Both the 700's I currently have have the non-bolt-locking safety.
My first Ruger 77s had bolt-locking safeties, my third one didn't.
My Sako 85 has a bolt-locking safety with a little button to leave the safety on and open the bolt.
My Kimber 8400 has the traditional Model 70 style three-position.
My Ruger Number 1's don't lock the lever when the safety is on.
A couple of my old 99 Savages have the little lever-locking safety latch as well.
None of it means a thing to me. I am happy to use any of them. The non-locking bolts have never caused a problem for me. I know, if I hunted some of the "thick stuff" that some here do, apparently smashing their way through the underbrush with their rifle, I'd understand why it's useful to have the bolt locked down and why some rifles are just too nice to hunt with where they hunt. What I'll never be able to understand, is how those that hunt such cluttered, congested "thick stuff" can ever see anything to shoot at or how they can get an unobstructed shot if they do.
But that's just me. To each his own.
