Gunsmithing Rem 700 bolt question

[chpprguy]

early 700 action (no prefix)
308...

the bolt has been getting increasingly hard to lift,
I tore it apart and the cocking piece is digging/wearing the cocking cam surface on the back of the bolt....
I am "ass"uming that the hardness is gone.
This bolt does not have a welded handle, but obviously I am not the original owner....

I just rebarreled it, I'd hate have to replace the bolt....
anyone seen anything like this?

My only thought is to polish and re-harden the cam surface on the bolt body....
thoughts?

 

[308isgreat]

Re: Rem 700 bolt question

Do that and maybe replace the cocking assembly on the firing pin? Just my two cents...........

 

[chpprguy]

Re: Rem 700 bolt question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 308isgreat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do that and maybe replace the cocking assembly on the firing pin? Just my two cents........... </div></div>

I'll more closely inspect it, I don't think the cocking piece is harmed (or soft)
just seems to be chewing up the bolt cam surface....

 

[krlemas]

Re: Rem 700 bolt question

I have welded new handles on Mausers and Enfields in the past and found that some times I had to re-harden that cam area on the bolt after.

Ken

 

[chpprguy]

Re: Rem 700 bolt question

I have the luxury of access to an XRF alloy analyzer,
The bolt body is C1117
(cold rolled, low carbon,high manganese steel)
ideal for case hardening.....
just FYI......

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

Re: Rem 700 bolt question

Do not try heat treating yourself. That's how people get hurt.

Probably time and lack of lube has caught up with you. Get out your Dremel tool and put a Cratex polishing wheel on it and polish the camming surface well and relube. That will solve your problem. Don't try to harden the bolt body. It's not very hard to start with and the bolt handle would fall off before you reached the critical temperature needed to change the hardness of the steel. Remingtons are two piece bolts with the head section probably the only thing heat treated.