Thread: One up the spout

Originally Posted by Jhon

At the NZDA Hunts Course they showed how a Mauser action with a chambered round and the bolt half open will still fire on a trigger pull. A round firing with the bolt half open is not something most of us would want to experience. The practice apparently arose when many had Lee Enfield 303B where the half open bolt would not fire but could be quickly and quietly closed on sighting a target. The equivalent they recommended with a Mauser style action was to chamber the round, open the bolt fully but hold it foward in the action with a stout rubber band looped around the bolt handle and the front scope ring. The tension on the rubber band both holds the bolt forward so the round can't drop out and also prevents any rattling of the bolt. Best, the bolt is positioned to quietly close on the firing position with minimum movement. I thought the rubber band would be kind of naf and in the way but actually the technique I found works exceptionally well and is as safe as it gets.

Most modern cock on open rifles will fire if the bolt is half open if you have it just far enough for the trigger to work. Modern (read new good quality rifles, not old crappy rifles) wont fire with one up the spout and safety on if left in factory condition in good condition. Mainly referring to tikkas and sakos here tbh, but even cheaper ones will be the same.