Gunsmithing safety levers - custom ?

[MDF99]

I have a custom action and a 700 style trigger to go with it. However the width of the action is not compatible with the safety lever, they collide before the trigger seats down where it needs to be for trigger attachment pins to go through.

Is it more common for shooters to go with a bottom safety (inside the trigger guard) or have a gunsmith modify/reshape/weld the existing top safety lever to work with the action?

I'd prefer to have nothing but the trigger inside the trigger guard.

 

[MDF99]

Re: safety levers - custom ?

Photo attachment attempt:

 

[Kells81]

Re: safety levers - custom ?

Best bet will be a bottom safety. I know Jewell makes them and I think there are a couple of others. You can have your action milled for it but the general rule is modify the cheapest part. Moving it over will make issues when you stock the rifle and how the stock is cut.

BTW the inside trigger guard safety isn't that bad once you get used to it.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Re: safety levers - custom ?

If this is a single shot I would just remove it and forget about it.

If I had my way no firearm would have a safety lever on it. I don't use them and as a NRA instructor my only mention of them is they are a mechanical device that can and will fail.

 

[Hink]

Re: safety levers - custom ?

On a custom action build, I think it's safe (no pun) that you know how to work a bolt gun - i.e. if the bolt handle is up, then the rifle cannot fire. If the handle is down, then the rifle can fire.

I removed the factory safety from an 18" home defense 870 solely because it acts to interrupt the firing mechanism and any time the action is open, the firearm could not possible be in a safer position. I don't use the safety, and I don't teach new shooters about the safety. My opinion is that it's better to just not have one than to allow oneself to become dependent upon a mechanical device that can fail.