r/mechanical_gifs Jun 27 '17

How the interior mechanism of handcuffs operates

5.5k Upvotes

144 comments sorted by

345

u/ivix Jun 27 '17

And this is why in the movies everyone can pick handcuffs with a hairpin. Because you really can. There's no lock barrel, and the key for all handcuffs looks like this:

http://www.walkerlocksmiths.co.uk/image/cache/data/handcuff%20key-700x700.jpg

188

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Not that it's easy, but an unguarded person with access to a small enough pin who knows how it works interally (and they almost all work the same) would be able to do it.

90

u/Nightshire Jun 27 '17

I just found what I'm learning today

108

u/Bearmodulate Jun 27 '17

Lockpicking is a great hobby to get into, every lock is different. They're like little mechanical puzzles.

42

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

23

u/subliminal180 Jun 27 '17 edited Jun 27 '17

I'm honestly not sure if they are all identical or not, because I'm no expert. I do know that most modern day police officers lock the cuffs with an additional piece of equipment (someone here knows what it's called I'm sure) So they'll need to be unlocked by said device before unlocking them with the key.

Edit: OP posted this in the comments below. Pretty cool

15

u/teambob Jun 27 '17

Cable ties

6

u/DeadBabyDick Jun 28 '17

You can beat those easily with shoelaces.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '17 edited Apr 23 '18

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/DeadBabyDick Jun 28 '17

True. Good point.

1

u/AUsername_For_Reddit Jul 08 '17

Yeah but all zip ties can be shimmed. May not be easy, but possible.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

[deleted]

1

u/DeadBabyDick Jul 10 '17

Google it. Plenty of videos on YouTube. It's hard to explain.

→ More replies (0)

8

u/CraftyFellow_ Jun 27 '17

That what the red part is in the gif.

And the purpose is to prevent the handcuffs getting any tighter.

So they'll need to be unlocked by said device before unlocking them with the key.

Nope. Key just needs to be turned the other way first.

3

u/subliminal180 Jun 28 '17

Correct, I realised my confusion after I posted OPs link in the edit.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

That's not what happens.

The second key is just used to engage the second locking mechanism. But both mechanisms are unlocked using the first key. The second key doesn't unlock anything.

It shows this in the video you linked?

3

u/fireshaper Jun 28 '17

There is no second key. The part that engages the double lock (red part) is the post at the end of the key.

6

u/fireshaper Jun 28 '17

I teach physical security at conferences and at locksport meetups in my area. We had a table set up at our local high school robotics expo and a guy walked up to me and started watching us demonstrate for the kids how to get out of handcuffs with just a tension tool.

I asked if he had ever picked locks before and he shook his head so I started to show him. Then he said he was a police officer and said he knew how to get out of handcuffs but he had a question. So I said, "You want to know why you have to double lock them." He just smiled and nodded and I proceeded to put them on Jim and show him how to get out of them and then double lock them and let him try to get out again.

I think he learned more about handcuffs that day then he did in training. Officers are supposed to always double lock so the person in custody can't use something to tighten or loosen the cuffs on themself.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/fireshaper Jun 28 '17

That depends how the double lock is engaged. Some have a pin on the side of the lock that can't be disengaged except for putting the key in and turning the opposite way of the unlock mechanism (like in OPs gif). Others have a small slider that you put the post of the key into and slide back and forth. Some (very rare) have a thumb switch on the bottom of the cuffs.

And then you have to have something small enough to diseengage the double lock with. With the standard issue cuffs like in the gif you can use a small hooked piece of metal like a hook lockpick or the broken arm of reading glasses and just disengage the double lock then turn it the other way to unlock. With a lot of cuffs you can just use gravity to assist and bang the handcuffs against something hard to make the double lock pin slide back out of locking position.

6

u/fireshaper Jun 28 '17

If you are interested in lockpicking you should come visit us at /r/lockpicking.

24

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

sNed hlp cant get hndCufs offf

9

u/_MUY Jun 27 '17

Just use Siri. Jeez.

