At My Locks, we love a good film. Particularly, one where some stealthy spy or rough action hero is trying to get through a building, but are faced with their oldest enemy – a locked door. How will they get through without the key? Simple, they grab their handgun and shoot at the lock. The door then falls open and they’re free to carry on their mission.
But does that actually work? Sure, it’s a convenient and simple way to keep a film plot going, but we wanted to know if it was actually possible to shoot out a lock, or if it’s just another example of Hollywood movie magic.
Is it Actually Possible?
Technically, yes. And we mean that in the strictest way possible, only technically. If you have the exact right gun with the right ammunition, aimed at the exact right spot, you stand a small chance of opening the lock with the gun. Most of the time, shooting directly at a lock, especially a deadbolt, will result in a mangled looking lock, but the deadbolt won’t have moved an inch. So now you’ve got a door that you can’t open at all.
Of course, there are a few rare occasions when it might just work. If you had a shotgun or a large calibre rifle and you’re shooting from a few paces away, you could manage to completely destroy the lock and the mechanism. That rules out handguns, which a lot of the films we’ve seen prefer to use for these scenes.
So in theory, yes, but in reality, you’d be better off trying any other entry method.
Why It’s a Really Bad Idea
Here’s a fun exercise for you. Go grab yourself a gun and a big old rock. Stand a few feet back, and pull the trigger. Does the idea make you a little nervous? It should. A high-speed projective aimed at a solid object at close range is going to cause a lot of problems, whether it’s a rock or a locked door. After all, firearms aren’t magic – they’re bound by the same laws of physics that govern everything from your
For example, if someone chooses to ‘shoot out a lock’, they’re more likely to get:
- High-speed shrapnel
- A ricocheting bullet
- A mangled lock that’s even less likely to open than before
- Damage to the people on the other side of the door
- Injuries and regret
And that’s just if you try to shoot out a padlock! The list doubles if the lock is inside the door itself, which is much more common. And let’s not forget digital locks, which come with a whole host of their own risks.
Alternative Ways to Get Around That Lock
So if shooting the lock out isn’t going to give our film star the results they want, what could they do instead? There are a few options:
Shoot around the lock: Rather than unloading a hail of bullets on what’s probably the strongest and most solid part of the door, why not choose a softer target? Your film hero could shoot around the lock, aim for the hinges, blow through glass in or near the door, or even just blast a hole in the door so that they could reach through and open it. All much more realistic than shooting the lock out of the door.
Breaching ammunition: If our hero knew they would face locked doors and needed to get through quickly, they could have packed some breaching ammunition. This is a special type of shotgun ammo that’s designed for taking out door locks and hinges. They work by firing a cup of metal powder that breaks apart on impact. This reduces shrapnel and the chance of ricochets, as well as improving chances that the door will open.
Beat it up: If your film character is facing a padlock, they could use their gun to beat the lock open. This is likely to be far more effective than shooting it. The stock of a shotgun or a rifle should be perfect for this.
Pick it: If you’re not in a hurry, you’re far better off picking the lock. Yes, it will take a little bit of time, but it means you can get through quietly and leave no damage behind. And it actually works!
Top Tip – Ratings Matter
The interesting thing to note here is that the security rating of your lock does actually make a difference to how well it stands up to things like bullets. As well as all of the much more common breaking methods! An American gun club ran a series of tests on different Masterlock padlocks and in-door locks, each with a different security rating, The lower rated locks (between 4 and 6) tended to fail or even catastrophically fail when shot at, but when you hit the higher safety ratings the failure rate is much lower. So although it’s very unlikely that someone will try to break into your home or business by shooting out the lock, it’s a good reminder that choosing a high security rating really will keep you safer.
Of course, if you’re just a normal person who’s locked out of the house, we don’t recommend you use a gun to get in! Instead, you’re far better off calling a professional locksmith to help. At My Locks we specialise in non-destructive entry methods, so we can get you into your home quickly, and your door will be completely functional afterwards. We can even cut you some new keys while you wait! If you’d like to find out more, just get in touch with us today.