(first printed in Varmint Hunter Magazine July 1992)
By James Calhoon
If anyone has ever had a primer leak in a 700 Remington (or XP-100 for that matter) you realize that you've gotten a face full of combustion gases. Your sighting eye will particularly get it.
For this gas off situation, I have borrowed a cure from Ruger, which he probably borrowed from Paul Mauser himself. I drilled two 3/16" holes in the bolt, (see figure 1) which exit into the magazine in firing position. In no way is the performance of your rifle impaired, but safety is greatly enhanced. If done with care, the gas vents appear to be factory installed.
After this modification is performed, escaping combustion gases from ruptured primers are vented harmlessly into the magazine. This minor change can certainly make a shoot more enjoyable and safer.
