Gunsmithing Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

[Wheres-Waldo]

Lets say Jimmy has a rifle built on X rifle action, .473" bolt-face. Jimmy wants to shoot both .437" and .535" boltface catridges with his action. Manufacturer of action X doesnt sell .535" bolts.

Jimmy has his .473" bolt opened up to .535" and a 2-piece collet made that would pin into the face of the bolt to bring it back down to .473.

Outside of the collet mating snuggly with the inside of the bolt-face wall, sucured from rotation by 4 pins.

Here is what I drew for Jimmy.

Would drilling a few shallow, blind holes around the circumfrence of the bolt-face criticly weaken it? Would this be a reliable design at all?

(The collet would be of a closer fit than what is displayed, and pin holes not breaching the collet.)

Your 2 cents?

 

[1shot2kill]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

you would be better off having a 2nd bolt
i am assuming this is for a switch barrel rifle

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

Brother, I would love nothing more than to just be able to send in some $$$ for a magnum bolt, but making that available isnt looking like something thats going to come soon. Either way, the MFG has thier priorities and thats fine, Im happy with the action either way. And yes, switch barrel.

 

[prescottmarksman]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

In "theory" this would work. Albeit not exceptionally well. You would need multiple extractors and feeding issues would arise immediately. Secondly in theory you would also be better off with a threaded "bushing" or "collet" that was interrupted for the extractor. The fewer holes in the bolt face the better. I would probably suggest selling and buying an action that different bolt sizes were available for. my .02$

 

[buffybuster]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

Unless this action has a quick-change barrel system, I'm not seeing the utility of making the conversion.

IMO would be better to source another bolt with a .532" Boltface or another action altogether.

 

[bohem]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

How about a second bolt that is opened up for the magnum bolt face and you still run a second bolt?

 

[Straight Shooter]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

May be pick a different caliber for the switch barrel that shares a common bolt face. This would minimize feeding issues if a repeater.

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

Thanks for the input guys. I like the threaded collet idea, but I dont think it would work due to having to have a 2-pice collet for M16 style extractor and a plunger style ejector.

The action is an M2008, and I absolutely love it, but I want to run 7WSM in it, but only have a .473" bolt.

Ive talked to BO in the past and as mentioned above, it wasnt on thier agenda...which is fine. I dont want to seem like the M2008 is short in any area, Badger and Marty have aweome support and the action is awesome.

I just REALLY want a magnum bolt to play with the short-mag's.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Unless this action has a quick-change barrel system, I'm not seeing the utility of making the conversion. </div></div>

Switching barrels on the M2008 is pretty simple!

 

[buffybuster]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wheres-Waldo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the input guys. I like the threaded collet idea, but I dont think it would work due to having to have a 2-pice collet for M16 style extractor and a plunger style ejector.

The action is an M2008, and I absolutely love it, but I want to run 7WSM in it, but only have a .473" bolt.

Ive talked to BO in the past and as mentioned above, it wasnt on thier agenda...which is fine. I dont want to seem like the M2008 is short in any area, Badger and Marty have aweome support and the action is awesome.

I just REALLY want a magnum bolt to play with the short-mag's.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Unless this action has a quick-change barrel system, I'm not seeing the utility of making the conversion. </div></div>

Switching barrels on the M2008 is pretty simple! </div></div>

I understand you want to shoot a WSM; just open the boltface up and fiddle with the mags to get it to feed. Just not getting why you'd want to be able to convert it back to .473" boltface. I figure, most in you situation, would buy another bolt with a standard boltface.......or even just another action.

Good Luck! Post pictures of what you ended up doing. I'm interested.

 

[McLarenross]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

Just order a second bolt and open the face to .535 and have a totally different bolt for Magnum cartridges.

 

[Clark]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

Sometimes horrible things happen around the bolt face.

Then you would have to unscrew the mangled wreck.

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: McLarenRoss</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just order a second bolt and open the face to .535 and have a totally different bolt for Magnum cartridges. </div></div>

Gents....additional bolts are <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">NOT</span></span></span> being sold for these as of now.

 

[monteboy84]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wheres-Waldo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Gents....additional bolts are <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">NOT</span></span></span> being sold for these as of now. </div></div>

Now things are making more sense. Swapping the extractor isn't really appealing to me, but I don't know what the customer's overall goal is. I don't like the idea of a threaded insert, due to the fact this is being turned both ways quite regularly.

What about a snap-ring style insert like this? Align the gap with the extractor cut, the rim would fit in a groove cut next to the bolt-face.

-matt

 

[Massoud]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

There is an action maker who uses a bolt face collar system so you can go from a magnum rim diameter down to a .308 rim diameter. I want to say it is Barnard but it could be someone more obscure like RPA or Gilkes-Ross. I know I've seen it because I wondered if it was the best idea.

The bolt face is going to be fairly hard, over 40HRC I imagine, so drilling into it with small drills won't be super easy. I would talk to Marty about the whole deal.
Justin

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

Well I lucked out today. I figured Ide give them another random call and take the bad news again...

I called and told who ever I was speaking with (not sure who it was) what I was looking for and how I have tried several times to no avail to source a SA Mag bolt.

"Hold on one sec....yes...we, have one."

I didnt really know what to say, other than "Ill take it, put my name on it....by the way, how much does it cost?"...not that it really mattered all that much.

I guess they make an extra one here or there? I was always told in the past that they dont/hadnt planned on producing these...

Damn...today is my day! Thankyou Badger Ord.

Now...7WSM, 7/300WSM, tight but no-turn, turn necks...land count....ah the choices!

 

[Clark]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: monteboy84</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

-matt </div></div>

If this were to scale, there would be some big shear force on the pins during extraction, and maybe some bending force if the tool did not have a shoulder butted up to the ring.

Notice how the more serviceable snap ring has big ratio of hole area to ring bending force.

 

[monteboy84]

Re: Horrible Idea Needing Your Two Cents!

I quickly drew that snap-ring to size, so yes the pins would be too small, was just a thought

If it were actually used it would need cuts for a small needle-nose plier or something to grab, I simply threw the holes on there to illustrate what I was picturing.

-matt