"Do you have knowledge of the actual process used here? "
No. All I know is that the guns were "re-heat treated." I'm trying to find the info on the exact process, but it's just something which I've not run across.
"he was concerned that if the 3rd bolt lug (the only one which engages) let go there could be bad consequences for the shooter."
Which is correct. However, much as I respect Jack O'Connor, I think he underestimated the strength of the safety lug (remember, in his Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns, he raves about the Mauser '98 because of the dual frontal lugs, something not present in the Remo/Geha/Hard Hit Heart). I agree with 2-piper in that it's not how many lugs you have, but how strong your overall lockup is (for an excellent example of this, have a look at the single-lug Krag, something which has been debated over the years as on one side being something that has to be treated with great care/is somehow "flimsy" or the other side that says it's just fine to shoot the type of round it was designed for).
Now, if you did have an overloaded round or a 3" magnum in a Geha or design cousin that cracked the lug and you never bothered to look, well, that's a different story. That WOULD cause spontaneous failure of the lug and cause serious harm to the shooter. However, like I've said, I only advocate shooting very mild loads in these guns. They are safe with the proper ammo, but the proper ammo is pretty wimpy.
