I just got three of these from Brownells and everyone fits a VZ-24 without interference.

In the past I've expressed frustration with poor fitting Dakota safeties.....these new ones are in good order and if they turn out as good as the others of the past will be excellent.

They are about half the price of LaPour's and are an excellent product when they fit.....and these do. They are also very good looking.

They are also about half the quality.

Poleax,

Price is easy to measure; how do you measure quality?

thanks...jim

I just fitted the Dakota to a Brazilian and is was a booger. The threads didn't fit well to the bolt body and I had to lap them in, not too difficult. The underside of the safety hung up bigtime on the rear tang where the bolt body passes through and it took a lot of filing and emery paper to fit that. Once I accomplished all that, it works great and I would use one again, you can't beat the price and the quality of finish was excellent.

To all of those who think that when you purchase an Ed Lapour product its going to go right on your gun think again. Each and every one of his safeties comes with a note indicating that everything is left long or large for final fitting by a competent fitter.

quote:

To all of those who think that when you purchase an Ed Lapour product its going to go right on your gun think again. Each and every one of his safeties comes with a note indicating that everything is left long or large for final fitting by a competent fitter.

One of the reasons they are better. Drop-in usually implies made with enough slop to account for the manufacturing variances in the millions of Mausers made. Think about it.

quote:

Originally posted by Poleax:

quote:

To all of those who think that when you purchase an Ed Lapour product its going to go right on your gun think again. Each and every one of his safeties comes with a note indicating that everything is left long or large for final fitting by a competent fitter.

One of the reasons they are better. Drop-in usually implies made with enough slop to account for the manufacturing variances in the millions of Mausers made. Think about it.

And Ed is one of the few out there that actually includes instructions that are worth a damn.

One-size-fits-all is great for some things...but not for most rifle parts, and especially rifle safeties. Just my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Poleax:

quote:

To all of those who think that when you purchase an Ed Lapour product its going to go right on your gun think again. Each and every one of his safeties comes with a note indicating that everything is left long or large for final fitting by a competent fitter.

One of the reasons they are better. Drop-in usually implies made with enough slop to account for the manufacturing variances in the millions of Mausers made. Think about it.

I have thought about it, and I disagree with your staement.

1. What is a "drop in"? I don't see any safety manufacturer state that they will custom measure a bolt and then make the safety for it. So they are all drop ins if that is what you want to call them.

2. Any safety could be sloppy due to, as you say, the tremendous variations in mauser bolts over the years.

3. What is better? If a Dakota fits well and works well, is it any less better than a Lapour that fits well and works well?

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
I have thought about it, and I disagree with your staement.

That's your prerogative.

I can't comment on LaPour quality as I haven't used or tried one.....I have a Dakota working (and three more in the pipe line) and the quality is first class.....at least so far.....

To say half the quality is a comment that I haven't seen explained yet.....and I doubt I will.....
The opportunity to do so seems to have passed.

I have two Dakota's and one Gentry. The Dakota's are a fine product. Properly installed these work better than the factory Winchester M-70's I own and better than the Kimber too.

Terry

all 3 position safeties require fitting. I happen to like the lines to the Dakota the best. I also prefer red headed women. Does not mean it is right or wrong, just means that I like the Dakotas.

The only one I don't like is AHR. They had to replace parts on the one and only one I will ever buy just to make it work.

gentry safeties have HORIBLE QC.. I won't be buying another. Genty uses all the + side of the spec...

and They have had THREE batches returned with the threads 1/2 a turn out of time.

Marc is right, all require fitting.. and, frankly, it's a FAR FAR FAR simpler thing to install a 3 pos on a mauser than to get the feeding right on the same gun if you go to an HH based round.


i have used Ed's, gentry's, NECG, dakota, and a couple imports. QUALITY of the finished product is generally about the same, once you get it to fit. Ed's requires the longest time to get there.. then again, that's direct experience, not conjecture
jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
then again, that's direct experience, not conjecture
jeffe

You say that like you are the only one with first hand knowledge.

Well jeffe...if you can fit a 1903 Springfield extractor to a 98 Mauser bolt, fitting a 3 position safety shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

FWIW, I've only used one Gentry and it had to be lapped in. Contrary to some people, I consider this a plus as it resulted in a very close tolerance fit once done and works as well as any other 3-pos I've tried.

