A device for lancing skin, comprising: a lancet having a sharp tip for puncturing the skin during a lancing stroke; a carrier holding the lancet and movable through the lancing stroke from a retracted position, through a forward portion of the lancing stroke, to an advanced position puncturing the skin, and through a return portion of the lancing stroke; and a latch mechanism (100, 200) operable to permit the lancet carrier to travel through the lancing stroke but prevent excess oscillation of the lancet carrier; characterized in that the latch mechanism (100, 200) includes a latch member (102, 202) and a pressed surface (182, 282) and a latch-engaging element (181, 281) of the lancet carrier, wherein the latch member (102, 202) includes a pressing surface (125, 225) and a drive-stop surface (128, 228), and wherein the latch member (102, 202) pivots between a blocking position, an intermediate non-blocking position, and a press non-blocking position, and is spring-biased from the press non-blocking position to the blocking position, wherein as the lancet carrier travels along the forward portion of the lancing stroke the latch member (102, 202) pivots from the intermediate non-blocking position to the press non-blocking position with the pressed surface (182, 282) of the lancet carrier interfering with the pressing surface (125, 225) of the latch member (102, 202) to prevent pivoting of the latch member (102, 202) to the blocking position, wherein as the lancet carrier travels along the return portion of the lancing stroke the pressed surface (182, 282) of the lancet carrier clears interference with the pressing surface (125, 225) of the latch member (102, 202) and the spring-biased latch member (102, 202) pivots from the press non-blocking position to the blocking position, and wherein with the latch member (102, 202) in the blocking position if the lancet carrier is driven along the forward portion of the lancing stroke a second time the drive-stop surface (128, 228) of the latch member (102, 202) engages and blocks the latch-engaging element (181, 281) of the lancet carrier to prevent excess lancet-carrier oscillation. a lancet having a sharp tip for puncturing the skin during a lancing stroke; a carrier holding the lancet and movable through the lancing stroke from a retracted position, through a forward portion of the lancing stroke, to an advanced position puncturing the skin, and through a return portion of the lancing stroke; and a latch mechanism (100, 200) operable to permit the lancet carrier to travel through the lancing stroke but prevent excess oscillation of the lancet carrier; characterized in that the latch mechanism (100, 200) includes a latch member (102, 202) and a pressed surface (182, 282) and a latch-engaging element (181, 281) of the lancet carrier, wherein the latch member (102, 202) includes a pressing surface (125, 225) and a drive-stop surface (128, 228), and wherein the latch member (102, 202) pivots between a blocking position, an intermediate non-blocking position, and a press non-blocking position, and is spring-biased from the press non-blocking position to the blocking position, wherein as the lancet carrier travels along the forward portion of the lancing stroke the latch member (102, 202) pivots from the intermediate non-blocking position to the press non-blocking position with the pressed surface (182, 282) of the lancet carrier interfering with the pressing surface (125, 225) of the latch member (102, 202) to prevent pivoting of the latch member (102, 202) to the blocking position, wherein as the lancet carrier travels along the return portion of the lancing stroke the pressed surface (182, 282) of the lancet carrier clears interference with the pressing surface (125, 225) of the latch member (102, 202) and the spring-biased latch member (102, 202) pivots from the press non-blocking position to the blocking position, and wherein with the latch member (102, 202) in the blocking position if the lancet carrier is driven along the forward portion of the lancing stroke a second time the drive-stop surface (128, 228) of the latch member (102, 202) engages and blocks the latch-engaging element (181, 281) of the lancet carrier to prevent excess lancet-carrier oscillation.