"Safety" feature or FTF?

sniper · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 9:23 am Post subject: "Safety" feature or FTF?

You guys know a lot more about this than I do, so here goes.
This A.M., after shoveling the driveway, I was watching "Hunting the Country" on OLN.

A young man, his father and a guide were hunting Whitetail deer in Montana. The young hunter attempted a shot with his rifle. From the sponsor list, probably a Remington, and the gun went "CLICK"! Then it showed the kid re-cocking the gun

Either the young man's father or one of the guides later did a "sincere piece" facing the camera, and saying...very sincerely, of course...it was a "safety feature" on the gun. The the kid's finger somehow wasn't in the proper postition when he attempted the shot, so the gun just went "CLICK".

HUH?
Have I missed the latest innovation in frustration for gun users, or did the rifle work O.K.? It sounded like the firing pin fell on an empty chamber. No KABOOM. Help me out, here.

yotebuster · Member Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 216 Location: Georgia

I'm glad I'm not the only one that saw that!? I couldn't believe what I'd heard and it still doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I'm missing something here but have the lawyers gotten into redesigning trigger safety mechanisms and we've just missed it?? I think I'll drop an email to the show and ask for clarification on that.
Anyone else catch this? Shocked

Yotebuster

Snyper · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:41 am Post subject: Re: "Safety" feature or FTF?

What type of action was it? Some lever actions wont fire unless you grip the lever tightly enough? Ive never heard of a bolt gun that had such a feature, but you mentioned he "recocked" it so did it have an external hammer?

Bushmaster · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:30 am Post subject: Re: "Safety" feature or FTF?

Snyper...You're right except even a lever gun will not go "Click" if the lever isn't gripped properly. If there is a "Click" the hammer or the firing pin has made contact with the primer or some other obstruction. THEY GOOFED AND THINK WE ARE STUPID or trying to appease the antis. The gun didn't go off...Why didn't they just say so....We understand these things...

By the way Snyper...You can recock a bolt action rifle just by lifting the bolt handle and relocking it... Very Happy

sniper · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:57 pm Post subject: Re: "Safety" feature or FTF?

Snyper wrote:

What type of action was it? Some lever actions wont fire unless you grip the lever tightly enough? Ive never heard of a bolt gun that had such a feature, but you mentioned he "recocked" it so did it have an external hammer?

Snyper: Welcome. This is a good place to visit. It was a bolt gun, and he recocked it the same way I do mine, by raising and lowering the bolt handle, as if to chamber a new round, but without sliding the bolt to the rear.

You know, there may be some here that may get us mixed up, except that I am the good-looking one. Laughing

sniper · Last edited by sniper on Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:06 am; edited 2 times in total

Woops! Never let anything electronic know you are in a hurry! Deleted wrong (multiple) post.

sniper · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:26 pm Post subject: Re: "Safety" feature or FTF?

yotebuster wrote:

I couldn't believe what I'd heard and it still doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I'm missing something here but have the lawyers gotten into redesigning trigger safety mechanisms and we've just missed it?? Anyone else catch this? Yotebuster

Yes, they are. That's why the aftermarket trigger/sear business is thriving.

I've been thinking on it, and it could have been caused by one of several options:

1. They forgot to load the rifle. (Safety, you know.)
2. The "professional" guide and/or the star, being EXPERTS and all, just got the rifle from the sponsor, took it out of the box, maybe with the scope already mounted, figured it was good to go, handed it to the kid, and said "Smile." No cleaning or shakedown to be sure it would work or was sighted in.
3. The lubricant in the bolt thickened due to cold weather, and slowed the firing pin's fall.

Sheesh! If'n ya can't trust the guys on the Huntin' shows, who can ya...??? Confused

sniper · Last edited by sniper on Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:11 am; edited 4 times in total

Multiple posts. Sad

yotebuster · Member Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 216 Location: Georgia

I emailed the show's producer and asked for some explanation about this scenario. If I get a reply I'll copy and paste it here for all to see.
Yotebuster