OzFclass

Saw this one on accurateshooter last week and had to have a chuckle !
How do we get John Kielly to ban all Barnards from Belmont ?

The VRA has just issued a safety notice on Barnard actions.
I wonder if they will be banned.

Norm wrote:The VRA has just issued a safety notice on Barnard actions.
I wonder if they will be banned.

They wouldn't ban the VRA would they??

Nothing wrong with the Barnard --it's a freak accident brought about by an unusual set of circumstances. More the problem is the stock.
Barnards have been around for many years, the design is proven--no need to jerk the knee.

Agree Barry, insurance risk and associated premium is based on probability rather alarm. The risk of wet ammunition causing pressure problems is far greater. Tim, could you come up with a metal shield to cover Barnard rifles? No don't, maybe the echo could give fellow competitors a hearing problem.

Murphy's law. If something can go wrong it will.
A small change to the bolt design could solve this issue.

A lot of actions have the same characteristics of the Barnard.

It is just that this incident occurred with a Barnard so brings it into scrutiny. A whole bunch of actions could have had the same thing happen I believe.

A rare and freakish event I feel.

Maybe, but I would not like to be laying on the mound next to one when it goes off with the bolt out of battery.
Recently in Victoria a Blaser rifle discharged while unlocked and the owner lost half his face when the bolt came rocketing out the back of the action.
These things are a warning and should not be dismissed lightly.

That's nasty Norm. I think the main issue is to avoid any conflict between the bolt and cheek piece.

I didn't hear about the Blaser incident...

Like you, I would not want one going off out of battery near me either...

Norm,

There are ways in which a badly designed stock can make any action dangerous. This seems to be one which has escaped notice up to now. It needs publicising so that owners of Barnards and what seems to be a multitude of other actions can make sure their stocks will not cause the problem. The chances of this causing injury to a shooter are miniscule compared with the general risks associated with private handloading - it needs to be kept in perspective.

BTW I don't use a cheek-piece - another advantage of free recoil .

Alan

Alan

Maybe you can patent your stock and start sending them overseas? Battleship grey and all!

Being the owner and regular user of a Barnard,I pulled mine out of the safe for a look to see if I could replicate this happening,I couldn't.As I see it,there would need to be more than a poorly stock design,combine this with rough bolt handling and a worn cocking notch would do it.
Mike.