I'm 22 chapters into a book i'm writing and need my character to get out of handcuffs using a thick needle. Basically, i need to understand handcuff locking machanisms, what sort of pins and levers are inside. I don't care too much about the plausibility of it, because there's a guardian angel involved it the story. But i need to let the readers understand the machanics of what he's doing. Can anyone hlep me out here or point me to some good references. i seem to keep hitting roadblocks
Picking handcuffs for a novel
Sep 12, 2003
Last reply: 22 years ago
9 Replies
not much to handuffs check out this link
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You could probably find something here too....
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Leon Rowell
Gerry wrote:
character to get
to understand
are inside.
because there's a
the readers
hlep me out
hitting
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The most common published method of suspect escape from handcuffs is with a key in the suspects possession. Several police officers were killed in a high profile case a few years ago in that very way. You don't state what type of handcuffs are in your story. Most modern police handcuffs utilize similar or identical mechanisms which are fairly well made and while certainly not impossible to pick would be difficult with a straight object and your hands behind your back. That is especially true for the hinged variety which are frequently advertised as being impossible to open while cuffed behind the back even with a key in the suspects possession. That said, the novelty handcuffs fequently sold to the general public can be opened by a ten year old with a hairpin. If you are really interested in a detailed description of the mechanism your best bet is to buy a pair of each. You can find them by the hundred on e-bay:
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Cuffs from Hiatt, Smith and Wesson, etc will be the real deal and will cost you
15 - 30 bucks. The novelty ones usually go for less than $10 and are usually advertised as such. They are usually made by someone you have never heard of if any manufacturer at all is stated. Additionally most cuffs with 3 or more links of chain will be the novelty ones. 2 links is standard for police quality. Although from what I gather the hinged ones are also very popular. All police cuffs are also double locking usually by means of a push pin located near the keyhole, parallel with it, and actuated by a -- shaped protrusion at the butt of the handcuff key. The double locking mechanism (if any) on the novelty variety is usually a slopy lever shaped assembly which can be actuated by the finger alone. Considering the use the police variety are intended for I would encourage you to stick to the novelty variety if you want to go into great detail in your account of picking them.
More realistic would be a pallpoint pen with a brass ink cartridge. Your character would need to bend a small "flag" outward from the hollow tube (away from the writing end). The tube slips over the post in the keyway and the flag turns the mechanism.
With care and luck this can actually be made to work in real life.
I haven't heard this one before, and I think it could easily work - although it would clearly require some kind of tool such as a Leatherman, or at least a small knife.
How dare you post defeating instructions..... ;o)
Leon
Jay Hennigan wrote:
At least he didn't give away the secret of using a ball point pen with a hair dryer!
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