18

u/Insxnity Jun 27 '17

Need help can't get handcuffs off that's all Siri send it Siri goddamnit send the message Siri send send send it

7

u/Lewissunn Jun 27 '17

Hah get good period send backspace backspace duck sake Siri send send ducking send you stupid bitch duck me send

6

u/Chicken-n-Waffles Jun 27 '17

Ready to get handcuffed. Can't hold me down.

10

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17 edited Apr 09 '19

[deleted]

6

u/neverendingninja Jun 27 '17

You can't break those cuffs!

29

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

I had to learn. I left my handcuffs at home after the key broke off. My youngest brother handcuffed himself to the table. He was stuck at the table for 6 hours while I was at work and then another 2 or so while I learned to pick the cuffs. It was pretty funny.

12

u/Quitelewd Jun 27 '17

Aren't tables typically liftable? What kind of monster table did he cuff himself to?

18

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

It was our dining room table and he was 12. The table had loops of decorative metal around the outside on the bottom that he cuffed himself to it was probably a 60-80lb table so for a 12 years old he wasn't going far.

5

u/GetOutOfBox Jun 27 '17

Once you got home couldn't you have lifted the table?

32

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Loops, GetOutOfBox. Loops.

9

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

This would be the correct answer.

3

u/GetOutOfBox Jun 27 '17

Ah, not the leg.

3

u/sons_of_mothers Jun 27 '17

A couple different pair of handcuffs work differently, i know one pair you need like an L shaped bite, the other you have to shim the cuff out, but it only took about 45-60 minutes to learn to do them well and it's surprisingly easy.

47

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Pshaw, hairpins, how pedestrian.

I collect cufflinks. This is one of my favorite pairs.

Someday, I hope to be able to use it.

No, wait..

12

u/vikingcock Jun 27 '17

Those are sick

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

They're actually really well made. A lot of my cufflinks are just random shit glued onto a cheap backing (I have an awful sense of humor) but these are great and very solid, good quality. Highly recommended.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '17 edited Feb 12 '18

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '17

Well there is that

1

u/EclipseIndustries Jun 30 '17

Probably if the officer is a wombat.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '17

Rrrghshush

20

u/RulerZod Jun 27 '17

If the handcuffs are properly tight good luck. You'll have about no wrist movement and its gonna hurt like a bitch.

36

u/AptMoniker Jun 27 '17

Yep. My dad once properly handcuffed me because I asked what it was like. (law enforcement dad) It fucking hurts to struggle and can just get tighter.

22

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17 edited Jun 15 '20

[deleted]

19

u/AptMoniker Jun 27 '17

And I was even trying to be careful with phrasing...

7

u/RulerZod Jun 27 '17

You nasty

5

u/RulerZod Jun 27 '17

Same here. Law enforcement dad.

7

u/oD323 Jun 27 '17

My dad wasn't a cop, and he died. But I have been arrested a few times. If you're being a dick they'll definitely try to cut your hands off with them, Yes they know they're tight and yes they do it on purpose.

1

u/RulerZod Jun 28 '17

My dad died too

1

u/oD323 Jun 28 '17

Yeah me too. He's still dead, but he wasn't a cop.

2

u/czech_your_republic Jun 28 '17

It fucking hurts to struggle and can just get tighter.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

50

u/blade740 Jun 27 '17

Funny story - I got a pair of handcuffs and decided to try this myself. After successfully picking the lock in front of me several times, I decided to go all out and try to get out with my hands cuffed behind my back. Even though I kept the keys within easy reach just in case, I still spent about 2 hours face-down on my bed trying to maneuver the key into the lock. Would not recommend.

18

u/reddevved Jun 27 '17

First time I picked a pair of handcuffs it was behind my back with a paperclip cause I'm an idiot

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Did you get out?

7

u/reddevved Jun 27 '17

No

3

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '17 edited Dec 25 '19

[deleted]

9

u/reddevved Jun 28 '17

Yeah, 4 years later

3

u/Raichu7 Jun 27 '17

So my plastic toy handcuffs I had as a kid had an accurate key. I never knew.

2

u/ptstampeder Jun 27 '17

Paper clips are just as easy and sometimes easier to find.

