Post by 1886lebel on Dec 11, 2009 9:02:16 GMT -8
I have been asked numerous times to this question at the last event; Why is there no safety on French Bolt-Action Rifles ?
Here is some of the reasons to the question:
The French military theory of why no safety was used was based upon the Volley Fire theory, which basically states that the soldier loaded and fired his weapon to the commands of the officers as a single group instead of individually. Basically the soldier was to load his magazine prior to engaging the enemy, then chamber the round immediately upon engagement and continue reloading and firing it until the end of the action. Once all firing ceased the chamber was cleared of any rounds and then the magazines were replenished. The French soldier was taught by very strict instruction you cycle the bolt back and forth twice once the last round was fired and each and every time you did this you looked into the chamber to see if any cartridges are in the chamber. If any cartridges are in the chamber doing this he was severly punished for it.
The French also believed that a safety was useless on military rifles as the soldier with wet, dirty, etc. hands could possibly have a hard time taking the safety off and thus getting himself killed while trying to do so.
Remember these men were trained to do this with out even thinking twice about it unlike we nowdays only do this maybe twice a year at events unless you play with these weapons as much as I do ;D
Patrick
Here is some of the reasons to the question:
The French military theory of why no safety was used was based upon the Volley Fire theory, which basically states that the soldier loaded and fired his weapon to the commands of the officers as a single group instead of individually. Basically the soldier was to load his magazine prior to engaging the enemy, then chamber the round immediately upon engagement and continue reloading and firing it until the end of the action. Once all firing ceased the chamber was cleared of any rounds and then the magazines were replenished. The French soldier was taught by very strict instruction you cycle the bolt back and forth twice once the last round was fired and each and every time you did this you looked into the chamber to see if any cartridges are in the chamber. If any cartridges are in the chamber doing this he was severly punished for it.
The French also believed that a safety was useless on military rifles as the soldier with wet, dirty, etc. hands could possibly have a hard time taking the safety off and thus getting himself killed while trying to do so.
Remember these men were trained to do this with out even thinking twice about it unlike we nowdays only do this maybe twice a year at events unless you play with these weapons as much as I do ;D
Patrick
