Just received in the mail, opened and checked quickly the lever to find out what material it was. It's metal, it's okay. Some people claim it's plastic, but that doesn't surprise me anymore these days. And yes, the end of the box will hang out a bit or else they will block you. You can flip the lever to lock it. They are of good length, typical Gearwrench quality, with no flaws. This is a good set with no gaps in between.