Don't believe me? Well okay, it'll probably take longer than that the outset couple of times. But information technology really isn't difficult to get the combination for a Dudley y'all've never seen earlier.

At get-go it seems like an incommunicable task. You've got 60 points on the punch and yous need 3 turns to open the lock. That's 60 x 60 x 60, or 216,000 possible combinations. Theoretically.

What helps the states out here is that each and every number isn't used, since the internal discs are not designed for 60 dissimilar positions. In that location are really only 10 different positions the discs can assume, which is a good matter when you lot call up about having to dial in numbers with millimeter accuracy when you lot're trying to get into your locker.

So alright, how exercise we discover these 10 positions? It doesn't crave any high-tech wizardry, all y'all need to do is pull upward on the shackle while turning the dial. The dial will only move between a few numbers, and this is the fundamental to finding the combination.

Sticking zones (in green) and buffers (in bluish) for this particular lock.

Now yous'll be able to run into the 10 positions backside the punch, and you'll be able to observe the 10 numbers the combination is picked from. Say you discover that the dial sticks between 1 and 4. This is the first position of this lock, and then take a number in the middle, let's say two. The adjacent sticking point volition be between vii and ten. There will always be a two number buffer between the sticking points, representing the gap between indentations in each internal disc. The indentations are always 4 numbers wide, which makes it easy for us to figure out the remainder of our combination numbers – merely go along adding 6 to your first number.

So for this lock we have 2, 8, 14, 20, 26, 32, 38, 44, fifty, and 56 for our possible combination numbers. Each lock will have different sticking zones so the numbers will vary, but there is e'er a half-dozen bespeak spread betwixt them. Hmm, this is starting to look possible!

Okay at present nosotros have 10 x x x 10, or 1000 possible combinations. Well you could sit down and run through 1000 combinations, mind numbing as that would be, merely luckily it gets easier.

We actually only demand the first 2 turns of the combination to open the lock, because on the third turn you tin can simply spin the dial through each zone while pulling up on the shackle. This knocks our possible combinations down xc percent. So actually there are simply 100 possibilities.

But in reality there aren't even that many. For almost all Dudley locks out there, the second combination number is lower than the starting time. This may not hold true for all locks, merely it's been that mode for every Dudley lock that I've seen. This ways that our possibilities are reduced to 9 + 8 + vii + 6 + five + 4 + three + 2 + 1. Which leaves us with a thousand total of 45 combinations! The list is so small you lot can easily write information technology out.

These are the possible combinations of this particular lock, listing the first two numbers just. For the third number just spin through the sticking zones while pulling up on the lock until it clicks open.

viii-2, fourteen-2, 20-2, 26-two, 32-2, 38-2, 44-2, 50-ii, 56-ii

14-8, 20-eight, 26-eight, 32-8, 38-8, 44-8, l-8, 56-eight

20-14, 26-14, 32-fourteen, 38-14, 44-14, 50-14, 56-14

26-twenty, 32-20, 38-twenty, 44-20, 50-xx, 56-20

32-26, 38-26, 44-26, fifty-26, 56-26

38-32, 44-32, l-32, 56-32

44-38, 50-38, 56-38

50-44, 56-44

56-50

I've followed this method for a few Dudley locks, and it's taken me as little every bit seven minutes to effigy out the combination. Not really that secure is information technology? It's a piffling scary when yous call back virtually the thousands of schools, universities, gyms, and other public places where combination locks are supposed to secure your personal stuff. With a fiddling practise, it isn't hard to imagine anyone being able to open your lock in 10 minutes when in that location are merely 45 combinations to piece of work through.

Say it takes you 30 seconds to detect a sticking zone, count up the 10 possible numbers, and write them down. You don't need to write down all the possible combinations, just start from the offset number, continue the second number lower, and head clockwise. If you're quick near it and tin exam one combination every 12 seconds (with a spin at the finish), worst example scenario information technology will accept around 10 minutes to crack that lock (12 x 45, + 30 seconds = 9 1/2 minutes). And even if you're not that fast, the chances are only 1 in 45 locks you'll need to exam every possible combination.

Of course, this tin too be useful for completely legitimate purposes, like finding a combination you've forgotten or removing an abandoned lock without bolt cutters. All padlock-style combination locks are designed pretty much the same, and so even if it's not a Dudley the method in a higher place should even so be of some utilize.

**Take a look through the comments for updated info. As well, feel free to post your success stories with your lock letter and whether your start combination number was higher or lower than your 2nd.**