Are there records of a properly built M98 or M98-type actions blowing up in such a way that the bolt itself hits the shooter in the face?

I have seen several blown-up Mauser-esque actions (wrong ammo, ruptured case, stuck bullet) but in all cases the bolt was still in the receiver.

Injuries to the shooter, when any, were usually limited to the forearm-holding arm or hand.

Internet searches gave me the same results, with some pretty impressive pictures of rifles blown to smithereens - and the bolt in the action. So I wonder if someone has more info... Thanks!

I witnessed a case in a rifle match where a Model 70 Winchester action was demolished: the top half of the barrel above the chamber and the top of the receiver ring simply disappeared, and the shooter was unaware that anything had happened until he went to reload. The shot hit the target and was recorded and the bolt (of course) stayed in the action.

In "Hatcher's Notebook" a number of blow-ups of Springfield rifles are recorded, and to the best of my recollection, the bolt always remained in the rifle.

Saeed did some blowup tests in his shooting range a while back.I do not remember what guns he destroyed, but may he will remind us what and when it was. The results were very interesting.

No, never seen or heard of the bolt actually leaving the receiver. That is what the safety lug is for.