quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:...providing that it locks the bolt down when applied. I have a Kimber that doesn't...

The new Kimber Caprivi "locks the bolt" right?

500 grains,
Converting my Kimber with it's 2 position non bolt locking safety to the current three position safety is easy. Sending it south of the Medicine line for the work to be done at the factory is hard. It's easier to buy another rifle.


Bill C,
Shortly after I bought my Kimber, they switched to a 3 position safety that locks the bolt. Since that was some years ago, I would wager that the Caprivi locks the bolt. Unfortunately I haven't seen yet.

After reading trough this rather long post and very interesting article by Don. It seems that there is a lot to be said about safety systems. But Surely if you know and practise enough with your rifle you should overcome any problem after all you should spend quite a bit of time with the rifle before you decide to take on DG shouldnt you ?

I am by no mean a rifle expert and is very restricted to the rifles I have handled and worked with. But is this the prefered safety system ? Shown below in photos.





It works great for me. Safety locks the bolt and is quick to take off while shouldering the rifle. It only has one stage though on or off I suppose that is all thats needed.

Maybe I'm not following the general consensus regarding the 3 position safety, but I have pre-64 model 70's in both .270 and .375 and find the middle position very handy, but not for the quick dangerous game reasons stated here. I do agree that I want the safety (on) to lock down the bolt. So that being the case, there is no way to unload the gun without making it hot. The middle position allows me to empty the gun with no chance of it going off back at the truck, etc. It's also great for test cycling rounds through the gun from the clip without that worry. Since you can always treat a 3-position as a 2-position safety in the field, I don't see the down side.

Safari Hunt,
Would that safety be of any use with a scope? For many that is a deal-breaker.Otherwise it is about as good as it gets.
Like you I am somewhat puzzled by shooters who somehow have the motor skills to learn to shoot, but not enough to operate their safety or any damn safety faster than they can mount a rifle. Having said that, there are differences that matter to many people. First off, a safety that blocks the striker is more secure than one that blocks the trigger. This one is huge to me. Some believe that the chamber should be able to be loaded and unloaded with the rifle still on "safe". While that probably had some merit when issueing rifles to a million reluctant and scared shitless troops, it can cause as many problems as it solves on a hunting rifle.This function can provided by a safety that doesn't lock the bolt down as well. The problem with that is that the bolt handle is free to be partially lifted, and the rifle will not fire, or will have a greatly reduced striker blow that will probably prevent it from firing. A three position safety set in the middle position will also allow the bolt handle to be partially lifted, while at the same time locking the safety so it cannnot be taken off. This has confused a few people, here and there. The cure is to not use that position for carry, it is only there for loading and unloading, with the additional trait of allowing tool-less feild stripping. A two position safety that locks the striker and the bolt is about as fool-proof as it gets.Normally these safties cannot be applied unless the bolt is both closed and cocked, which when you think about it is the only time it is needed.
Trigger blocking safties have their own batch of quirks, the worst of which is that most just have a few thousandths of an inch of sear engagement between the gun going off or not. The bolt locking issue exists here as well, with some locking and some not. Those that beleive that they must be able to unload their rifle with the safety on want the unlocked version. See above with the 3 position safeties for the problems that can creat.There is also the issue of being able to take the safety off with a slightly raised bolt handle but the rifle not being able to fire. Leaving out the whole bolt loading debacle, many of the trigger blocking safeties can be accidently engaged while the bolt is opened, resulting in a rifle that can chamber a cartridge but not fire it.Apparantly a PH got hit last year went he did just that with his CZ.
The two camps in the the great safety debate are loosely grouped into those that want the most fool and operator-proof and mechanically secure safety possible; and those that anquish about the position of the button or lever itself, sure in their belief that they will somehow forget how to operate it under stress.The mechanics of the device never occur to them at all.

500 grains, I see that you love to post that picture of Obama and use his middle name-Hussein. I'm curious as to your purpose. Are you trying to imply he is Muslim, a Islamic terrorist, evoke images of Sadaam? And as to his native garb: Is that in fact his native attire. There is an old jury instruction in many jurisdictions that states to the effect, "if you find a witness's testimony false in part, you can assume that whatever else he states is also false."

Dogleg,

yes with a scope it is more difficult to switch off the safety. But I'm sure that a decent gunsmith could shorten the length or make it easier to use with a scope.

But for open sights which it is at the moment it is perfect and what is also nice about it, is that its visible for everyone to see. Sometimes I just have to make sure how some clients carry their rifles and it's not always easy to see the safety without looking too hard.