Squire LP10 Picked

When I first started learning lock picking, I quickly discovered that finding practice locks was half the challenge. I started asking friends, and family if they had any old or unwanted padlocks lying around.

One of my neighbors—who still insists some of my hobbies are a little unusual—had a Squire LP10 padlock securing a tow chain. The key had long since disappeared, and he jokingly said that if I could get it open, I could keep it.

Challenge accepted.

The lock had clearly spent years outdoors, so getting it moving freely took longer than actually picking it. After flushing it with engine degreaser and working some machine oil into the keyway, I was able to free up the pins enough to rake it open in under five minutes.

Once the chain was liberated, I returned it to my neighbour and gave the padlock a little restoration of its own. An hour soaking in CLR removed much of the corrosion, followed by a thorough drying and fresh lubrication. While it's hardly a high-security lock, bringing it back to life made it a great addition to the growing collection.

More importantly, it became another opportunity to practice single-pin picking and develop better feedback through the lock. Every lock has its own personality, and even inexpensive padlocks like this are valuable learning tools.

Specifications

• Model: Squire LP10
• Body: 50 mm solid brass
• Shackle: Hardened steel
• Pins: 4-pin mechanism