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Old 11-08-2019, 10:35 AM
  #5  
Cub Slayer
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 454
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I love bolt action rifles and own several. Locking the bolt with the safety on is the rule, not the exception. Many shooters have a similar level of unease with needing to put the gun into "fire" to cycle the bolt, so modern rifles often have two solutions.

Savage Model 11 rifles, and I think some Rugers, use three position safeties. On the Savage, the thumb safety fully back is "safe" - the gun won't fire and the bolt won't open. Middle position is "half safe" - the gun won't fire but the bolt can be opened. Full forward is "fire" where the gun can fire and the bolt can cycle.

Other guns, like the Browning X-Bolt have a traditional two-position safety with an independent mechanism to allow the bolt to cycle when the safety is on. In the case of the X-Bolt, there is a small button on the bolt arm. Press it, and the bolt will open even with the safety engaged.
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