Can Your Padlock Withstand a Bullet?

The latest issue of Popular Mechanics had a fantastic writeup on a battery of abusive lab tests they put some padlocks though, to see which one would come out on top.

I immediately bought the issue when I saw it on the newsstand, and was excited to learn they’d published their results online too.

They used five great testing criteria, including Shock (like from a sledgehammer), Bolt Cutters, Tensile (force to pull the shackle out), Salt Fog (effect from weather), and a Gunshot.

I would have personally liked to see more locks included as well as lock picking and bumping added to the testing, but overall it’s a great test! Suprisingly the $24 Master Lock beat out the $115 Medeco and appears to have been bulletproof.

What do you guys think of the test? Check it out here and let us know in the comments.

photo by Ofer Wolberger