Thread: Sako 75 halfcock

Is it possible to do the halfcock safety like the t3 on the sako 75?

Why? Just run your actual safety

the 75 sits there nicely by its self
its how I hunt with mine while it is in my hands
its not enough to keep the bolt from opening by itself on your back or anything silly but its great while hunting

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Why? Just run your actual safety

you will know this already Bud....but will post it anyway for others who dont.
us KIWIs have a hangup from the 50s-60s-70s when most folk hunted with a SMLE as they were the most common rifles around....you hunted with bolt open as they were a cock on closing action and the safeties werent all that safe AT ALL. Ive seen folk with mausers walk around with striker down,and seen the dents in primers too. know of one chap who dropped rifle down a bank,lost fingers and luckily bullet deflected outwards after hitting colar bone so had lovely scars but lived to tell tale.
I learnt to hunt with bolt open....the safety SOMETIMES goes on when very close to animal or on range waiting for wind gust to pass,other than that ita chambered round and bolt open.
lever actions with exposed hammer are the safest in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Breingan

Is it possible to do the halfcock safety like the t3 on the sako 75?

Further to what MD says.

Are you saying getting a gunsmith to modify the bolt?
As the factory T3 doesn’t have such a thing.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Why? Just run your actual safety

Farken A!

A round chambered on a functional safety is much safer than a half cock. Let alone the risk of the bolt opening, losing the round and having to chamber a new one to shoot an animal.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

A round chambered on a functional safety is much safer than a half cock. Let alone the risk of the bolt opening, losing the round and having to chamber a new one to shoot an animal.

After 25 years of using a "half bolt" position that is the same conclusion I came to.

Started using the safety on my Howa earlier this year. This change came about due to howa's not having a strong half-bolt position when compared to the Rugers (m77 MkII) and sakos (L and A series) I have owed in the past. A long action howa (270) would quietly bump closed (very dangerous) and my current 308 bumps open with a loud "click clack" - very annoying when sneaking around the in the Blueys!
So I have made the decision to run my rifles either empty or on full cock with safety on. At the end of the day, that is how the manufacturers intended firearms to be used.

Originally Posted by Dama dama

After 25 years of using a "half bolt" position that is the same conclusion I came to.

Started using the safety on my Howa earlier this year. This change came about due to howa's not having a strong half-bolt position when compared to the Rugers (m77 MkII) and sakos (L and A series) I have owed in the past. A long action howa (270) would quietly bump closed (very dangerous) and my current 308 bumps open with a loud "click clack" - very annoying when sneaking around the in the Blueys!
So I have made the decision to run my rifles either empty or on full cock with safety on. At the end of the day, that is how the manufacturers intended firearms to be used.

Me three except that I'm a bit slower and it took nearly 40 years to make the switch. I'm now with the whole rest of the entire world that uses a safety as it was intended . . . .

Not sure if I made it clear what I’m after. My rifle has a good half cock. But what I’m after is whether it’s possible to modify the bolt so you can put the safety on while in halfcock and it locks the bolt in that position, like is easily done on the tikka t3. I know this is not for everyone, but something I like on my rifles. Looks like it would be possible, but just wanting to know if someone has done this.

No it’s not according to my local gunsmith. Can do an 85 but not a 75.

Ok thanks

You can lock the bolt in the closed position with the safety which will achieve the same result and be less of a pointless exercise

Just use the frigging safety in the way it was designed instead of butchering a modern rifle in a way only kiwis seem to be fond of doing...

The fact that European rifles including UK, have a heavy half open bolt position compared to American suggests to me that the Euro manufacturers intended for their firearms to be used that way - and that is what their customers wanted. A lot of US hunting has been done from stands where having one up the spout and safety applied is fine. Most of the Euro firearms that have come to NZ come from countries that don't hunt from stands. In NZ the Mountain Safety Council taught me ' Use a half open bolt or action only when in a state of semi-readiness'. To me a half open bolt with thumb and fore-finger holding the bolt in a positive grip is the safe position before moving to bolt closed and safety on (or not).
One position is probably no safer than the other from a mechanical point, but with the half open bolt I have positive contact with the bolt at all times and know the gun cant fire whereas with the safety on I have to look at it or move my thumb to physically check it is on. Learning to load and unload silently and carrying a rifle with an empty chamber is the safest of the lot with a Bolt action IMO.