Pigtail Safety?

[pricedo]

My Amadeo Rossi M92s don't have the "pig tail" safety on their bolts but I've seen them on the new Braztech R92s on the rack and in my opinion they are quite inconspicuous & do provide an extra layer of safety (when unloading & cycle testing hunting loads).
I find the little "pig tail" much less conspicuous than the eyesore tang safety on the Miroku made Winchesters..........it is barely noticeable.
The Steve's Gunz plug with the gap around the edges in my opinion is much more conspicuous than the functional safety it replaces..........not worth voiding the warranty & making yourself more sue-able in case of an accident by removing the factory safety and replacing it with the unsightly SG plug.
If I buy a R92 the pig tail safety is staying on the gun.

[Model 52]

My Amadeo Rossi M92s don't have the "pig tail" safety on their bolts but I've seen them on the new Braztech R92s on the rack and in my opinion they are quite inconspicuous & do provide an extra layer of safety (when unloading & cycle testing hunting loads).
I find the little "pig tail" much less conspicuous than the eyesore tang safety on the Miroku made Winchesters..........it is barely noticeable.
The Steve's Gunz plug with the gap around the edges in my opinion is much more conspicuous than the functional safety it replaces..........not worth voiding the warranty & making yourself more sue-able in case of an accident by removing the factory safety and replacing it with the unsightly SG plug.
If I buy a R92 the pig tail safety is staying on the gun.

There are pros and cons to the hammer block safety on the Model 92.

As you've described, the primary advantage of the firing pin block safety on the 92 is in terms of cycling rounds through the action to unload the weapon. It virtually eliminates the potential for the shooter to catch a finger on the trigger while cycling the lever and accidentally drop the hammer with a round in the chamber. With the safety or without, it's a good habit to hold the lever with your thumb and forefinger toward the rear of the lever when unloading it, rather than cycling it like you would when you are shooting it.

The secondary advantage is that with the firing pin block safety in place, it helps drop proof the weapon a bit more. Just prior to WWII, my dad managed to shoot himself up through the front of his chest and out through the back of his shoulder with an 1892 Winchester in .32-20. He'd been carrying it on a tractor and it slipped. On the way down the hammer hit a projection with enough force to shear the half cock notch and fire the round in the chamber. He walked about a mile and a half to the house so they could take him in to town to see the doc. Despite the exit wound, the bullet obviously fragmented passing through a rib as there were 20 or so pieces of lead that spread throughout his chest over the next 6 decades. In his later years, I was always having to explain his unique chest x-rays to ER physicians. A firing pin block safety on the original WInchester 1892 may have prevented that. Although to be fair to Winchester the reality is that despite my dad's bad day with his .32-20, it was still a remote possibility in the freak accident category - and quite frankly my dad would have avoided it if he hadn't had his head up and locked carrying it on a tractor with a round in the chamber. Dad came to that conclusion himself and one of my first firearms lessons was on the limitations of half cock notches.

However, with all that said, I still removed the safety on my Rossi 92. Here's why:

If I'm carrying the rifle on/in a vehicle or on horse back, I'd rather do it on an empty chamber anyway as it's just a whole lot safer and 11 rounds instead of 12 in the carbine will make no difference. More importantly, if something pops up that needs shot in a hurry, it's faster to cycle the lever than it is to remove the safety and then fully cock the hammer. Plus the "cycle with the lever" movement is much more positive with less fumbling and fine motor skill required than the "flip off the safety" and "cock the hammer" movements.

If I were stalking in the woods with a loaded chamber, I would not want to actually trust the safety by carrying the carbine with the hammer at full cock. Consequently, if a shot presented itself I'd have to 1) flip off the safety and then 2) fully cock the hammer. (You could do it in reverse order as well, but then your thumb has to dance back and forth with your index finger rocking in response to the thumb movements - a bad combination if the index finger is anywhere near the trigger). So my options are to carry it on an empty chamber and deal with the series of 4 or 5 clicks and bumps you get cycling the lever, or carry it on half cock with a single click needed to ready the weapon for firing - with the knowledge that muzzle control is important as there is a very remote chance that dropping the rifle so that the hammer hits something hard while it's pointed at you or someone else could make for a really bad day.

In light of that, I saw no real advantage to the safety on my Model 92 given how I use and carry the carbine. In fact, I suspect there will actually be ADs caused by hunters who start habitually walking around with the hammer at full cock over a loaded chamber (like they would with a Model 70, '98 Mauser, etc) but with a safety that either got left off, or was accidentally bumped off by a branch, etc. What they'll fail to realize is that unlike a Model 70, '98 Mauser, etc the safety detent is not very positive so the safety is easily moved and the safety does not physically prevent hammer/striker movement.

Just something to consider and you'll each have to decide what you are most comfortable with.

[Ranch Dog]

Very interesting story about your Dad, god bless him! He must have been one tough fellow! Living on a ranch, I like the idea of a "tractor" rifle but stopped the carry practice. Whenever I saw a coyote or hog it seemed I was always closer to shooting myself trying the get the rifle out of the cab than I was trying to shoot the intended target!

... So my options are to carry it on an empty chamber and deal with the series of 4 or 5 clicks and bumps you get cycling the lever, or carry it on half cock with a single click needed to ready the weapon for firing - with the knowledge that muzzle control is important as there is a very remote chance that dropping the rifle so that the hammer hits something hard while it's pointed at you or someone else could make for a really bad day.

Your whitetails or critters must be more tolerate of noise than mine as I might as well not be hunting if I rattle the action to load a cartridge. In a calm wind, a feral hog can hear the click behind cocking the hammer, between 75 to 100 yards. I know this form personal experience. Their response to anything not natural is not like a deer but more like a turkey but quicker... FLEE!

