Stéphane Lee

I recently bought a Master Lock combination padlock (without key) but I’ve lost the paper that contains the combination to open the lock. I remember only part of the 3-digit combination.

After much searching, I’ve found this illuminating comment on digg:

the information he neglected to tell you was that the first number is either the last number, or the last number + 4, or that +4 and so on, and the second number is the last number + 6, then that plus 4 and so on. So, if your last number is 2, the first number possibilities are

2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38

and your second number possibilities are

8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 4

Thus, 100 possible combinations, if you are good, you should be able to go through them in 5-10 mins, which means within 2 and 1/2 to 5 mins, you’ll have had a 50% chance to have solved it. It works, I’ve been doing it for a while… As a hobby, that is.

It was very clear and more valuable than the digged article.