A lead locking device has a lead engaging member with a mandrel extending along a lumen and attached to the distal end of the lead engaging member such that it extends beyond the proximal end of the lead engaging member. The lead locking device also has a loop handle attached to the proximal end of the mandrel. The lead engaging member has a first configuration which is narrower than a second configuration and is sufficiently long to extend along substantially the entire length of a lead to be removed from a patient's body. At the distal end, a spring coil is disposed around a tapered section of the mandrel to improve tracking of the lead locking device through the inner lumen of a pacing or defibrillator lead.