How to crack open a combination lock.

This one is a little more difficult, so pay attention kiddies!

Ok, first things first, some statistics:

There are 64 000 perceived possible combinations to open a combination lock. That comes to more than a week of 24/7 manual attempts.

However there does exist a simple mechanical weakness that reduces the number of possible combinations to 100.

Step One: Apply pressure upwards on the shackle. Then rotate (hard) counter clockwise (the numbers) until the hinge locks.

Copy this number!

Repeat this step and you should have 12 different numbers (copying down all the numbers).

Step Two: 7 of these 12 numbers will be between 2 digits. Ignore them. You should now be left with 5 digits. Write them down. 4 of these numbers will end in the same last digit. Copy the odd one out.

What you now have is the last number in the 3 digit sequence.

Step Three: Now this gets a little complicated.

0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36
0, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30 ,34 ,38
→ 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37
1, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39
→ 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37

2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 16, 30, 34, 38
2, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 0
→ 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38

3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39,
3, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 1
→ 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39

Find your number in one of the 3rd rows (with the arrows pointing at them).

Try the first digit in the first column, and the first digit in the second column, then ending with your 3rd digit.

Then (assuming that combination didn't work), try the first digit in the first column, and the second digit in the second column.

Repeat these steps (first in first, third in second... [all the way to] ...last digit in the first column, last digit in the second column). Eventually you will come across the combination, with the maximum combinations you will have to try being 100 (which is no more than 5 minutes of trying).

Examples:
- If my number was 6, I would try 2, 2, 6. Then 2, 8, 6. Then 2, 12, 6. Get the idea?
- If my number was 31, I would try 3, 3, 31. Then 3, 9, 31. I would repeat this until I got to 39, 1, 31.

REMEMBER TO WRITE DOWN THE FINAL RESULT.

And there you go. That's how you crack open a combination lock. Any question? Just leave them in a comment below and I will be happy to answer them.

Stay tuned, more How To's coming soon!