Tikka (and other rifles) Safety Question

I've wondered the same thing. I have a Stevens(made by Savage Arms) that has to be on "fire" to operate the bolt. My son has a Savage Axis that you can work the bolt on "fire" or "safety".

I've wondered why the same company would have 2 different designs like that.

quote:

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Why must you place the safety on Fire to close the bolt and load the gun?

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Safeties are supposed to prevent accidental manipulation of the fire control system. Locking the action seems prudent.

If you want a safety to protect you from your own actions ... I suggest more training or another hobby.

What Remington has a 3 position safety?

Remingtons 2 position safety allows you to manipulate the action and clear the chamber.

Any of the three position safeties should allow this as well.

No idea what rifle requires you to put it on fire. Never seen that before.

3 position safeties are normally:
Safe-bolt locked
Safe-bolt unlocked
Fire

You don't have to put it all the way to fire to manipulate the bolt.

ETA: looks like model 700s built before 1982 had what the OP is describing.

My Cz .22 is the only gun I own that is that way and I've wondered the same thing. I figured it was because it was made by foreigners.

In the stand now and was just thinking that's the only thing I dislike about my tikka.

I have an old savage 243 with the "3 safety's". Not a bad idea. I think it's a good thing to have, especially on youth models. It's just as safe as the traditional "2 safety" guns IMO but for someone with real gun discipline it could be like cheap insurance.

I wouldn't have expected so much discussion about safeties. Personally, I prefer the 3 position Savage or Winchester M70 safeties, but I'm comfortable w/ whatever safety the gun I'm using has. For the last couple years my main hunting guns have been Remington XP-100's and Savage bolt action handguns, but I've used just about everything else through the years. The XP bolt can be worked w/ the safety engaged so that's how I use it to load or unload the gun. OTOH, I've used guns w/ a blind box mag (no floor plate) where one had to work the action to unload the mag one round at a time. If the safety had to be "off", I just made a point to keep my finger off the trigger and point the muzzle in a safe direction while running the mag. I've had guns w/ hinged floor plates, but I know some hunters who prefer a detatchable/blind mag for fear the hinged floor plate may come loose and dump a mag full of ammo. Use what you're comfortable using. If you're uncomfortable w/ a gun's safety, change to a different gun.