Quite a good chuckle. The author has an obvious bias for Mauser actions. In my experience, if there is a way to screw up a perfectly fine rifle, the native African will find the way to do it.

The Remington "problems" noted can be summed up nicely: Operator Error.

I'm suprised that Weatherby is still in business with all of those rifle going off accidently when the safety is taken off.

And those non-ejecting Rugers certainly account for plenty of game in the United States. Must be all one-shot kills.

Them new-fangled scopes ain't no good either I see. Plain ole irons much better! Especially in dim light.

This must explain all those American hunters coming home from African Safaris in body bags - - damn crappy American rifles.

Thanks for the good laugh.

Afrikaander, I have personal experience with a failing extractor in my most beloved and most frequently carried rifle. This is a custom 340 Weatherby built on a Model 700 BDL action. I have used this gun in Alaska, Africa and Colorado with perfect success, however it now has a frequent tendency to fail to extract. This occurs with mild loads, though usually in warm weather. The cases can be pulled out very easily with fingernails or a screwdriver catching the rim, but this is a real nuisance that simply would not do for dangerous game. It is definitely not a question of excessively high pressure loads or operator error.

The real problem is the basic Remington design itself. The Remington boltface is designed with no moving parts, other than the plunger ejector. Consequently, there has to be sufficient excess space around the case head for it to slip past the extractor claw as the case is captured by the breechbolt. Since it can slip on without engaging the extractor it remains possible for the case to slip off also. It is as simple as that. Only the force of the plunger acting against the opposite side of the case head tends to keep the case in contact. Maybe my plunger spring is weak. I don't know, but I know that this rifle has become sufficiently unreliable that I will no longer hunt with it until it has been reworked with a Shooting Systems Sako-style extractor kit. This was recommended by my gunsmith, Fred Zeglin, when the thing was first built, but I did not have time to do it. I believe that it will solve my problem.

Your problem is different. Personally, I would not put faith in anything less than a true Mauser extractor. Winchester makes a Model 70 Safari Express rifle in 416 Rem Mag for less money than that custom shop KS Remington. My advice is to sell the Remington and buy a Winchester. It is a far better value all around and you will never regret the decision.

Best Regards