campergeek
September 4, 2003, 11:18 PM
I hope this question won't make me seem really daft.
I have a semi-auto .22 rifle built by Savage but store-branded by the "Coast-to-Coast" chain. It's a clean, well-functioning and accurate rifle, but it has a feature that somewhat perplexes me. The bolt handle extends through the other side of the chamber and the other end can be pushed through one of two holes - one locks the bolt open, the other locks the bolt shut. I can see the utility of locking the bolt open, but for what reason would one want to lock the bolt shut?
Doing so does not act as any sort of safety; if there is a round chambered the rifle will still fire. However, it will not eject that round and load the next. The best I can figure, this is an attempt to provide a "best of both worlds" between a bolt-action and semi-auto. Leaving the "lock" unengaged allows the rifle to function in semi-auto mode, but locking it shut provides the rigidity (and theoretically greater accuracy) of a bolt gun, also requiring the shooter to cycle the next round manually.
Does anyone have any insight on such an action? The model number stamped on the rifle is 285N, and I have found one cross-reference that identifies the rifle as a Savage "7J", but I can't find any info about a Savage 7J. Any knowledgeable insight, blind guesses or mad theories are welcome.
I have a semi-auto .22 rifle built by Savage but store-branded by the "Coast-to-Coast" chain. It's a clean, well-functioning and accurate rifle, but it has a feature that somewhat perplexes me. The bolt handle extends through the other side of the chamber and the other end can be pushed through one of two holes - one locks the bolt open, the other locks the bolt shut. I can see the utility of locking the bolt open, but for what reason would one want to lock the bolt shut?
Doing so does not act as any sort of safety; if there is a round chambered the rifle will still fire. However, it will not eject that round and load the next. The best I can figure, this is an attempt to provide a "best of both worlds" between a bolt-action and semi-auto. Leaving the "lock" unengaged allows the rifle to function in semi-auto mode, but locking it shut provides the rigidity (and theoretically greater accuracy) of a bolt gun, also requiring the shooter to cycle the next round manually.
Does anyone have any insight on such an action? The model number stamped on the rifle is 285N, and I have found one cross-reference that identifies the rifle as a Savage "7J", but I can't find any info about a Savage 7J. Any knowledgeable insight, blind guesses or mad theories are welcome.