The three position safety is located on the bolt shroud for easy access and is important for several reasons;

Rear Position – bolt handle is locked in the down position, firing pin is locked, rifle is safe.

Mid-Position – Bolt will operate but firing pin remains locked, “ready position” rifle is safe.

Bolt Can be operated safely to unload the rifle or to safely chamber a round if stalking game.

Foward Position – Fire!

Everyone must follow all standard procedures of firearm safety. Refer to the 10 commandments of gun safety for reference.

True controlled feed in a bolt action rifle is when the extractor captures the cartridge as it comes out of the magazine thus controlling the cartridge as it goes into the chamber. The cartridge is always held in place “controlled” by either the magazine or the bolt. This was originally developed for the military to assure 100% reliable feeding regardless of position or movement during operation. The cartridge is held in the bolt face by the claw extractor and cannot fall out or become misaligned even if held upside down. This also prevents “short stroking” a cartridge, that is when the bolt is started forward enough to start a cartridge into the chamber, then pulled back “short” of chambering and another round picked up from the magazine. This is most prevalent in “push feed” rifles when operated in a hurry for follow up shots.

The full length claw extractor is simply the most foolproof, 100% reliable method to extract cases from the chamber, with a full .395″ wide extractor “claw” to engage the extractor groove. It will be reliably extract the most stubborn case.

In the past cases were subject to swelling or corrosion in the hot, humid conditions found in Africa. Today the weather is the same but cartridge cases are made to a higher quality but still subject to external conditions that could cause sticking. Dirt, deformed bullets or excessive case expansion can effectively disable a rifle if the extractor is not up to the task.

The Mechanical ejector is a spring loaded blade of steel that rides in a relief cut in the bolt, as the bolt is pulled back with the case captured in the “controlled” feed the blade will physically push the case out of the action, the force of ejection depends on the effort of bolt operation. This is another holdover or benefit from military bolt action rifles like the Mauser which provides 100% reliable ejection of fired cases from the action.

Plunger style ejectors (on a “push feed” system depend on a spring loaded plunger to push the case clear of the action and sometimes weaken and barely clear the action or worse seize up in the retracted position and provide no ejection. They can even seize in the extended position and not allow bolt to close on the case. There are debates about the effects on accuracy of the constant pressure of the plunger on the case head as opposed to the mechanical ejector which does not contact the case head when in battery.

Yes, email [email protected] for all special requests.

The SD-76 is a flat bottom receiver and is more like the pre-64 model 70 Winchester whereas the model SD-97 is more like a Remington model 700 but with the model 70 safety feeding and trigger systems.  The SD-97 is a round body.