- Key bumping is a simple process discovered in the 1970's, by which almost any standard lock may be opened without picking the lock or forcing it open. It requires a simple key that would fit into a typical lock. Most locks, even the high security models, utilize a series of 6 pins held vertically and aligned in a row. In each pin there are two parts, the key pin and the driver pin, which are stacked atop one another and held against the bottom of the lock by means of a spring from above. When a key is inserted into the lock, the ridges of the key align the pins so that the key pins sit below the lock's turning cylinder and the driver pins sit above the cylinder, allowing the lock to turn as it should. The same lock can be opened by means of a key whose ridges are filed down to the very bottom of the key. By half inserting the key into any such lock one can make use of the springs' elasticity in the lock. All one must do to open the lock is exert pressure as if you were turning the key in a lock while giving the key a firm smack, seating it fully in the lock. The kinetic energy of the "bump" causes the springs to bounce and the pins to align for a split second, which the pressure you're exerting as if you were turning the lock takes advantage of, allowing you to open the lock without the aid of the real key. This method works for roughly 95% of deadbolts and house locks on the market; only two designs of lock have since been made which are completely bump-proof.
- Smartkey does not use typical pins which can be bumped. Instead, the Smartkey lock contains a series of serrated disc tumblers such as are commonly found in combination padlocks. Each disc contains a notch cut to a very specific depth. Instead of a misalignment of pins holding the lock cylinder in place, a long steel locking sidebar extends outward from the cylinder. When the key aligns all the notches of the discs at the correct spots, turning the key will retract the locking sidebar into the notches, allowing the cylinder to be rotated without the sidebar catching.
- The entire lock design for the KABA experT lock is different from anything that's ever been done. Instead of a single row of spring drive pins, this lock sports four rows for a grand total of 22 pins, each row radiating outward from a central cylinder where the key is fitted. As one can imagine, the key is designed differently as well. It has four rows of teeth radiating outward from a central rod, using a patented design which cannot be copied, as you would have to request copies of your key from the company itself. Also the pins are not held in place by springs; they are magnetic. Only the correct key, which has the same magnetic polarity as the pins, would repel the pins into their appropriate place on insertion into the lock, allowing the cylinder to be turned.
