Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best action for protecting the shooter

What's the best action for protecting a shooter from escaping gas and powder from a case separation, ect?

As a kid, I was handed a 7mm RM Vanguard and told to shoot it. I did. The fellow who handed it to me had loaded it with .270 ammo on accident. The round fired and the case split towards the back of the case. Hot powder and gas escaped through the three holes on the bolt and gave me a burning raspberry underneath my glasses. The weapon was undamaged. Since then I've always wondered what the best action for that was for handling escaping powder/gas - and been a proponent of eye protection. Also I've always loaded my own weapons...

Probably the Weatherby.

Sounds like you just entered a convincing vote for the
Wby Vanguard action.....

I was thinking the same..

The Savage 110 et al is very good at handling gas due to its baffle just behind the bolthead, its gas escape holes in the receiver, its rear gas baffle, and its solid assembly bolt in the end of the bolt.

Don't know about best but surely pretty darn good.

From what I have seen, I would go along with the Savage 110; followed closely by the Remington 700. This pertaining to common commercial actions. GD

Ruger No. 1

Loading equipment and good training...so you always have good ammunition and no errors that cause issues.

Handled right and loaded for properly -- don't think there are any "bad" rifles.

YMMV...

Dennis

Mossberg ATR

Ruger Number One???

I would imagine the safest actions to deal with would be the following in no particular order.

Ruger 77
Remington 700
Weatherby Mark V
Weatherby Vanguard

I've owned remingtons, rugers, winchesters, and savages. I believe the safest by far is the savage. The combination of the front baffle, the rear baffle and solidly enclosed back end of the bolt make it the safest IMHO.

Did we skip the original unmodified Mauser 98 for a reason?

I have had a case separation incident and a blown primer incident in a 1912 Steyer and other than the different sound and feel of the shot I had no idea until I opened the bolt. No gas made it to my face. Was I just lucky or has anyone else had this experience?

I still always wear the shooting glasses just in case.

The K98 is pretty good at gas handling but that thumb notch in the right side rail can put gas and particles into the face of a shooter.

No offense intended, but unless I am mixed up, the thumb notch is on the left side -- and it is a benefit for releasing gas at 90 degrees to the shooter. Gas that would otherwise continue traveling along the bolt and into the shooter's face.

Of course, I have been wrong before...

John

You're right about it being on the left side.
A commercial Mauser without the thumb notch is safer though because without the thumb notch the gas goes all the way back to the big gas shield on the bolt shroud and gets directed laterally due to the small gap. The 1 inch gap of thumb notch allows alot of gas to be directed back towards the shooter.
The K98 also has no vent holes in the receiver ring ala the 1903 Springfield.

NO, no vent holes in the reciever. And the bolt, and stricker assembly were designed to deflect gas from a pierced primer down into the magazine well. I have not had the misfortune to try it.

What Dennis said.....


A little common sense and intelligence on the shooters part goes a long ways.


Also.....

I think Frank De Haas thought the Mauser 98 and its clones were the best at handling gas.


ddj

Ummm, no.

Those big oblong holes in the bolt are aligned with the left locking lug raceway when the bolt is in the closed/firing position and therefore they send any gas along that raceway to the thumb notch and the bolt sleeve.