SPORTSMEN TAKE NOTE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 20, 2 November 1945, Page 8

SPORTSMEN TAKE NOTE

OPERATION OF SAFETY CATCH

The report from the Arms Bureau of the. Police Department Wellingon the firearm and iired shell Avhieh were forwarded from the Whakatane Police Station in connection with the inquest into the death of Kingita Patikura contains infor_ mation of interest to sportsmen with regard to the operaton of the safety catch on the M.L.E. Rilles.

A section of the report states-: When the M.L.E. rifle is. uncocked the firing pin is fully projected beyond the face of the bolt so that if there, is an unfired cartridge in the breech of the rifle this firing f ° pin is actually pushing hard against the cap. Any sharp blow against the end of the cocking piece—that is. the extreme rear end of the boltwill almost certainly cause the cart, ridge to be fired. The application of the safety catch at this "position does not make the slightest difference to this dangerous- condition. It might also be added, that the Army Training Manual prohibits, the uncocking of the action (bolt) while, there is a cartridge in the chamber, though no reason is given for the prohibition.

Sportsmen commonly know nothing about this regulation, and often carry the rifle charged and loaded being deluded by the safety catch the 1 unction of which is to prevent the bolt opening during drill and bayonet practice. At full cock the safety catch does operate as a safetycatch. Sportsmen are advised to keep the mazine charged and the breech, empty till it is necessary to fire a shot, or if they must load the chamber to keep the action at the "half, cock position. This completely locks everything. A shell, accidentally fired in the above manner bears a distinctive firing pin impression on the cap oi primer. The "rim" of the impression is rounded, and differs from that made when the cartridge is fired by the proper operation of the firing mechanism. Thus there is a definite danger when thie Magazine Lee.Enfield rifle is uncocked whilst there is a cartridge in the breech. This hidden danger applies principally to the service rifle, and to the cheaper kinds of .22 calibre, rifles, which arc now mostly -becoming obsolete.