Holding trigger and closing bolt with shell in chamber?

skidooracer_99

New member
is this safe or not? i had a battle with a guy at work over this, he feels its perfectly safe to do and everyone he hunts with does this. he says its safer than having a shell in the chamber with just the safety on. when your ready to fire the gun you just lift the bolt up and close it right away. i personally think its a big no no and never do it, but im no gun smith so can someone clue in to exactly whats going on inside that bolt when this is done? like if the firing pin is resting on the primer or not? i dont like the feel of all the spring tension and activity when doing that either.
 
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Does he eat alot of lead paint chips? That is insane.All you have to do is get a sensitive primer and while dropping the bolt the firing pin moves forward and can contact the primer and go off out of battery.He is nuts.
 
If I understand the question: "is it a good practice to close the bolt while holding the trigger in the firing position (safety off) on a bolt action rifle?"

Answer: NO

Jeez, this is just common sense safety, I mean really, is this even a legitimate question?.
 
thats the way most of the older guys in my family did it.i did it for years after being tought that method. very safe.
 
A lot of African guides insist on it. That way you've always got a chambered round that can't possible be misfired when walking. There is also no worry of a feeding problem when needed. Just raise and lower the bolt and your ready to go!

For people with inactivated safety due to aftermarket triggers this can work as well.
 
Skidoor,
Tell your buddy and anyone else that thinks that is safe is out of their minds. I just took my bolt out of my Springfield custom and put it in the same position it would be in if you did that in the rifle. The firing pin stays out about 1/16 of an inch like is does when firing a shell. Absolutely not safe.
And if they are doing that in Africa they are nuts too.

EDIT::: I just now did the same thing to my Mauser 98 action and my Rem. Model 700 and the firing pin sticks out and stays out in that position. This is a good practice when the gun is EMPTY and you want to take the tension off the spring to store a rifle like I do in my safe. All my bolt guns I do that to just for storing.
 
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I do pull the trigger and close the bolt on AN EMPTY CHAMBER, when storing my bolt guns. however I am very sure that it is AN EMPTY CHAMBER. I was taught to never put our finger on the trigger until ready to make it go boom. I would think that if it was the safest way to carry a weapon they would teach this to you in hunter safty classes and I am sure if you ask a hunter safty instructor if this was safe he would flunk you 4-sure.
Sportingly
cracker
 
I may have to change my line of thought on this. The hunter that intriduced this to me did say that it was for Mauser actions.

Here's what I just found,

If it's a Mauser-type action, the bolt shroud wing safety actually locks the striker in the rearward position via a cam on the wing safety and a corresponding notch cut in the striker tail. That's about as reliable as one can make a safety, short of leaving the chamber empty.

Anyway, I have tested it numerously in all my guns but know now an accident is possible. Not 100% foolproof.
 
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Talk about dangerous! The firing pin WILL protrude from the bolt on most rifles. Now drop the gun and you are risking an accidental discharge. I believe dropping a rifle in this condition would be more dangerous than dropping it with a loaded chamber and the safety on.
 
Just tell him to keep doing it and one day you will proboly one guy short at work.That is just one of those risks you shouldnt take
 
Displayed Name,
You evidently did not read my previous post or you do not totally understand how a Mauser bolt works.....the firing pin sticks out and stays out when you perform this task. As in all bolt guns. A big NO NO to practice this procedure.
 


It takes just as much time (probably more) to raise and lower the bolt handle than to disengage a safety.

Use the safety, the life you save could be your own.
 


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