Gunsmithing Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

[Wannashootit]

I've done a fair amount of light gauge steel welding with my Lincoln wire-feed, Innershield flux-cored wire.
I was reviewing the following tutorial for making a bent bolt, and I was wondering if I could use the wire-feed, or should I fab the parts and take it up the street to have it TIG welded?

How concerned do I need to be about heat on the bolt body?

http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad31/jmeck/?action=view&current=3bdf259b.pbw&t=1288147092

 

[monteboy84]

Re: Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

Do NOT weld it with the MIG, too hard to do precise work that way. Find a professional who can TIG the parts for you. You have to be mindful of the heat you're putting into the bolt, but if you work quickly and take some precautions to control the heat, you're really at no risk. You'd really have to heat on the bolt handle joint before you'd risk losing heat-treat on the critical portions of the bolt.

-matt

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: monteboy84</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do NOT weld it with the MIG, too hard to do precise work that way. Find a professional who can TIG the parts for you. You have to be mindful of the heat you're putting into the bolt, but if you work quickly and take some precautions to control the heat, you're really at no risk. You'd really have to heat on the bolt handle joint before you'd risk losing heat-treat on the critical portions of the bolt.

-matt</div></div>

+1

Definitely get it TIG welded. Mig isn't going to be near neat enough. It can be done with gas but it's difficult.

As far as heat to the bolt. The biggest thing you need to look out for is if the lugs get to hot and you have to re-heat treat them.
The way to tell is you will probably be able to take a file to the rear point of the bolt (handle) where you welded it. You can get it to bite in and smooth or shape the surface. But if you took the file to the lugs you can't get the file to bite in to it. If it does get a bite, it softened and you need to heat treat. The rear of the bolt doesn't matter, but most people will feel it needs to be heat treated.

You will need to put a wet towel between the point of weld and the lugs.

 

[SScott]

Re: Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

Get it tig welded, take it to your local welding supply store, most will have someone that can weld it with their newest machine. Offer them a case of their favorite beer, I know that I would do it for that amount. LOL
SScott

 

[Clark]

Re: Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

Here are two 91/30 bolt handles, one welded by Randy Ketchum of Lynnwood Guns, and one welded by my brother.

With the 91/30 you can weld them like a WWII Russian sniper and be authentic for history, or you can weld for practicality.

In the spectrum of 100 bolt actions from the primitive Rem700 to the elaborate M98, they all have better scope clearance and shorter handles than the Russian sniper.

I don't think there is any heat treat to any parts on 91/30 bolt, other than the firing pin spring. Just don't warp them with heat, and you can go way past straw color.

I assume you are working 91/30s based on your link. But if it is Mausers, I like to make a buttressing thread heat sink to screw up into the body and cover everything with welding paste. The cocking cam should not go past straw color.
Here is a pic of a batch that got hotter than I wanted. They are functioning ok, but if they put case hardening on them in 1903, I want to keep it where it gets a good rubbing.

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

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

Here are two 91/30 bolt handles, one welded by Randy Ketchum of Lynnwood Guns, and one welded by my brother.

With the 91/30 you can weld them like a WWII Russian sniper and be authentic for history, or you can weld for practicality.

In the spectrum of 100 bolt actions from the primitive Rem700 to the elaborate M98, they all have better scope clearance and shorter handles than the Russian sniper.

I don't think there is any heat treat to any parts on 91/30 bolt, other than the firing pin spring. Just don't warp them with heat, and you can go way past straw color.

I assume you are working 91/30s based on your link. But if it is Mausers, I like to make a buttressing thread heat sink to screw up into the body and cover everything with welding paste. The cocking cam should not go past straw color.
Here is a pic of a batch that got hotter than I wanted. They are functioning ok, but if they put case hardening on them in 1903, I want to keep it where it gets a good rubbing.</div></div>

Good point on the heat sink, Clark. If a guy isn't as handy as you are in the machine shop, you can buy one from either Midway or Brownells for about $25.00:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=42619/pid=692/sku/_4_Bolt_Heat_Sink

http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#heat%20sink____-_1-2-4_8-16-32



The welding paste isn't too much either. So get that when you get a bolt. Or you can pick that up at a hardware or welding store, like Toll's

 

[cal50]

Re: Welding a bent bolt for a milsurp rifle...

Tig it.

Not a great picture but I did two bent bolts on my 91 snipers. The PE I used heavier stock for the bolt body and an annealed 3/4" ball bearing for the bolt knob. Tig allows you to better control the heat. It's well worth it. Use stainless filler rod if you plan on buffing it and leaving it "in the white" or mild filler rod if you want to blue it.