I'm a R92 safety user and spend more time in the field than most probably do. I spend a considerable time hunting feral hogs in absolute darkness. In that time I've set my own personal standard for quietly manipulating the pigtail safety. First and foremost it is always on until the shot. When it is time for the shot, I cock the hammer with pressure on the trigger as it totally eliminates any noise, then I release the safety. This allows trigger contact for cocking with the hammer blocked. I realize it is a bit of a reach with the index finger but quite natural as the thumb has just been fully extended on the hammer. It also means that the safety is engaged while the hammer is being cocked and safety is only off when the rifle is on target and nothing else in motion. Of course, immediately after the shot the safety is immediately moved to "Safe" as the firearm leaves the shoulder.

I started off by removing the safety of my first two R92s but found the SG Safety Plug down right worse looking than the safety itself. When I started using the R92 at night, I realized that I unintentionally had always favored my cross bolt safety Marlins over those without it in this role.

If you want to keep the function of the pigtail safety 100%, keep it greased rather than oiled. I use a small plastic "grease gun" that is intended to lube the from sprocket of a chain saw bar. Pack it with grease. When it is time to clean it, open the bolt and flush it with the straw on a aerosol gun cleaner/scrubber. Having taken them off and put them back on three different rifles, I only advise the utmost caution. I consider it one of the most critical maintenance tasks on the firearm. Loosing the BB that indexes the safety is almost guaranteed. The same for crushing the spring. No doubt, getting all three parts back into the hole is the toughest task on the R92. The only part available for replacement is the spring, it must have another application. The safety lever, pin and BB are not available in this country. If you need it worked on, your rifle is going to take a trip to Brazil.



Realizing that this is very far off the opening topic but an important subject, what do you think of moving several of these post into their own topic?

[pricedo]

Hunting on an empty chamber with a levergun is putting yourself at quite a handicap when hunting animals like deer, black bear & hogs.
The only place that works is hunting preserves where the "game" animal is tied to a tree.
I have the gun lined up on the animal BEFORE the hammer is cocked but there is always 1 in the chamber when I'm hunting.
92 actions are more likely to jam when cycled really slow like when you're trying to do it quietly.......they're meant to be cycled fast & if you cycle the action fast like it is meant to be when an animal is within shooting range by the time the finger lever bottoms out at the end of the loading cycle you'll be looking at bush where the animal once was.
The bullet will go where the barrel is aimed (unless you've loaded Bullseye powder by mistake instead of W296 or H110 )......it must obey the laws of physics & doesn't have any other choice.........it's pretty easy .....you don't aim the gun at things you don't want to kill.........I couldn't count the number of times my body has been muzzle swept with LOADED guns inadvertently by other hunters over the years.......especially when Ranier, Captain Morgan, Old Milwaukee or Jack Daniels is around if you know what I mean.
Be muzzle conscious at ALL times and don't cock the hammer unless you're lined up on game.........adding a bunch of "layers" of safeties doesn't make up for that small but critical kernel of common sense.

[Ranch Dog]

Post split from an unrelated topic concerning the operation of the R92 Pigtail Safety. How do you use yours?

[pricedo]

Post split from an unrelated topic concerning the operation of the R92 Pigtail Safety. How do you use yours?

1) when unloading gun

2) when test cycling hunting ammo through action ........I cycle test all hunting ammo whether hand loads or store bought through the gun they will be used in while hunting

3) when carrying rifle with a chambered cartridge

[williamc]

I used to be pretty hard-core about my primary safety being "between my ears"...until I had children. They aren't old enough to learn to shoot, but I'm already laying the ground work to share my favorite pastime with them.

Small children are just too accident prone, too unaware of the responsibilities of using a firearm to not have the margin of error mechanical safeties provide.

Of course, the 4 rules of safe shooting are gospel in my home, and they will be drilled into my children as much (or even more so) as good sight alignment, good trigger squeeze and a clean follow-through. But if I can add a layer of safety by teaching them to use the safety features of their firearm in addition to the 4 rules, then I've hedged my bets even more against a tragedy.

My M&P 9mm has a trigger safety and a drop safety and that's it. It is the least safe firearm I have against slips of the mind or poor gun handling, which is why it is the last firearm my children will learn to shoot.

Regarding the 92, my rifle is intended half to be a range toy, half to be a woods gun/hunting rifle. In the latter case this means I'll be bushwhacking through the woods with my 92. There are SO many hazards leading to negligent discharges that to me it seems nuts to rely on a half-cock notch to keep the rifle from firing, especially considering I'd usually be more than an hour away from medical help. When I go into the woods, I'll be doing so with the hammer down on an empty chamber. If I'm hunting, I'll have a chambered round with the pigtail safety on.

William

[Model 52]

As noted above, I use the quarter cock notch and remove the safety on my Rossi, but I should also mention that I use tang sights on all my levers. The major risk with a quarter cock notch style safety is that you'll drop the rifle or carbine in a manner that something strikes the hammer and shears the notch. It's a low probability event in the first place, but adding a tang sight makes it almost impossible. Whether you use a Lyman or a Marbles tang sight, neither of them will swing all the way forward and consequently both protect the hammer from a blow from the rear.

[Rooster59]

I removed the safety on my 92 Puma but not because I don't like them. It fit so loose in the bolt it would barely stay put sitting still much less when being carried where something could brush against it leaving me with a false sense of security. If I knew how to remedy that issue it would be put back. The plug I bought from Steve is just as loose as the safety.

[willygene]

take the plug out turn it make new notch for the pin only smaller than what is there drive pin back in simple fix.