What's a plunge lock?

M

McstrudleDudle

Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Messages
9
Looking at a Microtech UDT and it has a plunge lock on it.What is a plunge lock and how strong is it (we talking like liner lock strong or axis lock strong)?
 
Its another name for button lock and depending on how its made is can be close to the axis lock strenght. I dont have a microtech to say for sure but the button lock on my hogue ex-01 is a beastly lock and they are self adjusting so you will never get up and down play in the blade
 
Some examples from a broad range of designs -

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I have one of those old MOD Deiter CQD's. Nice large knife with a short blade. ;-(

Plunge Lock. Simple to explain, I think. On the inside of the knife, there is a barrel approximately the same diameter as the button. This barrel retracts into the opposite scale when you depress the button. The blade is notched in two places to accept this barrel, on both the opening and closing side of the tang. When the button is in the unpressed position, the barrel fits into one or the other of these notches, locking the blade.

This is the lock mechanism of choice for most automatics nowadays. As for strength, Micro Tech uses a larger diameter inner barrel than most others. Thus requiring a larger notch in the tang for this barrel to fit. Myself, the larger the diameter and the deeper the notch, the more I trust it. Some autos, I look at the small diameter, very shallow notch and go WTH? On autos, I like to keep that inner barrel very well oiled. Because I suspect that after many many openings, the barrel is going to start to show some bad wear patterns. Could be wrong on my part, but a drop of oil frequently is just good insurance.

Here is a modified Buck 110 automatic with a plunge lock.

 
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