About Lock Pick Guns

First patented in 1934, lock pick guns are among the most intriguing tools in the world of lock picking

Here at Art of Lockpicking, we offer two popular models of Brockhage lock pick guns—the BPG-10 and BPG-15—, as well as Peterson government steel replacement tips.

Brockhage BPG-10 vs. BPG-15

The only difference between the Brockhage BPG-10 and BPG-15 is the direction in which the needle snaps.

BPG-10 Lock Pick Gun: Snaps the needle upward and is used for locks with pin stacks on the top of the keyway.

BPG-15 Reverse Lock Pick Gun: Snaps the needle downward and is used for locks with pin stacks on the bottom of the keyway---such as euro locks.

What are Lock Pick Guns?

Lock pick guns—also called snap guns—are nifty lock picking tools that function like bump keys.

They work by inserting a thin blade (also called the needle) into the keyway of a pin tumbler lock and applying tension (rotational force) to the keyway using a turning tool.

When the trigger is pulled, the blade retracts and then quickly snaps upward, smacking the key pins—which transfer their energy into the driver pins and launch them out of the plug.

If everything goes according to plan, all of the driver pins will leave the plug simultaneously, and the plug will turn—thus unlocking the lock.

There is a fair amount of skill and luck involved in successfully using snap guns.

One of the hardest aspects of using a lock pick gun is striking the pins simultaneously. Because the blade pivots from the gun, it will strike the front pins slightly before the rear pins. Ideally, you want to strike the pins at the same time, so angling the blade correctly takes practice.

They also struggle in paracentric keyways and short keyways where there isn't enough room for the blade to move fully.

Like bump keys, they also struggle against locks with anti-bump features.