all the new cars being keyless. Though I'm sure that has its flaws as well.