Is a Mosin safety unsafe ?

[Witchdoctor]

Hello all, I was thinking about something a d wanted to know if anyone has any info on the issue ? I have some arthritis issues and since my recent heart attack have some weak hand issue on top of that, on my mosins I tend to use the safety knob which is as we know a bit tough to pull back, but when releasing it it has so much tension on it that it slips from my grip sometimes, is there a potential for the safety to slam back too hard when putting it back to fire mode to set off the cartridge ? Just wanting to know if this is a possibility, any input would be helpful to make sure I am safe, and no I don't point the rifle in an unsafe direction in the first place but I'm cautious about all scenarios.

[locomotiveguy]

I never depend on any safety ever. If your no going to shoot unload.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yes it is unsafe, forget about it and safe the bolt by opening it and leaving it open until you are on target and ready to shoot. Who had an ND while screwing around with the so called "Mosin safety" ? Somebody on the board admitted to it a few years back when the subject came up, I forget who.

[steelbuttplate]

Had an ND? . (nerd discharge) You got me stumped on that one Jim Dog. If you rest the butt of the rifle in the fold of your elbow it makes it lots easier to use the safety, but it don't make it safe. I don't know if we ever decided what was Standard operating procedure on carrying these rifles by Russian troops that were taking fire. It was discussed.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Negligent Discharge, that's any discharge of a weapon that does not come as a result of your pointing it at the target and squeezing the trigger. The subject of the Mosin cocking knob "safety" come up every now and then, someone reported having an ND while fooling with it, this could have even been back on the first board. I don't remember who, but I do remember that someone owned up to it.

[entropy]

Negligent Discharge, that's any discharge of a weapon that does not come as a result of your pointing it at the target and squeezing the trigger. The subject of the Mosin cocking knob "safety" come up every now and then, someone reported having an ND while fooling with it, this could have even been back on the first board. I don't remember who, but I do remember that someone owned up to it.

<Cpt. Kirk voice> Dammit, Jim! </Cpt. Kirk voice> You know it was me, you just like dredging it up again and again......

I do occasionally use it hunting, but I've practiced it a lot since that ND; I unload going up into a stand or such.

[Junk Yard Dog]

HA! See, my memory didn't fail me for once, generally remembering what I ate for breakfast is a challenge, and I eat the same thing every morning. From what I recall you didn't kill anyone with that ND, nobody you liked anyway. Could have been worse, just ask the deputy who while examining a shotgun he took off an armed robber, blew a hole in the wall of a local RiteAid a couple of years back. His Boss, the sheriff, a retired army one star, took issue with his performance at some length.

[bunkysdad]

I had a ND at the range with my Enfield No1 MKIII and it was scary. I too practice keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, thankfully this was no exception. Made me more careful.

[zeebill]

Yeah I would say it is for all intents and purposes. I too have nerve damage and lack strength to even try the safety in normal standard form and we shall leave that subject right there as I don't want to be thrown out of here. I simply don't chamber anything till I am ready to fire and aiming at the target down range. After firing I eject the shell and leave the bolt open till I am ready to fire again and repeat the above process. This has carried over to just about anything I shoot in the range of a rifle unless it is a semi and loads the next shell automatically. I frankly might have the same problem the above poster has in releasing the safety if I used it too so I have made a change to my procedure to allow for my lack of strength. Yep the safety really stinks and is unsafe to my judgement. Bill

[SA1911a1]

Like Bill, I don't chamber until ready to fire. Other than playing with the safety on the Mosin, I have never used it.

[Fledge]

The trick is to get it into safe safely. It is pretty clunky.

[Gunowner99]

I never depend on any safety ever. If your no going to shoot unload.

So true. I'm the same way.

[ParrotHead]

It has a safety?

[SSGTSemperFi]

ALL mechanical safeties should be considered unsafe. Not doing so is one of the ways that you get the aforementioned ND's. Your "safety" ought to lie between the ears. This is why you always keep it pointed in a safe direction.
A mechanical safety is nothing more than a "feel good" measure (Feel good legislation anyone? - got a lot of that out here in the land of unicorns and ignorance), as they're prone to failure. Unless said safety completely removes 300% of any potential for a discharge, it's nothing more than a feel-good measure.

Now, that said, there are some non-permanent ways of making it easier on yourself to disengage the stress on the sear. A quick Google-fu ought to show you some of them.

[Witchdoctor]

Wow did I touch on a hairy subject or what....lol, thanks for the input and experiences, I was I guess wondering if it happened to slip from my grip when taking it off could it set off a chambered round, I do however only load with four rounds when carrying for hunting until ready to fire then chamber a round, it was just a curiosity question I guess to see if I may try adding the fifth round and sling it while chambered with safety on, the responses were great though, thanks again !

[musketjon]

Yes, it can and will fire a chambered round if it slips from your grip.
Jon

[awalker1829]

ALL mechanical safeties should be considered unsafe. Not doing so is one of the ways that you get the aforementioned ND's. Your "safety" ought to lie between the ears. This is why you always keep it pointed in a safe direction.
A mechanical safety is nothing more than a "feel good" measure (Feel good legislation anyone? - got a lot of that out here in the land of unicorns and ignorance), as they're prone to failure. Unless said safety completely removes 300% of any potential for a discharge, it's nothing more than a feel-good measure.

So true. The "safeties" on the Mosin's French counterparts is in between the operator's ears-the Lebel and Berthier designs do not have any mechanical safeties. The trained soldier knew not to chamber a round until ready to shoot.

[entropy]

Yes, it can and will fire a chambered round if it slips from your grip.
Jon

Yes, I will personally attest to that; I was showing a new Mosin owner how the safety worked, and had an ND. Fortunately, I follow the Four Rules, so the only thing injured was my pride. He was considering hunting with his Mosin, but I think I made his mind up for him!

[Maine 20th]

the only safety is the brain and the finger, always. any other safety is no safety.

[Ironnewt]

Well one thing to consider is now many other firearms use the Mosin style safety. I can't think of one and I don't think anyone else can either.