chuck_roxas45 wrote:Well, it's not the lock that makes the blade swing free, it's the bushing pivot.
Actually, both elements come into play. Let me explain what I mean.
The compression lock is similar to a liner lock in this regard: The portion of the left liner that is the lock contains a ball bearing that presses against the tang of the blade. When the blade is shut this ball rests in a detent hole in the tang to prevent unintended opening. If the lock is not fully depressed when the knife is being unlocked, the ball is still pressing against the tang as the bade closes. This causes friction that prevents the blade from closing freely.
On my Para 2 it is not possible to squeeze the lock hard enough with my bare hands to completely release this pressure of the ball on the tang. Even with the tab pressed hard into the G-10 scale, the ball is still pressing on the tang. I
can make the blade swing freely under its own weight by grasping ahead of the tab with needle nose pliers to fully unlock the blade. I cannot do this barehanded as my finger cannot fit that far down into the innards of the knife.
As I understand it, the G-10 on the lock side is more deeply mortised out on the revised Para 2 so that the lock can be moved completely out of contact with the tang, allowing the blade to truly swing free while the lock is being pinched in one's grip. The tab is also moved farther forward to the business end of the lock. This seems like a very positive modification.