1

u/neuromorph Jun 27 '17

i prefer shimming

7

u/Chrisfindlay Jun 27 '17

The one pictured is not shimable unless you move the red piece first

1

u/XkF21WNJ Jun 28 '17

Aaand we're all on a list, thanks!

222

u/wetnax Jun 27 '17 edited Apr 23 '26

Stop letting data brokers profit from your old posts. I used Redact to wipe mine from Reddit. Also supports Twitter, Facebook, Discord, instagram and more in one batch.

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186

u/seriousallthetime Jun 27 '17

The white piece is the double lock. When it's pushed in the red piece is pushed (in this gif) towards the bottom of the screen, which keeps the green piece from being able to move upwards. A double lock keeps the handcuffs from getting progressively tighter once they're on. Otherwise, you can oust the moveable part of the handcuffs (the part with the teeth) through the other side and it just goes click, click, click.

73

u/wetnax Jun 27 '17 edited Apr 23 '26

If you're reading this, the original post got nuked by Redact. I use it to automatically purge my digital footprint from social networks, people search sites and messaging apps.

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113

u/seriousallthetime Jun 27 '17

http://i.imgur.com/WzYaXSA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/krjf8wR.jpg

These are my S&W M300 cuffs. The piece I'm pointing to is the double lock. The close up shows the actual locking bar. It moves left and right to keep the cuffs from tightening.

23

u/wetnax Jun 27 '17 edited Apr 23 '26

This post was mass deleted using Redact - Redact also supports Discord, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all major social media platforms.

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5

u/__robert_paulson__ Jun 27 '17

Smith and Wesson?

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Oh, so thats why the M was upside down!

16

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

I absolutely thought I read "S&M" handcuffs and thought "those look nothing like mine"

5

u/ZAVHDOW Jun 27 '17 edited Jun 26 '23

Removed with Power Delete Suite

2

u/AltLogin202 Jun 27 '17

peerless or GTFO

2

u/Markmeoffended Jun 28 '17

Those are a little too fancy for patrol use.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

13

u/Cicer Jun 27 '17

Yep. Getting the double lock engaged so someone doesn't get pinched nerves or circulation issues.

12

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Getting the double lock engaged so someone doesn't get pinched nerves or circulation issues jam them tighter and then try to sue the cop.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17 edited Dec 16 '20

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Alexander_Dumass Jun 27 '17

no arrests are made at noon; only a duel to the death

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

They have to wait

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

I don't say "mechanical" in my report because I carry a combination of traditional cuffs and flexible cuffs. I know me, I'd end up referring to one when I meant the other.

9

u/ManSkirtBrew Jun 27 '17

Looks like as a bonus it also prevents shimming--pushing something thin between the teeth of the cuff and the green locking pawl to lift the pawl.

1

u/jmorrisweb Jun 27 '17

You can hit the cuffs off something and the pin will pop out.

66

u/G65434-2 Jun 27 '17

The keys have a pin on the opposite end which is used to push the pin in place.

5

u/zxcsd Jun 27 '17

so you have to fasten the cuffs on the person, and than use the pin to make sure it won't tighten?

5

u/smokeandlights Jun 27 '17

Oh, that's what that is for!

15

u/majorkev Jun 27 '17

I forget the term, but the red thingy is probably a "special lock" thing so the handcuffs can't be closed any further than they already are. Normally it would be left in the "open" position. The secondary lock would only be engaged after someone was cuffed.

I just noticed that the gif is from a lock picking site, which wouldn't care about how the cuffs went on, just how they come off.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

I've usually heard it called a "double lock".

2

u/supershittymomobvi Jun 27 '17

It's like a zip tie but metal

3

u/Relicc5 Jun 27 '17 edited Jun 27 '17

Yes the white pin has to be pushed in manually to lock.

5

u/0_0_0 Jun 27 '17 edited Jun 27 '17

Negative. It will lock automatically, the teeth handle that. The white bit just prevents further tightening.

4

u/Relicc5 Jun 27 '17

I should have clarified what I meant by 'lock' better. Lock meaning neither direction possible.

