Well, its a controversial fix Stan, at least as far as I've always been concerned and I can't say its my favorite way to bring the lock of an integral style back to a better contact to take out vertical play but it does work and give an otherwise ready to retire lock some new life. How long? No way to know. Just use it. At least this is the case for most.
Replacing the stop pin is another way that I tend to prefer but with a knife made this way where the stop is in the position of a thumb stud in a semi circle stop on the handle made to fit that size the only other way is to remake the lock once it travels all the way across and develops a small amount of blade play.
I know of several manufacturers that do this repair. Well, I guess I should say I've known of several that are guilty of it because I've witnessed it first hand in my own knives sent back to me from them and its a bit hard to explain so I'll just show you. Some do it differently than others too and its just kind of up to who does it I guess and what they feel works best. Its another one of those behind the scenes things that go on with cutlers that is little talked about. Many of the companies probably don't want it out. I can't say. I think you make choices and you live with them though and that if its done its done and anyone bringing it up should not be talked badly about, hint hint, but if that upsets someone well, take it somewhere else to complain I don't want to hear about it and if a repair shop wants to get mad at me, take a number and stand in line pal.
How I found out about this is simply from my own first liner lock that travelled all the way across the tang on a knife I carried for a while and used a lot.
Here is a scanned picture of it. Now I don't have to tell any of the guys here that I know my knives intimately. I had taken this knife apart numerous times and I knew what was in there. This is not something that was there before I mailed the knife in to the company I assure you. This was something that at the time I didn't really know how to fix for sure so I mailed it in and it was a good long while ago. Years in fact, and since then I've sent another in and got the same repair.
The knife had a warranty and I figured hey, its time for a new lock right? Well, that isn't what happened. I mailed the knife with money to EKI for the repair and a few weeks later got it back with a lock that stuck really bad. I mean thumb pain sticking and peeling skin with cuss words to close. Oh it caught early now and seemed fixed in that regard but just sticky as hell. I thought they put a new lock in it until the first time I took it apart to clean it and saw this. I called about it right away with a WTF kind of question and was told it was a 'standard liner and frame lock repair in the industry'. End story.
Now you can't see it here obviously that well, but what this is is a peened area on the lock face above the detent ball to squish out some metal to hit the contact area earlier bringing the lock back to a contact that looks like it did new. What you don't know is that the peen was so strong in this example that I could if I wanted to, push the circle of the peen right out the other side leaving a hole like it was drilled only it was punched. Thats right the smith literally punched the mark clean through the .060 lock to where the top circle here is a separate section on this lock that I can push back and forth if I want to.
I was not too happy about it but what do you do? They said it was fine. I retired the knife but it does still lock up solid and the sticking is far less than it was so in that way they are correct.
Anyway, since then I've seen it from Gerber and a few other companies we all know and use a lot of products from, yes some of the ones in your own pocket too and all I can say is it does work. Its not the best way in my opinion but in the case of your Cuda it did take out the touch of play it had and tighten it up. I could probably take it in more since I did it more toward the edge but in my experience its best to leave it once you get close. Besides the idea here is accept that the lock is getting close to meeting its useable service life so I think most look at it like, what the hell can it hurt now?
I am not going to kid you Stan. I don't like the method. But I just fill the orders. It did make the lock tighten up but its not a punch clean through the lock like my liner lock is however there is an indent or tweak or whatever you want to call it on the lock now. And yours doesn't stick as bad as it would from others I don't think but you may need a lead pencil as it will now and then for a time anyway. The lock on these bigger heavier sprung knives can still travel as far or close also, but the play is the focus and the idea is that as long as its bumping it enough to stick it was a success and you have good contact.
Its not traveling all the way in to where it partially leaves the blade now but its about as good as I can get it without totally ruining the lock and I don't want to go there.
Have I come across that this repair always makes me nervous?? I hope so because it does and I don't like getting them.
Anyway, thats it in a nut shell description.
STR
Nothing like a Cuda Maxx waving open 
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