For me, there’s a clarification to be made between locking bolt models and locking bolt models which must have the safety deactivated to unlock.
I wouldn’t discount a rifle model just because it didn’t have a locking bolt, but admittedly, I strongly consider discounting models which require the safety to be deactivated to unlock the bolt.
Me on another forum last year said:
Remington 700: 2 position safety, which for the last ~30 years does not lock the bolt when on safe, such the action can be cycled while the safety is on.
Winchester 70: 3 position safety to allow the action to be cycled while the safety is on.
Winchester XPR: 2 position which does lock the bolt when safety is on.
Ruger M77 MkII and Hawkeye: 3 position safety to allow the action to be cycled while the safety is on.
Ruger American & Precision Rifles: 2 position safety which do not lock the bolt, such the action can be cycled with the safety on.
Tikka T3: 2 position which locks the bolt when the safety is on.
CZ550: most 550’s have a 3 position safety which allows the action to be cycled while the safety is on.
Savage 10/110 and variants: 3 position safety to allow the action to be cycled while the safety is on.
Savage Axis: 2 position safety which does not lock the bolt, allowing the action to be cycled while the safety is on.
Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard: 2 position Safety which does lock the bolt (most production, I understand some early 1500’s were 3 position safeties, but I have not encountered one personally).
Browning AB3 & X-bolt: 2 position safety plus a bolt unlock button which allows the action to be cycled with the safety on. (Old A Bolts had a 2 position safety which did lock the bolt, phased out for the new AB3 design).
T/C Compass: 3 position safety which allows the action to cycle with the safety on.
So of 13 models, 10 lock the bolt, while only 3 do not. Coincidentally, of the 13, 10 models can be cycled with the safety engaged, while only 3 cannot.
From that list, the Rem 700, Savage Axis, and Ruger American are the 3 which do not lock the bolt. I’ll never again buy a Remington 700, but I can be certain I will buy and build 700 clones which do not include locking bolts - preferentially in fact. I have no interest in the Ruger American (save for mild interest in the Precision version), nor in the Axis. So non-locking versus locking becomes largely moot for me.
However, alternatively, I do not care for the fact the Win XPR, Tikka T3, and Howa 1500 (Weatherby Vanguard) must have the safety deactivated to administratively unload the rifle.
But honestly, I don’t decide my rifle purchases based on either parameter (locking bolt or safe unload). Several of my rifles either don’t have safeties at all, or almost never have the safety activated. I equally don’t care for tang safeties in any model, especially a 3 position tang safety - I simply can’t operate them effectively without breaking position. Frankly, any bolt mounted flag safety requires me to break my grip on the rifle, which I find unfavorable. But I build and buy rifles with much more consideration given to other features. Frankly, I weigh manufacturer business and political history more heavily than I do the safety and bolt lock features.