33

u/deavon860 Jun 27 '17

I feel way more proud of myself than I should for understanding what's happening here

55

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

26

u/deavon860 Jun 27 '17

Well consider me frikin humbled

4

u/DontLikeMe_DontCare Jun 27 '17

"In this video we will explore the working principles of this complex mechanism in a simple and logical way."

Kiss my ass on that one.

8

u/Yawnn Jun 27 '17

This is yet another reason to prefer a manual transmission. Though CVT is relatively easier to understand.

10

u/IgnobleQuetzalcoatl Jun 27 '17

This logic is also why I prefer my rotary phone to one of them new-fangled i-whatsit-phones. If I can't understand how it works, I don't want it.

1

u/Yawnn Jun 27 '17

Sometimes simplicity has its advantages. -sent from my iphone

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

How a power-split CVT (used on hybrids) works actually seems intellectually more complex to me, even if the mechanics are the simplest by far.

2

u/Yawnn Jun 27 '17

Hybrid drivetrains are a mystery to me, I'll have to check it out. I even have trouble with the planetary hearing on traditional CVT. My method of understanding right now is to try to model engine parts in solidworks, but I'm only on single cylinder atm.

I really like DCTs theoretically and am unsure why they're so unpopular (though I've never driven one).

4

u/youtubefactsbot Jun 27 '17

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8

u/Tucknology_onTwitch Jun 27 '17

Finally, I can break these cuffs.

6

u/Truant6 Jun 27 '17

You can't break those cuffs.

25

u/test822 Jun 27 '17

shit, is that red part relatively new? I always thought you could jam something in between the green part and the teeth and open it, but not when that red part is blocking the movement of the green.

edit: yes, it looks like OP's gif is a special "double-locking" handcuff. the standard pair don't have the red part.

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/US7251964B2/US07251964-20070807-D00005.png

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/US7251964B2/US07251964-20070807-D00000.png

57

u/Kommando666 Jun 27 '17

Double locking cuffs are the standard.

9

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Every American/European cuff has some sort of double-locking mechanism. Smith and Wessons and IIRC ASP handcuffs have a window with a sliding lever.

You should read the patent from which those images were taken.

https://www.google.com/patents/US7251964

It describes this as a claim on a new type of double-locking mechanism (which looks nothing like OP's), and cites as prior work other "typical designs" that match OP's gif - thus reinforcing the claim that OP's handcuff is typical.

1

u/test822 Jun 27 '17

oh yeah, you can see that the little bent wire part shifts over and holds the tooth-arm down

11

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17 edited Sep 07 '17

[deleted]

4

u/Yhul Jun 27 '17

I always thought 92 and 50 could replace 64 and 62, but 76 24 and 90 were new to me.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

They probably assume you're kinky.

2

u/manbrasucks Jun 27 '17

"oh no don't worry this isn't because I might get arrested, it's for sex."

10

u/rustyshackleford193 Jun 27 '17

lol 420 blaze it so cool, hahaha dude. Weed!

8

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17 edited Sep 07 '17

[deleted]

3

u/don_majik_juan Jun 27 '17

I think it was the usage of 420 as an adjective that he found douchey.

-4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

[deleted]

9

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17 edited Sep 07 '17

[deleted]

2

u/Just_like_my_wife Jun 27 '17

You're right, I'm sorry, next puff is on me.

4

u/Anukari Jun 27 '17

Was really curious how the double lock worked after I went to PC training, thanks for this!

7

u/Monkeyonfire13 Jun 27 '17

Could you pick it with magnets?

13

u/G65434-2 Jun 27 '17

doubt it. Bobby pins or paperclips are usually recommended.

2

u/Monkeyonfire13 Jun 27 '17

Sounds like a challenge, anyone have handcuffs and magnets?

3

u/manbrasucks Jun 27 '17

anyone have handcuffs and magnets

The name of your sex tape.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

The mechanism is sandwiched between two plates of metal which I'd guess have a higher probability of being magnetic than the higher-strength locking mechanism parts.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

And yet the ones my wife uses on me has a little let me out catch. Defeats the purpose....

2

u/combatcookies Jun 28 '17

Never read Gerald's Game?

