caberslash
Active Member
Hi all,
I'm sure some on here are aware of the 'Australian Sako' basically a variation on the bolt shroud assembly which appeared to be very different from early L-series Sako's exported elsewhere, basically looking like a recessed bolt shroud with shorter firing pin/cocking piece assembly. See below:
Images lifted from this earlier thread: https://sakocollectors.com/forum/threads/l61r-bolt-shroud.7091/
Whilst re-reading Stuart Ottesons excellent book, The Bolt Action Volume 1 (full text is here,for free! https://archive.org/details/SOttesonTheBoltActionRifleVolI also contains interesting analysis of the L-461 action), a passage in the chapter on the Remington 700 section leapt out at me (page 129).
I hope this is of some interest to our Aussie contingent, who may already be aware of the reasoning behind the unique design that was exported to Australia. I doubt this is some form of headspace verification.
I for one am aware that an old method of carrying a rifle (I would never ever promote this, or even inform a new/young shooter that it was possible) was to have the bolt de-cocked on a live round. Yes, holding the trigger down whilst closing the bolt to leave the exposed firing pin touching the primer.
Reasoning was that it was somehow faster to only re-cock the bolt by working the handle compared to carrying on an empty chamber and racking a live round, yet it was somehow considered safer than carrying with a live round in the chamber, safety catch engaged. I became aware of this 'technique' when an old hand stated that someone was killed when their rifle, carried in this de-cocked condition, hit the deck due to a broken sling, and fired a round into their back.
I can't fathom why someone would want to override the safety in such a way and then carry the rifle slung (with a crap sling to boot!) rather than in hand. It defies logic, but thankfully it is not encouraged anymore. One may say that the rifle should not have gone off, but by practising such a 'technique' they were staring into the abyss anyway!
I'm sure some on here are aware of the 'Australian Sako' basically a variation on the bolt shroud assembly which appeared to be very different from early L-series Sako's exported elsewhere, basically looking like a recessed bolt shroud with shorter firing pin/cocking piece assembly. See below:
Images lifted from this earlier thread: https://sakocollectors.com/forum/threads/l61r-bolt-shroud.7091/
Whilst re-reading Stuart Ottesons excellent book, The Bolt Action Volume 1 (full text is here,for free! https://archive.org/details/SOttesonTheBoltActionRifleVolI also contains interesting analysis of the L-461 action), a passage in the chapter on the Remington 700 section leapt out at me (page 129).
I hope this is of some interest to our Aussie contingent, who may already be aware of the reasoning behind the unique design that was exported to Australia. I doubt this is some form of headspace verification.
I for one am aware that an old method of carrying a rifle (I would never ever promote this, or even inform a new/young shooter that it was possible) was to have the bolt de-cocked on a live round. Yes, holding the trigger down whilst closing the bolt to leave the exposed firing pin touching the primer.
Reasoning was that it was somehow faster to only re-cock the bolt by working the handle compared to carrying on an empty chamber and racking a live round, yet it was somehow considered safer than carrying with a live round in the chamber, safety catch engaged. I became aware of this 'technique' when an old hand stated that someone was killed when their rifle, carried in this de-cocked condition, hit the deck due to a broken sling, and fired a round into their back.
I can't fathom why someone would want to override the safety in such a way and then carry the rifle slung (with a crap sling to boot!) rather than in hand. It defies logic, but thankfully it is not encouraged anymore. One may say that the rifle should not have gone off, but by practising such a 'technique' they were staring into the abyss anyway!