The Screwgate is the original, classic, double-action gate mechanism and is still the most secure mechanism in many situations. Despite it not being auto-locking, in the hands of a competent user they can offer many advantages over their auto-lock rivals. Screwgates can be unlocked, have the gate opened, a component clipped and then re-locked with one hand only. This can be crucial in some rope access situations for instance. To do all of this one-handed with an auto-locking connector is challenging to say the least. Even this classic design has undergone continuous evolution and our modern barrels feature a new screw knurled profile to assist gripping in wet or icy conditions as well as increased strengths. We have recently increased the thickness of the gate and thimble to improve the thimble/latch overlap, giving greater security especially across the minor axis (loading across the gate).
All of our screwgates have an in-built limiter to stop the barrel from being over-tightened onto the nose when loaded. This can be especially dangerous when managing a casualty in a two person rescue as it can make escaping the system extremely problematic.