History Main / ShootOutTheLock

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[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/ANewHope Hokey enclosures and ancient padlocks are no match for a good blaster at your side.]]]]

* Of course, modern, more [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm2j0zsQ92M&feature=related effective]] means are sometimes used.

* In "Advertising/The GreatCrunchieTrainRobbery", the outlaws shoot the padlock off the strongbox holding the Crunchies.

* In ''Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead'', Takashi ''tries'' to do this, but resident Gun {{Otaku}} Kohta quickly stops him, worried that one of the bullets will riccochet and hit one of them.

* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQbXeAycblU "The Crunchie Train Robbery,"]] the outlaws shoot the padlock off the strongbox holding the Crunchies.

** {{Justified||Trope}} during the opening scene when the SWATTeam breaches the roof of a bank through a locked roof accessway. It takes three shots at point-blank range from a shotgun loaded with breaching shells, which blasts the lock right out of its mounting.

** {{Justified}} during the opening scene when the SWATTeam breaches the roof of a bank through a locked roof accessway. It takes three shots at point-blank range from a shotgun loaded with breaching shells, which blasts the lock right out of its mounting.

* Discussed and ultimately averted in ''VideoGame/WeirdAndUnfortunateThingsAreHappening'': When Alicia and Miriam need to get past a locked door in Viola's clinic, Alicia suggests to Miriam that she try shooting it. Miriam declines, stating that if it worked like Alicia thinks it does [[YouWatchTooMuchX in the movies she watches]], she'd need a shotgun instead of her pistol, and it wouldn't be worth it to risk the blowback from all the shrapnel.

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[[quoteright:330:[[Webcomic/{{Spacetrawler}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shootcontrolpanel_9446.png]]]]

* Subverted in ''Film/SWAT2003'' when the BigBad locks a sewer exit the protagonists were chasing him through. The lock is obviously a high-end, very tough lock, and a couple of shots from an assault rifle barely dent it. They have to resort to blowing the entire grate off with a claymore.

See also OpenSaysMe, ThereWasADoor and AxeBeforeEntering for other violent ways to get through the doors, and WeldTheLock, for using lasers and similar things to seal doors shut.

* {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries'': a low-power shot from an EnergyWeapon tricks an electronic lock into thinking there's a fire and enabling a manual override, despite the spaceship's security system trying to keep the door shut. This sort of security loophole is a running theme in the series.

** Also in the ''Citadel'', Shepard will be confronted by an angry Traynor who just got thrown off the Normandy by [[spoiler:Shepard's clone]]. If Shepard is in a romance with her, when she kisses her to prove it's really her, the squadmembers can be seen in the background opening the door. Almost everyone uses their omni-tools to hack it open...except for Wrex who opts to just shoot the door's conduit, which works perfectly.

The SpeculativeFiction version is shooting [[DestructionEqualsOffSwitch the control panel]] for the automatic door or force field, or [[ForceFieldDoor automatic force field door]]. While there are doors that "fail safe" or "fail open" when power is cut, in fiction this is always coincidentally whichever the shooter and/or plot requires. (Note to villains: The EvilOverlordList recommends rigging yours to reverse this.)

* ''Anime/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune''. It's suggested that Unit K-321 try blasting open the door to an artillery fortress being used by the rebels, but it's pointed out that if they can't get through the door, the damage will prevent their getting through any other way. Their VirtualSidekick then [[WeHaveTheKeys unlocks the door for them]], as it's one of their own bases so their AI has the entry codes. When the rebels find out they are there however, they play it straight by blasting open the door with a rocket launcher.

Ballistic breaching is only used by the military or SWAT, and it usually involves a modified shotgun, Kevlar body armor, and specialized [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaching_round breaching rounds]]. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_breaching#Ballistic breaching operation]] is performed with the muzzle in contact with the door, or as close as possible, and angled downwards at a 45 degree angle. For a breach on the latch side, two shots are fired at a point halfway between the lock or handle and the door frame to hit the lock's bolt, and then an attempt is made to open the door before repeating if necessary. A hinge-side breach calls for a total of three shots per hinge followed by an attempt to open the door.

* The WebVideo/LockPickingLawyer, with the help of his friend "Bosnian Bill", has field-tested numerous padlocks against gunfire. This reached its peak with his [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=t2l4PVJkhzQ Video 944]], attempting to shoot open what could be the world's strongest padlock; while the LPL himself [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=nwgwCmh7SGg was able]] to successfully pick said padlock normally with some effort, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill it had to be shot to smithereens, including with liberal amounts of .50 BMG rounds, before it would open]].

* Like the ''Kojak'' example above, the Special Air Service found it was more effective to use a shotgun to destroy the door's hinges, rather than the lock. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaching_round Breaching rounds]] are designed specifically to make this more relatively safe for the firer and anyone in the room behind the door, but they're still used in the same way by shooting the hinges at least as often as the lock. This is also the primary purpose for the development of shotguns mounted under the barrel of an assault rifle, most famously the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAC_Masterkey Masterkey]].

* As mentioned above, ShotgunsAreJustBetter for this exact purpose in the military. While most any shotgun would do for the purpose, breaching shotguns are made specifically for shooting out the hinges and the lock, primarily by [[SawedOffShotgun cutting them down]] to a size where one guy can carry it and a few shells with him without compromising the ability to carry a primary weapon and several magazines for it during the other 99% of the mission where any shooting will be at things ''other'' than locks and hinges. In some cases one will go for an [[BifurcatedWeapon underslung shotgun]], like the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight%27s_Armament_Company_Masterkey KAC Masterkey]] or more recently the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M26_Modular_Accessory_Shotgun_System M26 MASS]].

* Parodied in ''Eat and Run'': McSorely is a cop who constantly [[NarratingThePresent narrates his actions]] as he does them. At one point, he is blocked by a locked door. He pulls out his gun and says, "Bang! Bang! Went the gun. The doorknob exploded!" Then he chickens out and just kicks the door down instead.

* ''Anime/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune''. It's suggested that Unit K-321 try blasting open the door to an artillery fortress being used by the rebels, but it's pointed out that if they can't get through the door, the damage will prevent their getting through any other way. Their VirtualSidekick then [[WeHaveTheKeys unlocks the door for them]], as it's one of their own bases so their AI has the entry codes.

* ''Anime/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune''. It's suggested that Unit K-321 try blasting open the door to an artillery fortress being used by the rebels, but it's pointed out that if they can't get through the door, the damage will prevent their getting through any other way. Their AI VirtualSidekick then [[WeHaveTheKeys unlocks the door for them]], as it's one of their own bases so it has the entry codes.

* ''Anime/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune''. It suggested that Unit K-321 blast open the door to an artillery fortress being used by the rebels, but it's pointed out that if they can't get through the door, the damage will prevent their getting through any other way. Their AI VirtualSidekick then [[WeHaveTheKeys unlocks the door for them]], as it's one of their own bases so it has the entry codes.

* In the first act in ''VideoGame/SyphonFilterDarkMirror'', you have to open a lock to a gate by shooting it.