Thread: Two Near Miss" safety incidents with the Sako 85 at a gong shoot

No ! The gun did not go off and miss !

I'm reporting these so others can think ahead for when they encounter these situations.

#1 Live rounds left in the mag. Bolt open when leaving the firing point.
Carry rifle with muzzle down so it's in a "safe direction".
ZIP - the bolt slides forward stripping a live round into the chamber as I walk away.

When hunting its no problem firing one or two shots. You just close the bolt on an empty chamber and move on.
On the range I normally fire off all shots in the mag then carry the rifle with open bolt. But this time @Gillie had required far too many shots in far too little time (for me) and I timed out so had two left.

Prevention: 1) Chamber flag or
2) visually check action, see rounds in mag, drop mag or work both through while pointing downrange.


#2 Six rounds to fire: 5 in the mag and 1 in the chamber.
For the Sako 85 the bolt head has to ride 1 - 2 cm over the base of the 5th round in the mag so it doesn't get fed causing a jam.
So you hand feed the 6th round into the chamber. But if the muzzle is down, the round drops straight into the chamber where it's hard to see and then the bolt zips down following it. Again, a live round in the chamber when you don't expect it.

This was an unfamilar manoeuvre which I tried to do for the first time under instruction, without having thought it through.

Prevention: 1) load 5 then stack the 6th round on top. It won't click into place or be engaged by the mag. Press the loose 6th round down 2mm into the mag with fingers of one hand while working the bolt with your other hand. The bolt face and extractor will pick up the rim in a semi-controlled feed and stop it falling into the chamber. It can also be withdrawn and ejected without fully closing and cycling the bolt. or
2) Don't use "5+1" when under pressure or
3) Apply safety before loading the 6th round.


These are both instances where familiarisation with your own weapon is the key to safety.

Fortunately, on this day the range officer was also very familiar with the quirks of the Sako 85, watching like a hawk, and I learnt in a relatively safe situation.
Thanks Gillie.