What's the safest modern bolt action?

[4th_point]

Last...

Take a T3 Tikka and remove the bolt. Then remove the bolt shroud and reinstall the bolt.

Shoulder the rifle and look down the left raceway. That's a potential path for gas and particles to hit your face.

With the plastic shroud, people had those blown off. Gives you an idea of how much gas can be headed towards your face? Not sure about the aftermarket metal shroud or the new OEM.

Either way, that shroud leaves a big gap. It doesn't appear effective sealing or even diverting gas.

Is the Tikka safe? That's up to the shooter to decide.

I don't own any T3 now, but I would still shoot one. But I'd always have glasses on, no matter what.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

There was a high speed video some years ago I saw of various rifles being loaded to overpressure to observe the results. I can't seem to find the video now, but as I recall, the Euro rifles of the time (Tikka, Sako, etc) did fairly well (pressure venting in controlled directions that would not hurt you in life altering ways), and at least one of the American ones did not (blew apart into LOT of shrapnel). I really wish I could find it, but it seems to have been memory holed by yew-boob.

 

[plebe]

There was a high speed video some years ago I saw of various rifles being loaded to overpressure to observe the results. I can't seem to find the video now, but as I recall, the Euro rifles of the time (Tikka, Sako, etc) did fairly well (pressure venting in controlled directions that would not hurt you in life altering ways), and at least one of the American ones did not (blew apart into LOT of shrapnel). I really wish I could find it, but it seems to have been memory holed by yew-boob.

 

[4th_point]

Obstructed barrel tests are interesting.

Many years ago there were photos floating around the internet with a barrel that peeled like a banana. The shooter forgot to remove a laser bore sighter from the muzzle. It doesn't seem like a loose fitting bore sight would provide enough resistance, and there might have been a different cause, but I got to see the barrel and pieces in person - funny and scary at the same time!

All that stated, I'm less worried about catastrophic failure from obstructions. A stray gas event is probably more common and I don't believe we are seeing actions fail from common or even special causes. I believe all of the Euro companies are required to use a CIP proof house. In the US, I think it's still voluntary. For both, I believe it's a 30-40% overload, with no requirement for bore obstruction but that might have changed.

On a personal note, a friend of mine was shooting a newly acquired 99 next to me, and he yelled, "Give me some glasses!". I asked what for, not seeing him shooting and he said, "My bangs are getting blown up from gas!"

That same session, I found pierced primers and signs of leakage with some handloads. Never felt a thing, and it might have been due to the fact that the rifle had a fat bolt. Fat bolts seem to seal the action better than protruding lugs that require raceways.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

I'm not sure if that's the exact one or not, but it certainly looks like it was probably done by the same people. The one I saw had the left/right orientation switched I think, and there was one where it blew one of the iron sights off and you could see the gas venting through the holes where the rear sight screws were...

Apparently I should have been looking for "plugged bore" not "over pressure loads". My google fu sucks, LOL.

 

[plebe]

I'm not sure if that's the exact one or not, but it certainly looks like it was probably done by the same people. The one I saw had the left/right orientation switched I think, and there was one where it blew one of the iron sights off and you could see the gas venting through the holes where the rear sight screws were...

Apparently I should have been looking for "plugged bore" not "over pressure loads". My google fu sucks, LOL.

Sounds like the same test, different video channel. You can see the Browning rear sight blown off in this version. I’m sure there are several other copies of the original test video floating around.

 

[Stinky Coyote]

Is blaser r8 considered a modern bolt action? Do they run the same ‘safety’ as the k95 I had? The button at the back you push forward to ‘cock’ the firing pin spring? Pretty effin safe, then just push in again to release it if you want it safe, pretty hard to fire without spring tension on the firing pin. And gotta say it was pretty intuitive and easy and quiet, loved it. Prolly not mentioned enough on blasers?

Have to look it up but I think Sako 90 physically blocks the firing pin ability to move while on safe?

Would those two rank at top for safest modern bolt action?

A couple worth looking into? I’m not much on safety care or research.