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Sorry, you've got me. The rules are written on the assumption that people carry bolt-action rifles around uncased. Genuine question - where do the rules require a bolt action gun to be cased?

Hmmmm, good point - maybe because it's usually muddy that people tend to bring their rifles to the point cased/slipped, and those who don't know any different (like myself) just copy them...

...anyway; whether or not you're on the point, or putting your rifle away at the end of a shoot, can the bolt be closed, or should it remain open, flag in or bolt out until you get home...?

Given that the last time a shot was fired sideways across Century, it was someone closing the bolt and firing off the action in a slip case, I would rather that you took the bolt out when you left the point and kept it that way. The bolts of both my rifles live in my shooting box, and go in the rifle only on the point, when on formal dry training or when doing trigger setup in the gunroom.

But I have had enough grief from people who think that keeping the bolt in the gun is the best thing to do, and from cadet units who have twenty identical rifles and really don't want the bolts mixed up, and from people who think that taking the bolt out is too difficult (how do they clean their barrels?) I'm not going to insist on bolts out. But I am insisting that you get the gun independently checked by someone whose sole duty at the time is safety if you want to leave the bolt in. Once that's done, what you do out of sight is up to you - nobody else can influence it.

Thanks for that reply Iain - I'm all for keeping the ROs happy; so will find some suitable receptacles for my bolts, and keep the inside of my cases and slips cleaner (might have to replace my wool lined one...)...

...could also be a good excuse to buy some authentic breach covers

Different disciplines have slightly different rules. For instance gallery rifle events require rifles to be cased until the order to uncase is given by the RCO. Rifles are cleared and checked at the end of the event and then re-cased before you leave the firing point.

It gives me the willies when there are hundreds of people around with rifles cased so no peer inspection is possible. I've never understood it - what does it achieve?

On the topic of easing springs, it was that (in order to case a rifle) that almost cost the life of a cadet a few years ago.

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rox wrote:It gives me the willies when there are hundreds of people around with rifles cased so no peer inspection is possible. I've never understood it - what does it achieve?

On the topic of easing springs, it was that (in order to case a rifle) that almost cost the life of a cadet a few years ago.

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But they are inspected, at the end of each detail, before any change of distances and before they are re-cased. The only time that you could say that they have not been inspected is when they arrive at the range having been taken from their storage cabinets and placed in their cases.
I always check each gun as I take it out of the cabinet and also when I take it out of a case to put it back in the cabinet. I do this yet know that I am the only one with access to the cabinet and knowing that I am the one that put it in there in the first place. I suppose that this was just where my military training came in as we were taught to check a firearm whenever we took control of it and to not trust anyone else's word for it.

rox wrote:On the topic of easing springs, it was that (in order to case a rifle) that almost cost the life of a cadet a few years ago.

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For that to happen it means the rifle wasn't checked clear properly - Also you should never dry-fire a gun after shooting unless you are still on the point and it's pointing down the range - Plus you don't have to 'ease springs' anyway, as most bolt action rifles will close without the action re-cocking...so that incident had nothing to do with casing the gun, and everything to do with general firearm incompetence...

...but as I've said, I'm prepared to go beyond what I feel is actually necessary to make life easy for the ROs.

Dougan wrote:

rox wrote:On the topic of easing springs, it was that (in order to case a rifle) that almost cost the life of a cadet a few years ago.

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For that to happen it means the rifle wasn't checked clear properly - Also you should never dry-fire a gun after shooting unless you are still on the point and it's pointing down the range - Plus you don't have to 'ease springs' anyway, as most bolt action rifles will close without the action re-cocking...so that incident had nothing to do with casing the gun, and everything to do with general firearm incompetence...

...but as I've said, I'm prepared to go beyond what I feel is actually necessary to make life easy for the ROs.

I'm not suggesting that it was to do with casing the gun. It occurred, like most accidents, due to a combination of errors and limitations of the procedures that were in place at the time.

Indeed, most actions will close without re-cocking - because they are already cocked!

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In most armouries I've drawn weapons from, the armourer hands you the weapon with the working parts locked back; you inspect then ease springs and fire-off the action... as you bimble away from the armoury whilst picking your nose! :lol:

I suppose trained service personnel have the advantage of being drilled in safe firearms handling and it's second nature to them. For the opposite reason I can see why civvy ranges are 'anal' about things but I would of course go with the flow for the range staff's sake (it's their trainset after all).

There's fewer things more embarassing than a bollocking on a range!

Good thread.

:)