A hand tool includes an elongated plunger assembly and a locking assembly. The locking assembly has a catch assembly with a release actuator. The release actuator is movable in a direction generally not aligned with the tool head plane of motion. The locking assembly catch member is structured to engage the plunger assembly body and maintain the plunger assembly body in a selected position. Further, the plunger assembly is disposed in a socket within the tool head and biased toward an extended position by a spring. The release actuator is, preferably, disposed on the neck of the hand tool just above the user's thumb. When the plunger assembly body is disposed within the tool head and a user desires to extend the plunger assembly, the user actuates the release actuator thereby removing the engagement of the catch member and allowing the socket spring to move the plunger assembly body to the extended position.