I am interested in getting the 3 postion Model 70 safety put on my 700. My question is how is the indentation where the old safety resided filled so as to be flush with the rest of the surface. Is it normally welded up and then ground flush and if so is it a big deal?

SempreElk,

I don’t see why not. Personally, I wouldn’t bother with it but if a guy wants to have it look better why not. I assume you are going to have a new stock put on it also, and the finished product ought to look really nice.

If I was going to have welding done on a receiver that’s probably one of the safest places to have it done without worrying about warping or over heating things. You could literally submerse the entire action in cold water and just have that tiny area sticking up to TIG weld enough material on there to blend it in. Obviously, you just want to get someone really familiar with both TIG welding and firearms to do it for you.

I really like this rifle but after getting prices on this conversion and adding a Sako extractor would I just be better off with a Model 70?

No, just eliminate the SAKO extractor unless you just like the look of it that much. It won't gain you anything practical or useful over and above the factory unit.

I just finished up a 700 with a 3-position safety, a Gentry and I won't do another one but that is another story, and I welded up the tang area. It is getting teflon coated now so the color won't be a problem as it would be if blued. Also, if you want the Sako extractor, have it done when and if you rebarrel along with the action trueing.

Thanks for the replies..Its a SS reciever and I will probably have it either KG coated or use ceramic haven't decided.

Jim was it just possibly the Gentry Safety that caused that problem? I was looking at a NECG safety.

Sako extractors are great...when installed on Sako bolts and used in Sako actions where the placement of the ejector, and gas venting system were designed for them.

Put one on a Remington and you now have a completely different spatial relationship between the extractor and its cousin and working partner the ejector...and a gas venting system that was not designed to function when there is a slot cut into the bolt head.

The NECG three position safeties are beutiful...but their use is purely cosmetic in my opinion since I have seen no evidence whatsoever that they are any “safer†than a Remington safety.

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Sako extractors are great...when installed on Sako bolts and used in Sako actions where the placement of the ejector, and gas venting system were designed for them.

Put one on a Remington and you now have a completely different spatial relationship between the extractor and its cousin and working partner the ejector...and a gas venting system that was not designed to function when there is a slot cut into the bolt head.

The NECG three position safeties are beutiful...but their use is purely cosmetic in my opinion since I have seen no evidence whatsoever that they are any “safer†than a Remington safety.

Rick I think you just saved me a lot of money..Thanks for the feedback..

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No, just eliminate the SAKO extractor unless you just like the look of it that much. It won't gain you anything practical or useful over and above the factory unit.

I replaced all of the factory extractors on my 700's after experiencing a failure with a factory extractor.The sako extractors have functioned perfectly for thusands of rounds since.

Pardner, don’t make your final decision based on nothing more than my opinion...but if you research the matter you will find that these conversions are little more than another of the latest “fads†and have little or no basis in reality. They are selling themselves by claiming to fix some perceived problem that doesn’t really exist.

The working parts in rifles are designed and made to work together and in my opinion, mixing and matching parts should only be done under the advice of someone fully competent in the design aspects of the rifle in question...not by someone making a living selling or installing the newest gadget out there.

Like I said, the three position safeties are beautiful and neither add or subtract from anything that one needs to worry about in function or safety. The extractors, however, are a totally different thing that effects function, reliability and safety of the weapon, and until someone shows me a practical reason for that conversion I would not attempt it since replacing the entire bolt is the only way to go back.

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Originally posted by stubblejumper:

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No, just eliminate the SAKO extractor unless you just like the look of it that much. It won't gain you anything practical or useful over and above the factory unit.

I replaced all of the factory extractors on my 700's after experiencing a failure with a factory extractor.The sako extractors have functioned perfectly for thusands of rounds since.

stumblejummper,

I have a friend who had the extractor on his Sako break and he didn’t run out and get his bolt converted to accept another type...he just had the broken one replaced, and its worked fine ever since.

Is there any brand of rifle that has never had a part break or malfunction...I don’t know of any, do you?

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have a friend who had the extractor on his Sako break and he didn’t run out and get his bolt converted to accept another type...he just had the broken one replaced, and its worked fine ever since.

Is there any brand of rifle that has never had a part break or malfunction...I don’t know of any, do you?

I could have simply replaced the extractor with a factory part but since the factory extractors are known to be a weakness,I elected to get rid of them all.

stumblejumper,

You are presenting that statement as if it were constructed of “whole-cloth.â€

I have yet to see anything beyond urban-legend and idle talk that purports to show that Remington extractors are “known to be a weakness†of the action.

If you know of any, please present it because I would be glad to change my opinion on the matter in the face of credible and verifiable evidence.

After about 30 years or so of looking for such evidence I have still not found any. I hardly consider someone having a Remington extractor break one time as proof that the design is a weakness. I don’t know of any bolt action rifle type that has NEVER had an instance where an extractor broke or failed to extract a case.

I can, and have, listed the reasons that make this conversion questionable...and they are based on provable mechanical function and safety design, not on opinions, rumors, urban legends, or what some gun writer in a magazine said.

Sako makes incredibly fine rifles and their extractors work perfectly fine...on the Sako actions that they were designed for.

Remington actions/bolts and Sako extractors should stick to their proper “dance partners.â€

A family in South Texas has been in the gun business since right after WWII and they track problems relative to specific mfgs. They do not get Remingtons back for safety failures or extractor failures with more regularity than another brand. The one repeat problem is common to several brands but seems to come in spurts: bad scope mount holes.

Rick, I was just looking for a way to make the safety "Safer" and keep the bolt locked when in the rear position . What are your feelings on the NULA 3 position safety for a 700?

I have had only one failure myself but I do personally know of two other factory remington extractor failures.On the other hand I do not personally know of a single failure of a sako extractor.That is good enough for me.

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Originally posted by SempreElk:
Rick, I was just looking for a way to make the safety "Safer" and keep the bolt locked when in the rear position . What are your feelings on the NULA 3 position safety for a 700?

They work fine if you want that extra feature. Since you asked for my opinion, I’ll offer it...I believe that any mechanical safety should be simple in design and function, and should never be totally relied upon since they all of have the possibility of mechanical failure.

Having said that, I, personally find three position safeties to have one too many options available! I like a safety that is either “on†or “offâ€, with no other options for me to worry about, and is located where it can be easily operated as the rifle comes up and the sights find their target. I’ve personally never experienced a condition where I needed to lock the bolt closed on any of my rifles...but perhaps others have and like that option available to them. The 700’s used to come with that option and if you notice, all 700 receivers still have that cut out for the bolt stop/lock if you want to install one.