MO Archer

I just bought two guns for my 11 year old son within the last two months and I have a question regarding the actual safety on the guns. The two guns are a Ruger 10/22 and a Winchester 1300 20ga. These guns' safeties will not engage unless they are charged. Are they supposed to operate this way?

bigbulls

Yes they are.

usmc1978

If you bought these guns used, you might want to go on-line and print out the owner's manuals, if they're available. If they're not available, write to the company; they'll send you one.

So many owner's manuals are generic any more (one manual covers numerous variations in the same basic model) and most of the content was probably written by lawyers, but there is technical info such as this in them, too.

MO Archer

I have the owner's manuals for both of these and they do not mention the actual function of the safeties. They only say what the safety does and what it is for.

I figured that the 10/22 was supposed to be that way simply because of the way you have to take the stock off by putting the safety half way. I was quite surprised about the Rem 1300 though. It is one of the older ones before they stopped making them. Not sure if they have started making them again.

bigbulls

Probably nearly every firearm made with a button safety like these two will not go to safe in the un****ed position. Why would it need to?

The trigger is to far to the rear until the hammer is ****ed. When the hammer is ****ed the sear engages the hammer which in turn allows the trigger to move forward so that the safety passes by the trigger.

MO Archer

All 10 guns I own (rifles, shotguns, MLS) will go on safe whether they are ****ed or not. Only reason I asked. Well, that and I am trying to teach him to always keep it on safe until he is ready to fire it and he looks at me and says it won't go on safe. I personally think it sucks to teach him gun safety and shooting with these guns because the safety function confuses him sometimes. Now that I know for sure that they are designed this way I can explain to him about the action of the guns and why he can and can't put it on safe at times.

Thanks for the input.

bigbulls

It isn't all that uncommon for a gun to not go to safe until ****ed. Many bolt action rifles such as Remington seven and 700, Winchester 70, Howa 1500 and Weatherby vanguard, Mausers, and a host of others that have triggers and safeties like a 700.

Ar15's is another one that won't go to safe until ****ed.

For now teach him that it is safer to keep the action opened when not in use instead of relying on the safety.



What I find really interesting is that on a gun forum we can't talk about a hammer being ****ed with out it getting censored out. How stupid is that?

mauser06

most guns will not go on safe if the hammer/firing spring is down..(it was fired..)

thinking of all of my rifles and shotguns, i can say none will go on safe after they are fired until the action is worked...once you work the action back, it re-****s the hammer and the saftey will go on...

i prefer to store my guns with everything relaxed...that means dry firing them or using a snap cap...i know better than to spend money on snap caps...i make 1000x sure they are clear and unloaded and i dry fire them and put them away...only exception is rimfires which can break the firing pin if dry fired...and ive heard some olddddd guns (i want to say OLD double guns) shouldnt be dry fired...other than that, its fine...just a personal thing...i like to relax everything to take the tension off the springs when not in use.....i even take the floor plates off my mags....and i replace my mag springs pretty regular in my mags and shotguns....those "stupid little springs" can make the difference between a gun that feeds and one that doesnt...once i feel a spring is starting to loose its power, i replace it...hand gun mags that i keep loaded regularly are the ones i replace regularly...i got 6 mags and keep 2 loaded and 4 relaxed and rotate them weekly to relax the loaded ones...

8mm/06

I think it's great to teach your kid that every gun is different in it's own way and that he needs to be very familiar with each gun he handles, or he shouldn't be handling them unless carefully supervised.

One thing is true of all guns though ... they are always to be handled as if loaded and ready to fire, until double-checked and/or dis-assembled. No matter how experienced we are, or how many different guns we've all been around, this is the one rule that if followed will help save us and our loved ones from tragedy.

Good man MO Archer, keep teaching that young man the right stuff.

Maine Shooter

To add to the above...if keeping them 'safe" while unloaded/soed is a concern, simply get a lock-out device for them. Young minds and hands ya know...