Indeed, but as stated earlier, only a dweeb would fully chamber a round in any lever action when cycling them while unloading. Just lever the bolt far enough forward so the extractor engages the cartridge fully and then reverse. By doing so with the Savage, if you look at the sear engagement as it's happening you'll notice that said engagement is a healthy ½" or so making it impossible for things to slip and discharge a cartridge halfway into the chamber. The sear engagement doesn't drop down to a RCH until the bolt is fully seated forward. Of course if one "slip closes" a pre-mil 99 on a live cartridge then the firing pin is resting in the fired position squarely up against the primer, but with nothing inside the action that could whack the pin and cause a discharge (the 99 pin and hammer are one piece, driven by a heavy spring inside the bolt). I would definitely rate the 99 (pre-mil) as being safer than the average vintage hammer gun in the hands of a newbie. It still boils down to being totally familiar with one's gun to ensure safe handling.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 12/23/15.
