A C177RG PLT; DURING LNDG FLARE AT HARRISONVILLE; MO (OA6); BECAME AWARE THE LNDG GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED.

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I HAD TAKEN OFF APPROX 1.5 HOURS EARLIER TO PRACTICE MANEUVERS AND LNDGS. I SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED A TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG AT A NEIGHBORING ARPT TO THE S IN BUTLER; MO (BUM). I THEN FLEW TO HARRISONVILLE (OA6) AND PERFORMED ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG AND REMAINED IN THE PATTERN TO PERFORM ANOTHER. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER PERFORMING MY USUAL MID-FIELD-DOWNWIND 'GUMP' CHK. I CONFIRMED A GREEN 'GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED' LIGHT AND A VISUAL OF THE L MAIN GEAR. I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE BASE LEG AND FINAL APCH WITH NO INDICATION OF A PROB. IT IS MY HABIT TO CONTINUE MY SCAN OF FLT INSTS; ENG GAUGES; WARNING LIGHTS; ETC THROUGH AND INCLUDING SHORT FINAL; WHICH I DID ON THIS MY THIRD LNDG OF THE PAST 1/2 HR. THERE WAS STILL NO VISUAL OR AUDIBLE WARNING OF ANYTHING AMISS. AS IS MY USUAL CUSTOM ON SHORT FINAL I LIFTED MY R HAND OFF THE THROTTLE LONG ENOUGH TO ADJUST THE PITCH TRIM WHEEL FOR RELIEF OF CTL YOKE BACK PRESSURE AND QUICKLY RETURNED MY HAND TO THE THROTTLE. I CROSSED THE THRESHOLD WITHIN A COUPLE SECONDS AND NO AUDIBLE WARNING. MY GAZE ONLY A FEW FEET OFF THE GND; I HEARD AN AUDIBLE WARNING HORN WHICH I GENERALLY EXPECT TO HEAR ON A FULL STALL LNDG. WITHIN ANOTHER SECOND OR TWO; TO MY UTTER SHOCK AND DISBELIEF; I WAS SLIDING DOWN THE RWY ON THE ACFT'S BELLY PAN; GEAR UP. UPON CLOSE INSPECTION (THE GEAR LEVER WAS DEFINITELY IN THE UP POS) WITH THE ACFT STILL ON ITS BELLY; I DISCOVERED THAT THE SAFETY LOCK MECHANISM OF THE GEAR CTL LEVER HAD WORN AND/OR BROKE AND NO LONGER OFFERED ANY PROTECTION FROM BEING ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED INTO THE GEAR-UP POS. SINCE THIS CTL LEVER IS SITUATED IN THE PANEL WITH THE THROTTLE TO ITS R AND THE PITCH TRIM WHEEL TO ITS L IT WAS NO DOUBT BUMPED BY MY HAND ON SHORT FINAL. THE TIME REQUIRED FOR THE GEAR TO CYCLE TO THE 'UP AND LOCKED' AND ACTIVATE THE WARNING HORN ALLOWED FOR THE CONFUSION WITH THE STALL HORN ON LATE FLARE. THAT FAR INTO THE FLARE WITH A HIGH SINK RATE; A GAR ATTEMPT AT THE FIRST SOUND OF THE HORN WOULD NOT LIKELY HAVE RESULTED IN ANYTHING BUT A FULL PWR GEAR-UP LNDG AND WORSE DAMAGE. AS IT WAS THE APCH; FLARE AND 'PWR-OFF' LNDG WERE NEAR PERFECT AND RESULTED IN MINIMAL DAMAGE. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED IN NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSONS AND NO DAMAGE TO ANYTHING EXCEPT THE ACFT ITSELF. THUS FAR; THE ACFT DAMAGE SEEMS TO BE LIMITED TO MINOR BELLY SKIN ROAD-RASH AND A BENT PROP.