ABUS 72/40

Difficulty Notes

Intermediate difficulty; more difficult than the 74/40; harder than standard locks but easier than the American 1100; not beginner friendly; intimidating to new pickers.

Sources (r/lockpicking):
- u/Darkblade48 (3pts): 'In order of increasing difficulty (in my opinion): 74/40, 72/40, American Lock.'
- u/miller74md (2pts): '...short of maybe the Marine dimple locks or the 72/40 (which isn’t really that beginner friendly).'
- u/HollowHax (3pts): 'I have three of these and to be honest I have not tried picking one yet, they intimidate me lol'
[confidence: high]

Picking Notes

Top of keyway tension (preferably with a prybar); requires practice to overcome intimidation; binding pin may feel less stiff than other locks.

Sources (r/lockpicking):
- u/underwarewolf (7pts): 'As stated in another comment, the left 4 are top of the key way tension tools.'
- u/throwawaytnt (5pts): 'You want top of the keyway tension. Preferably with a prybar...'
- u/digpicks (2pts): '...the „binding“ situation feels different on this one. The actual binding pin isn’t totally stiff like I know it from every other lock until now.'
[confidence: medium]

Tension Tips

Use the left 4 tools as top-of-keyway tension tools; can set the bottom tool in the top of the keyway to provide tension.

Sources (r/lockpicking):
- u/underwarewolf (7pts): 'As stated in another comment, the left 4 are top of the key way tension tools. Meaning you can set the bottom (as shown) in the top of the key way to provide tension.'
[confidence: high]

Bitting Variance

The ABUS 72/40 is a popular training lock used by many users (some own 8+); it features a Yale-style keyway with wardings that can be picked through; it is often compared to the American 1100 as a step up in difficulty; some users note it has crisper feedback than other locks.

Videos