Rossi M92 bolt locking bar question - SAFTEY ISSUE?

[Bill_Rights]

As you close the M92's lever on a fresh round, the bolt slides forward, then two broad locking bars rise up behind the bolt and engage in slots in the top of the receiver, thus locking the bolt from sliding back (and open ) when the round explodes.

I have noticed (in dry firing and using snap caps - I'm going to the range in two days for the first time with my new Rossi!) that the locking bars only rise during the last ~1/2" or so of closing the lever against the stock. Just before the lever is closed home and the locking bars are locked, the bolt is already closed, the hammer is cocked and THE TRIGGER WILL RELEASE THE HAMMER

I can't tell with a snap cap in the chamber, but would the chambered round be fired under those circumstances?

That would be kinda bad, right? Bolt not locked --> round fires --> bolt slams back --> lever flies open/down --> knuckles get busted? What? Worse than that? Cartridge bursts and ruptured brass and hot gases explode 6 inches in front of my face? What?

Or is the mechanism safety-interlocked somehow so, even if the hammer strikes, the firing pin won't hit the primer?

'Course, I won't do this, not even for a test. I will squeeze the lever tightly against the stock before pulling the trigger, to make sure the locking bars are engaged. And I'll wear safety glasses. But I am a little worried about new or careless shooters who I might let use the rifle. Do I have to make a big deal about teaching them to squeeze the lever fully closed??

[Tycer]

The first time your trigger finger is near that trigger when you slam home the lever will be your last. Kind of like zipping your skin in your jeans. Your trigger finger will not be in a position to fire the gun. If that was an issue, some dufus would have done it by 1893 and the design would have been changed. It hasn't and there is no issue. Go shoot the dickens out of your great gun and fuggehtaboutit.

[Hagler]

Bill,

The 92 is not supposed to fire, with the lever anywhere but fully closed. Here are a couple pictures of the parts of a Browning 92:





The following picture (not to scale) shows how the top of the lever straddles the firing pin:



The camming action of the top of the lever prevents/ pulls back/ blocks the firing pin from contacting the primer, until the lever is fully closed.

Shawn

[Leverdude]

Like Hagler illustrated, the hammer will fall but the gun wont go bang. most every gun out there has something like this.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Bill,

The 92 is not supposed to fire, with the lever anywhere but fully closed. Here are a couple pictures of the parts of a Browning 92:

The following picture (not to scale) shows how the top of the lever straddles the firing pin:



The camming action of the top of the lever prevents/ pulls back/ blocks the firing pin from contacting the primer, until the lever is fully closed.

Shawn

Shawn,
That's a great picture and explanation of the 92's passive safety. I plan to save it for future inquiries. Thanks

[Hagler]

Steve,

You are very much welcome to use the picture.

Shawn

[AJMD429]

That bothered me, too, until I took the M92 apart and examined the innards...

I just can't "warm up" to a gun until I disassemble it (and hopefully get it back together - ) and see for myself just what safety mechanisms and redundancies are built in.

I've gotten rid of a few "really nice" guns because after inspecting their internals, I just didn't have faith in them. I know I'm not a firearms engineer, but there are some things even an amateur can see that spell trouble.

Rossi 92's (i.e. Winchesters 92's) and Marlins are kind of the Mausers of the levergun world...

[Bill_Rights]

Thanks, folks. Yeh, I just received my Rossi M92 video from Steve's Gunz, and watched it. That was great, in a kind of understated way. My wife happened to be in the room working on the computer and soon couldn't take her eyes off the video proceedings. She had been "punishing" me for spending the money on the gun by not showing any interest in it (good thing it wasn't any worse than that ). But by midway through the video she was wanting to see "where's that yellow plastic doohicky that has to be replaced (the follower)?" So I showed her on the real gun. By the end she had examined it thoroughly and was running snap caps through it like a pro. When my younger son came into the room, near the end of the video, my wife ran through the explanation of the features, operation and cycling ammo (again, snap caps) through the rifle for my son, then set him up to get some hands-on. Anyway, tomorrow my son and I are going to the range to give it its "maiden voyage", still in factory form (my wife would come but has to work). Then we'll watch the video again and start tearing down the rifle for Steve's mods and upgrades. THANK YOU, STEVE, FOR SAVING MY MARRIAGE (Every gun should come with a wife-and-kid-friendly video.)

Yes, I believe you about the top of the lever blocking the firing pin. But tomorrow I'll see if I can see it first-hand as I take apart the lever and bolt.

[J Miller]

Shawn,

Steve isn't the only one who's gonna keep your pics for future reference, those are great.

Joe