Loss prevention

[Rutland lad]

Last year a mate of mine was in Scotland stalking on the hill when he managed to lose his Blaser mag and trigger unit in the heather. Of course, it wasn’t noticed until they were crawling in on some reds - opportunity lost.
Fortunately a full search the next day found the missing part, but he’d missed two stalks and he had to bung the lad who’d found it £50.
I did something similar, I couldn’t find the mag I’d removed from my rifle in the back of the truck. When we stopped and I got out, I found it then hidden in the folds of my jacket as I sent it skittering across the concrete floor marking it badly.
As any one of us, no matter how careful we try to be could easily be in the same situation, I started to think about what I could do to try and prevent the same happening again.
I decided that if I could get the baseplate of my magazines cerecoted in a bright colour then maybe I’d be able to spot it in the back of the truck or, heaven forbid, laid on the ground. Below is the results


All work done by Mike Rainback. I’m very pleased with the end product - bright enough for me !

 

[NullMac]

That’s why there is a wee button in the mag on the R8.

 

[25 Sharps]

Last year a mate of mine was in Scotland stalking on the hill when he managed to lose his Blaser mag and trigger unit in the heather. Of course, it wasn’t noticed until they were crawling in on some reds - opportunity lost.
Fortunately a full search the next day found the missing part, but he’d missed two stalks and he had to bung the lad who’d found it £50.
I did something similar, I couldn’t find the mag I’d removed from my rifle in the back of the truck. When we stopped and I got out, I found it then hidden in the folds of my jacket as I sent it skittering across the concrete floor marking it badly.
As any one of us, no matter how careful we try to be could easily be in the same situation, I started to think about what I could do to try and prevent the same happening again.
I decided that if I could get the baseplate of my magazines cerecoted in a bright colour then maybe I’d be able to spot it in the back of the truck or, heaven forbid, laid on the ground. Below is the results
View attachment 479347View attachment 479348View attachment 479349

All work done by Mike Rainback. I’m very pleased with the end product - bright enough for me !

Managed to lose a bolt that had been cerakoted black the other week!

 

[Rutland lad]

All the above are relevant points - there’s a lock button on the MO3 too, but as I pointed out I managed to misplace one in the back of a truck in the dark.
These things can and do happen.

 

[wytonpjs]

As a teenager job creation scheme I’ve copied @308rws excellent idea to fill the recesses on my Tikka and MDT magazines with 3M reflective tape. Installed, you cannot see the tape on the 3 or 5 round magazines but when out, you cannot miss them! Saved me on more than one occasion

 

[Essexsussex]

Why I love a blind mag!

 

[Klenchblaize]

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[bullet chucker]

Why I love a blind mag!

How can it hide from you if it can't see?

BC.

 

[Bo Diddley]

M3 reflective tape on the sides of my old.22 Hornet mag, it popped out one night and hit the floor. Thankfully, that 6th sense made me realise something had occurred....

 

[Taff]

Strangely we sell a lot of orange or white handled knives to the same people.

 

[jb1]

As a teenager job creation scheme I’ve copied @308rws excellent idea to fill the recesses on my Tikka and MDT magazines with 3M reflective tape. Installed, you cannot see the tape on the 3 or 5 round magazines but when out, you cannot miss them! Saved me on more than one occasion

Ive done the exact same thing on a Tikka M55 mag

 

[12gsnapcaps]

A decent spray can job would do the same or a strip of orange tape (depending on the style/shape of your mag and it's value.

I've just masked off the top of my mag/s with masking tape and then sprayed the bottom of my mags red to achieve a similar thing.

 

[wytonpjs]

As a teenager job creation scheme I’ve copied @308rws excellent idea to fill the recesses on my Tikka and MDT magazines with 3M reflective tape. Installed, you cannot see the tape on the 3 or 5 round magazines but when out, you cannot miss them! Saved me on more than one occasion

Not as good as @308rws magazines (red and white alternating reflective chequerboard) but you have to be grateful for anything you can get out of a young adult

But you get the idea

 

[308rws]

 

[muddy42]

Isnt this a benefit of closing the bolt on a (visually confirmed) empty chamber over a full mag? I generally do this on leaving the car, with the stalker's permission and as they are watching.

The tape is a good idea though.

 

[jb1]

Isnt this a benefit of closing the bolt on a (visually confirmed) empty chamber over a full mag? I generally do this on leaving the car, with the stalker's permission and as they are watching.

The tape is a good idea though.

I did that once on what i thought WAS a checked empty chamber, needless to say it wasnt an empty chamber, i fluffed up big time the round went off as i closed the bolt and caught the trigger. Muzzle safe towards the ground, but could have been a totally different story, not ashamed to say i shed some tears after thinking what could have happened, and still have the occasional panic attack .

The cause was very little sleep, probably 3 hours if that, i should not have been out stalking.

If your going to do that remove the mag 1st, or better still if its not a straight pull remove the bolt.

 

[Rutland lad]

The price of a magazine to replace a lost one is not cheap. But it could be the whole day or trip ruined.
I like what others have done too - just shows we’re all aware that it COULD happen.

I’m sure we all have our little routines to ensure we don’t leave stuff on the hill, I know I have those OCD ‘touches’ on the rifle or kit to make sure it’s all still there. I’ve lost one thing in my stalking career and that was a rangefinder clipped to the outside of my bag. I was in my local woods and retraced my steps by myself then a couple of days later with my eldest son. No trace of it.
I would think that the plastic swivel had degraded in sunlight and become weak. I’m still annoyed over that so a lost magazine would cause me much more angst and annoyance.

 

[12gsnapcaps]

The price of a magazine to replace a lost one is not cheap. But it could be the whole day or trip ruined.
I like what others have done too - just shows we’re all aware that it COULD happen.

I’m sure we all have our little routines to ensure we don’t leave stuff on the hill, I know I have those OCD ‘touches’ on the rifle or kit to make sure it’s all still there. I’ve lost one thing in my stalking career and that was a rangefinder clipped to the outside of my bag. I was in my local woods and retraced my steps by myself then a couple of days later with my eldest son. No trace of it.
I would think that the plastic swivel had degraded in sunlight and become weak. I’m still annoyed over that so a lost magazine would cause me much more angst and annoyance.

Also the issue of a loaded lost mag being found and a) an unauthorized person being in possession of ammunition and b) if it's traced back to you, your FEO will not be a happy camper

 

[Rutland lad]

Also the issue of a loaded lost mag being found and a) an unauthorized person being in possession of ammunition and b) if it's traced back to you, your FEO will not be a happy camper

I must be honest and say I wasn’t thinking of that as a priority, but you’re absolutely correct.

That was a discussion had on another trip where someone misplaced a wallet of 5 x .375 rounds. They were again found in a truck under the seat. Thankfully.

 

[muddy42]

I did that once on what i thought WAS a checked empty chamber, needless to say it wasnt an empty chamber, i fluffed up big time the round went off as i closed the bolt and caught the trigger. Muzzle safe towards the ground, but could have been a totally different story, not ashamed to say i shed some tears after thinking what could have happened, and still have the occasional panic attack .

The cause was very little sleep, probably 3 hours if that, i should not have been out stalking.

If your going to do that remove the mag 1st, or better still if its not a straight pull remove the bolt.

if you remove the bolt, thats one more thing to get lost!