• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Gunsmithing Part Failure: Swapping Bolts in a 700?

mkollman74

Quo Vadis?
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Nov 5, 2009
    1,807
    422
    WA, USA
    So my wife and I were out at the range getting her ready for our upcoming deer hunt this coming Saturday. During that time, the bolt handle on her rifle came loose. No big deal really, except my normal 'smith is gone hunting himself, and I don't know if I can get it fixed in time for this coming weekend. If it matters, the bolt is from PTG and was part of a build I had done awhile back. My question: If I have another bolt, can I just swap out, or do I need to be worried about proper headspace?
     
    You will want to verify headspace with a set of gauges... BUT FWIW, all my R700 factory built rifles were GTG when I was checking this a while back, swapping bolts from one to another just for kicks to see what the result would be with my gauges.
     
    Check head space for sure but you may also want to check and make sure the counter bore in the barrel is ample for the new bolt.