I like the Lapour lines and might try one next, but remember these things are marketed as reguiring fitting by a gunsmith. If someone without a lathe, the ability to use lapping compound effectively, etc. tries one and boogers it, I don't consider that to be a credible reason to dump on a product.

Here's a question though - does anyone besides Gentry to the 3-position M98 safety in LEFT hand?

quote:

One of the reasons they are better. Drop-in usually implies made with enough slop to account for the manufacturing variances in the millions of Mausers made. Think about it.

I thought about it.....and I disagree.....a lot!!!

quote:

And Ed is one of the few out there that actually includes instructions that are worth a damn.

The instructions that come with the Dakota are excellent. My first one was a total success as the directions were clear.

This post was not to discredit LaPour at all...it was to say that after I lamblasted Dakota for poor fitting product (Brownells agreed and replaced them) I needed to say that there appears to be some positive changes made.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
Well jeffe...if you can fit a 1903 Springfield extractor to a 98 Mauser bolt, fitting a 3 position safety shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

yes, Rick.. SHORTENED mauser bolt, not standard. cut the bolt forward rather than behind and make the cut for a shortened BOLT and take a trouble out of the experience.

pretty basic stuff

quote:

Originally posted by Poleax:

You say that like you are the only one with first hand knowledge.

Didn't mean it to come over that way... meant it to encompassing of the folks who have actually installed a mauser/3position safety. I would assume you are included in that group.

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
Well jeffe...if you can fit a 1903 Springfield extractor to a 98 Mauser bolt, fitting a 3 position safety shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

yes, Rick.. SHORTENED mauser bolt, not standard. cut the bolt forward rather than behind and make the cut for a shortened BOLT and take a trouble out of the experience.

pretty basic stuff

Really??? Show me a picture of one you have done...and include instructions on how you managed to stretch the nose of the 03 extractor almost an eighth of an inch so it fit over the nose of the Mauser bolt when the guide foot is in its slot and the extractor ring keys are seated in their slot on the extractor.

Are you perhaps confusing 94,95,96 Mauser bolts with 98 Mausers???

rick,
sorry you are taking exception to this..

let's clearly state that my posiion on the springfield was as a hypothyitcal choice, clearly defined.

the CONTEXT of using a springfield extractor on a muasser bolt when during the process of shortening a bolt.. making a decision as to where to cut it, taking into account that the extractor can be an issue, would be a self defining solution...

and, in context, I bluntky stated that I hadn't done one!



j

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
rick,
sorry you are taking exception to this..

let's clearly state that my posiion on the springfield was as a hypothyitcal choice, clearly defined.

the CONTEXT of using a springfield extractor on a muasser bolt when during the process of shortening a bolt.. making a decision as to where to cut it, taking into account that the extractor can be an issue, would be a self defining solution...

and, in context, I bluntky stated that I hadn't done one!



j

Boy, jeffe...you can wiggle right along with the best of them!

What you “clearly†stated was that it was “pretty basic stuff.â€

Well, I’m sorry...but it ain’t.

If you truly do own any 03’s and a 98 Mauser take the two extractors and hold them up next to each other (the difference is so huge you won’t even need a measuring device) and it will become very apparent that the 03 extractor will NEVER fit a 98 Mauser bolt unless you turn about an 1/8th of an inch off the face of the Mauser bolt.

03 extractors can be slightly modified to fit earlier Mauser bolts, but there is NO WAY you are ever gonna get one to fit on a 98 bolt.

Jeffe,

I’m sorry, I must have missed your posts where you said that this was a purely hypothetical scenario you were speaking of and that you had never actually done it. Could you guide me to those posts where you said this?

I know you must have posted both of those things and I just missed it because based on your numerous chastising admonishments to other people on here I know you would never post answers to people unless you actually had first hand experience in what you were talking about.

What does any of this have to do with a Dakota safety?

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:
What does any of this have to do with a Dakota safety?

Terry

Thank you.....

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:
What does any of this have to do with a Dakota safety?

Terry

Well, when someone joins in the conversation claiming experience with installing them I think it is very appropriate to bring up his other claims of experience and knowledge that he is now catgorizing as “hypothetical†and things that he actually has never done, even though at the time he flatly categorized them as “pretty basic stuff.â€

Has he actually installed one of these safeties or is this just another one of his “hypothetical“ scenarios that he doesn’t bother to tell you about until he is called on it?

Rick, you should let it go. It makes you look petty and small.

Terry