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  #1  
Old 12-18-2007, 11:42 PM
11fifer1 11fifer1 is offline
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Default Safety in mind!

First of all Hi, I've been on the side line for a while and found this forum a very good read! I myself shoot a .17 REM with very good results, although I do wish at times there wasn't the meat damage, so any information on loads etc would be much appreciated! rabbit is my main quarry which I like as a food but more often than not it isn't worth the bother of picking them up as they are a bag of pulp!
It's with useable rabbits in mind that got me thinking of treating myself with a new .22 lr so I went in search of something a bit different, I came across a semi that sounded just what I was looking for and wrote of for info! to my surprise this lovely little rifle didn't have a safety so I emailed the manufacturer to see if they were going to put one on in the future, the reply came back as a no, I couldn't believe it, this isn't a cheap rifle! so here's my question would other's on here use a weapon in the field without a safety?
I wouldn't as an accident that could have been avoided would trouble me for the rest of my life!
many thanks
Jim
UK
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  #2  
Old 12-19-2007, 12:11 AM
tonybelding tonybelding is offline
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A lot of older lever-action or single-shot rifles had no safety, but they had an external hammer. You were supposed to carry them with the hammer down, or with an empty chamber (you could jack a round into the chamber of a lever-action rifle while shouldering it).

My Contender rifle depends mostly on the external hammer in the same way. The selector switch also has rimfire/centerfire/safe positions, but I doubt whether anybody actually uses that switch as a safety. It's too awkward.

I think dedicated match rifles or pistols without a safety are not too uncommon; it's really superfluous to the way they're intended to be used. Also spring-piston air rifles without any manual safety are (or used to be) fairly common, and they are actually intended to be used "in the field" for hunting. You just weren't supposed to carry them around cocked-and-loaded.

My Theoben Classic air rifle came with the most atrocious automatic safety that I've ever seen -- I considered it more of a hazard than a safety device. I'm pretty sure it was only bodged onto the gun in order to meet US import regulations. I removed it pretty quickly and have used the rifle with no manual safety ever since. I never missed it.

Most revolvers and some modern semi-auto combat pistols (beginning with Glock) have no manual safety, but they depend on a long-and-heavy trigger pull and other devices (such as an extra-wide trigger guard and the Glock "Safe-Action" trigger) to prevent the trigger from snagging on things.

My opinion. . . A manual safety is a device of limited utility for any sporting arm that is used properly. It can actually be dangerous in the hands of someone who thinks it's supposed to prevent a discharge when they carelessly or recklessly pull the trigger. That's not its function.

HOWEVER, I must say that a semi-auto 22LR rifle without a manual safety is something I haven't encountered before, and it's quite surprising.
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  #3  
Old 12-19-2007, 12:33 AM
trotterlg trotterlg is offline
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I am amazed there is a rifle made for field use now days with no way of safing it, either by lowering or half cocking the hammer or a safety lever. Who makes this thing? Larry
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  #4  
Old 12-19-2007, 01:42 AM
11fifer1 11fifer1 is offline
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Well Larry your not going to believe this so I'm going to attach the email I received! Please keep in mind that this rifle cost's upwards of £1100's here in the UK
Here goes

Dear Sir,
I have and Germany has sold thousands of these rifles and none of them have a safety. I use mine everywhere and the most important safety is me. I have been shooting a rifle since I was 6 years old (a Springfield which doesn't have a safety either) and have never had a single "problem". It would be difficult to incorporate, but not impossible. But for just a few people, the cost to incorporate would be too much. It would be better spent on training and safe handling of a firearm.

I know you feel different, and that is a good thing, because we all want to be safe! And no matter which method is used.....that is the bottom line!
Sincerely, Earl

Earl J. Sheehan Jr.
Earl's Repair Service, Inc.
www.carlwalther.com

You would think in this day and age with all the pressure on our sport, manufactures wouldn't leave any room for criticism let alone safety to life and limb!
The letter leaves room for thought doesn't it!
Jim
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  #5  
Old 12-19-2007, 01:57 AM
Bryce Bryce is offline
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How about some details of the rifle model.

I have a very hard time believeing that any reputable brand 22LR semi auto doesn't have a trigger block type safety !!

Bryce
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  #6  
Old 12-19-2007, 02:21 AM
11fifer1 11fifer1 is offline
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Bryce
It's one of these:- Walther semi auto GSP .22 rifle!
I find it hard to believe as well! I think the saying go's (don't spoil the ship for a ha penny worth of tar) I for one would expect a lot more from the Germans, I own three rifle's by other German manufactures and cant fault them
Jim
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  #7  
Old 12-19-2007, 02:35 AM
Bryce Bryce is offline
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That is the little bullpup monstrosity ?? !!

That model does indeed have a safety. It may only be a trigger block style but it does have one. I have held several of these in my own hands and seen the the safety. It is a curved affair sitting up above the trigger.

Bryce
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  #8  
Old 12-19-2007, 02:50 AM
11fifer1 11fifer1 is offline
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Bryce,I think you should read post 4, the part that starts ....Dear Sir....It doesn't have a safety otherwise he would say so, he's the man who knows for sure! How much do they sell for over there? I didn't think they were that thick on the ground? I think your thinking of a different rifle..G22
thanks for your input
Jim
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  #9  
Old 12-19-2007, 04:44 AM
foxhunter foxhunter is offline
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you know you both could be right!!!!!
Walther gps 22
Notes: This weapon was introduced in 1968 as the GSP and was later called the GSP-22 after the GSP-32 (then known as the GSP-C) came out. The original GSP-22 had a manual safety catch; however this was deleted in 1977 as being unnecessary in such a match weapon.
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  #10  
Old 12-19-2007, 05:19 AM
tonybelding tonybelding is offline
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Well, there you have it. . .

http://www.carlwalther.com/gsp_rifle.htm

http://www.carlwalther.com/ouradvice.pdf

If I'm reading this correctly, it's the product of a small company that converts the Walther GSP-22 match target pistol into a target rifle. A match target pistol doesn't need a safety, and neither does a match target rifle as long as it's used for that purpose (i.e. formal target shooting).

If you wanted to take it out hunting, you'd have to make some concessions and carry it with an empty chamber until you have your quarry in view. Which shouldn't be any big problem for most hunting scenarios.
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