Gunsmithing Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

[Canis Latrans]

My 700 bolt opens a little rougher than I like and I suspect it is altering my NPA every time I load a new round. This is only an issue if the trigger has been pulled. I was looking for some ways to lessen this force and found a few mentioning polishing this area. I saw others saying you can change the angle of the ramp as well. How can you do this without messing something up, especially making it unsafe?

Also, I read different things and am wondering if you guys like to use grease, oil, both or nothing inside and outside the bolt for smooth operation. Right now I cleaned it and oiled the spring inside and lightly greased the outside of the bolt and the cocking ramp. Thanks.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

You have to use some type of lube on the shroud threads. Cant use none. I use tetra grease. Ive had it in 0*f up to 110*f with no problems, and it does not get dustier than it is here and in NM. We have dust storms that make national news.
I wipe down the outside of my bolt with a gun oil rag. Hardly any oil on the rag. Just cleans it and lubes it ever so slightly. My whole bolt is Cerakoted and is slicker than shit which probably helps too.
I use Tetra grease on the rear of the lugs as well.

I had so much dirt in my action during the two day NM match that my lugs got noticeably polished up(lapped) from the sand and tetra grease on my lugs. No harm done, and it actually looks better than after lapping with 600grit lapping compound. Tetra grease is great.


As for your cocking cam getting polished to make bolt lift easier, it will help slightly.
If the parts of the bolt fit together a little tighter/better than Remys do it'd help even more.


Take it apart, polish the cam using 320 grit. Dont over do it and be careful not to run the sand paper over edges that cant be removed or rounded and dont remove that spot where the cocking piece sits when the bolt is cocked. Clean everything up and reassemble with everything correctly lubricated.

 

[Canis Latrans]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

Thank you for the help Keith. Two questions for you.

1.<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Keith at PCR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
As for your cocking cam getting polished to make bolt lift easier, it will help slightly.
If the parts of the bolt fit together a little tighter/better than Remys do it'd help even more.
</div></div>

What do you mean by this? How do I get the parts of the bolt to fit together tighter so it helps more? Or are you just saying that polishing would help more on a brand with tighter tolerances than Remington?

2. I realize my main question wasn't as clear as I thought I made it. My question was how does one alter the angle of the cocking ramp for easier bolt lift without making something unreliable or unsafe?

Here is a picture of an altered cocking ramp next to a factory one.


Thanks all.

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

1. Proper lube.
2. Proper Dry Fire routine.

Run the bolt 100 times a day and it smooths out real fast.

 

[GasLight]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

The picture looks pretty obvious, it appears they just removed material to make the travel at less of an angle. I would venture to guess that wasn't done with a specialized jig or to an exact angle.. but that would just be a guess.

I say lube the ramp and shroud threads and then break it in dry-firing like suggested above...

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

By tighter/better fit parts, ya I just mean an aftermarket brand(Not Remington loose).


I wouldn't do that cocking cam modification.


Just keep things lubed correctly and work the bolt a lot.

 

[Canis Latrans]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

Thanks for the input guys. I was just looking to see if the modification was a common thing. I'll just keep it polished and lubed. I thought it would be mostly broken in by now, a I have probably fired it 100 times, dry fired it just as much and worked the action a few hundred times the night I got it. Will it keep smoothing out the more I work the action? I know dry firing is ok, but I also know you can overdo things.

Is there a thread on a good dry fire routine? I actually tried to search for one before but didn't find much.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

I dry fire all I want with no worries or a snap cap.

I even use one of those "not to be trusted" aluminum shafted pins.

No problems in 3 years and probably 4000+ dry fires.

 

[beanland]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

The roughness that you are feeling could also be coming from the cocking piece dragging through the shroud or grit in this area. You might also try blowing some oil down around the cocking piece where it travels through the bolt shroud. I had a new custom action the other day that was rough when you i would lift the bolt after firing. This was the problem with it.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

I polish the cocking ramp with jewelers rouge and a small dremel polishing tip. I prefer the bullet shaped polishing tip.

Clean it up good and make sure you lube it like said above

 

[customshooter]

Re: Polishing cocking ramp on a 700

use grease and just remove burs if present...