AustriAlpin Sym Oval Clawlock Screwgate v1

AustriAlpin
Sym Oval Clawlock Screwgate v1

Name:AustriAlpin Sym Oval Clawlock Screwgate v1
Category:screw lock
Locking Type:manual
Locks:screw
Unlock Style:nose stopped - unknown
Sleeve Rotation:2025° (unlocked) | 2565° (maximum)
Shape:oval
Material:steel
Profile:round
Nose:claw
Nose Guard:full
Rivets:flat disk
Gate Shield:none
Weight:235 g
Dimensions:Length: 120.5 mm
Width: 61 mm
Gate Opening: 22 mm
Other Markings:Stamped: AUSTRIALPIN 2800 | (5x vertical hash marks) CE 960511 (5x vertical hash marks)
Summary:clawlock nose, nose-stopped locking sleeve
Description & Commentary:

An old school steel oval which has been in production for decades. This one was left in a non-climate controlled building for a couple years in the bottom of a box of assorted defunct equipment - it's seen better days.

Notable here are two features: The claw lock gate, and a nose-stopped locking sleeve.

The gate and nose mate using a "clawlock" arrangement where a surface on the gate overlaps with another surface on the nose, rather than the more commonly found pin & hook or keylock styles. I have seen this style present on many steel carabiners, but no (rated) aluminum carabiners. My guess is that the soft aluminum would require a much larger surface/gate/nose to resist deformation.

The locking sleeve will rotate until fully jammed against the curvature of the nose of the carabiner, and can be difficult to loosen - especially after load. Users of such carabiners (such as me on my first ropes course job) were instructed to rotate the sleeve until it stopped, then back it off a quarter-turn. Modern screwlock carabiners have a stop integrated into the gate - usually a metal snap-ring hidden behind the locking sleeve. Gate-stopped screwlockers will still permit minor movement of the gate when locked. Nose stopped carabiners will have no movement at all with the locking sleeve jammed against the nose.