Bob thanks for the idea of carrying an extra extractor, there is always room to learn. I will start doing the same they could save the day on deep wilderness hunts, most likely will never use but it pays to be prepared. On the subject of bolt handles. I was pig hunting with a friend in mid october 2003, 8am, 70 degrees a group of pigs went by I shot a large boar I lift the bolt handle on my Sako AV using factory 7mm rem mag. fail safe 160 grain ammo and tried to pull back to no avail the bolt would not budge. I quickly put the butt stock on the ground, pointed the rifle away from me and kicked the bolt handle hard twice with my right foot before the bolt released extracting the case. Luckily I was not charged. I give credit to Sako the bolt handle did not brake and the extractor held up. Even if the rifle was a Mauser or Win. CRF with a claw extractor if the bolt handle brakes then the extractor is useless no matter the type. That's why some custom action builders will build a bolt handle that is integral with the bolt , granted not cheap. But a quality rifle should be built correctly before it ever leaves the factory if in dought a good gunsmith can rectify the problem with proper welding. A rifle is only good as its week part you never can predict when murphy will strike. The irony is I carried the same rifle six weeks earlier on an Alaskan moose float hunt on the penninsulla in the company of large brown bears. I've shot a few black bears in Kalifornia the largest was 7ft 4" nose to tail and these Ak. bears made him look like a cub, they have my full respect and when you're parting tulies with the muzzle you better have full confidence in your rifle. Thank god I didn't have any problems. It made me revamp my equipment.
