Watch: How to Open a Padlock With a Beer Can

I’ve seen a lot of “how to open a padlock with” videos, and most are a bit lame or at least not really share-worthy.

This one is pretty straightforward and makes good sense. Although the large links that overlay much of the video are annoying. Oh, and I recommend muting the sound; it’s just techno music.

Most padlocks have a pawl or “dog” inside that engages with a notch in the loop (shackle), and when you close the lock, an angle or slope on the end of the shackle pushes against a similar slope on the dog, to shove the spring-loaded dog out of the way so the lock can be closed without need of a key.

When the key is turned, it simply retracts the dog to allow the shackle to open.

The concept here is that you create a thin shim, wrap it around the shackle, work it down into the lock, and use it to shove the dog aside, thus allowing the shackle to open.

It’s worth a watch.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.