Any value in learning Lockpicking?

[mnoe82]

In a EOTWAWKI situation, is lockpicking a valuable skill?

[tampam4]

I think so. In the first phase after some sort of disaster, one could question it morally to break into a home, business, area or some sort of storage. But as time goes on, I suppose the morality of it would go down, and one's survival would become key. I believe anything that can possibly give you shelter or supplies would be very valuable in such a situation.

[Outlander Systems]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaching_round

[mnoe82]

Perhaps I should clarify. My thinking is, lockpicking is a skill involving time, equipment, and luck. It offers varying degrees of success. I'm thinking in a lawless situation, the worry of destroying the barricade or the lock itself will be minimal.

Is it better to have a big set of bolt cutters or the skill to pick the lock?

[glockeyed]

i vote crowbar.

[Abraxas]

Perhaps I should clarify. My thinking is, lockpicking is a skill involving time, equipment, and luck. It offers varying degrees of success. I'm thinking in a lawless situation, the worry of destroying the barricade or the lock itself will be minimal.

Is it better to have a big set of bolt cutters or the skill to pick the lock?

The crowbar, sledge, bolt cutters method will be better. However there will be some locks that you will not have the resources to destroy and will need to defeat it some other way

[arbninftry]

I went to a Suriptitious Entry Course, it is a perishible skill, but you can teach yourself. However, a sledge hammer/Breaching round/ or bolt cutters will suffice as well. Not really a skill you cant live without, and if you really think getting into that POS Car to bugout is worth while. Bust a window, save yourself some time. Hot wiring a car would probably be more worth while of your time.

[QuietShootr]

Make yourself a bump key and learn how to bump locks. That will work more often than not on most residential builder-grade stuff, and it's a lot simpler than learning traditional lockpicking.

Bumping is so simple it's amazing it isn't more widespread.

[Outlander Systems]

Bolt cutters, a fireman's axe, a strong thigh and a good pair of boots, and some breaching rounds should more than suffice.

Since you'd be attempting to access a structure that's likely to be abandoned, I don't see much point in lock-picking.

I also don't see much need for post-disaster, forcible entry; that being said, modern homes are some of the most woefully unsecured structures in history. We can thank Law Enforcement for this fact, because we have the ROL, and guardians to protect - the need for solid reinforcements upon the structure itself has virtually vanished.

In all likelihood, you wouldn't need much more than a solid kick to the lock.

Or, you could peel back the structure's siding, and cut through the sheetrock with a box-cutter. Window? Break it. Steel door on a concrete structure? Generator with a saw.

If you NEED to get into something, you'll find a way. That being said, with a long-term breakdown in services and civilisation, we're all TU sooner or later anyway. Looting is only postponing the inevitable.

Which leads me to an article I'm working on:

[tampam4]

mnoe82, email with pdf sent!