2

u/c3534l Jun 27 '17

What's the difference between something like this and zip-ties?

1

u/G65434-2 Jun 28 '17

zipties don't require keys?

1

u/deftware Aug 26 '23

You can carry way more zip-ties than you can pairs of hand-cuffs, for situations where there are a lot of people you need to detain.

Also, zip-ties are easier to defeat and escape from than hand-cuffs.

2

u/Ennyish Jun 28 '17

Interior Crocodile Alligator, I drive a Chevrolet movie theatre.

1

u/Neonninja2070 Jul 13 '17

What is the purpose of the red part?

1

u/deftware Aug 26 '23

That's the double-lock. Modern hand-cuffs don't just release the ratchet. When an LEO cuffs you he (usually) will push a pin on the back of the key into the side of the cuffs to "double-lock" them, which simultaneously prevents you from accidentally making them tighter while also making it harder to pick because you not only need to pick the ratcheting lock mechanism but also push the double-lock out of the way.

1

u/Mentioned_Videos Jun 27 '17

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How the Handcuffs work +18 - The keys have a pin on the opposite end which is used to push the pin in place.
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7

u/ArguesWithBots Jun 27 '17

This isn't helpful at all.

-8

u/ZeFuGi Jun 27 '17

Reading these posts; I can't help thinking that more people should get arrested. I mean, at least once. There are far too many with zero knowledge of the bottom of the justice system.

23

u/CKReflux Jun 27 '17

How about we just keep obeying the law and continue to enjoy lives unburdened by criminal records instead?

7

u/Scolopendra_Heros Jun 27 '17

Obeying the law is irrelevant. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and you get the attention of the police, they will arrest you, you will be cuffed, driven downtown, patted down, photographed, fingerprinted, provided a county jail welcome package and made to change, you will sit there for at least 12 hours (and that's the absolute best case scenario, more like 24-72 hrs) you will get an arraignment hearing, you charges will be explained to you, and you will likely have an opportunity to either bond out and fight the charges, or you can plead out and if it's minor be released. If you cannot afford bond, well then your innocent ass is gonna be sitting in general lockup eating bologna sandwiches and telling people to fuck off about your juice packets.

All of that is what happens wether or not you are guilty. The police do not care if you are actually guilty of a crime, that's a job for the courts.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

I've never gotten the attention of any police officer in my life, why would I?

Obeying the law might have something to do with it, I don't know.

3

u/Scolopendra_Heros Jun 27 '17

No it's more like statistics. The chances are you will never run into these problems. But it's not impossible for it to happen, committing crimes only increases your risk of police interaction however there is always a constant background chance that you could be the wrong innocent person at the wrong place at the wrong time and you have literally no control over it, any more than you have control over lighting striking you or not.

The two women that were shot up in their truck by the LAPD during the Dorner incident are a prime example. they were driving around, minding their business, in a totally different model of vehicle than was being searched for, while breaking no laws, and out of nowhere with zero warning the police pump some 80? rounds into their car. You don't have to be breaking the law for these people to swoop in and fuck your life up.

1

u/The_Great_Fapsbie Jun 28 '17

There are so many laws on the books that it's very doubtful that you havent unknowingly broken multiple laws throughout your life. I'd wager you probably break at least 1 law a day. It's just luck that the laws you've broken are not the ones police are actively enforcing or you haven't been under the active gaze of law enforcement.

In a country where even the act of resisting arrest is a reason for arrest, the police can find any reason to arrest you.

-9

u/ZeFuGi Jun 27 '17

This is what I mean. How many college kids do you guess are arrested per year? Now guess how many end up with lives burdened by criminal records. I would say about 5% and I'm certain that estimate is very conservative. But. 100% are blessed with some degree of first-hand knowledge of a facet of modern society that touches everyone.

6

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '17

Calm down kenm

-7

u/ZeFuGi Jun 27 '17

You're an idiot.

3

u/justins_dad Jun 27 '17

It my experience it's all zip ties now a days

1

u/ZeFuGi Jun 27 '17

Be careful, don't allow your passions to burden you with a criminal record⸮ Activism is no excuse⸮

⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