Gunsmithing What does bolt fluteing do?
- Thread starter Jscb1b
- Start date
Supposedly cleans dirt and crap off the bolt to keep the gun running.
It does nothing.
If it helped reliability, the US Marine Corps (which builds its own sniper rifles) and Accuracy International and Sako (which build the world's finest commercially available sniper rifles) would flute their bolts.
But they don't.
If it helped reliability, the US Marine Corps (which builds its own sniper rifles) and Accuracy International and Sako (which build the world's finest commercially available sniper rifles) would flute their bolts.
But they don't.
It looks like you wasted money that you could have spent on ammo
It has to have some effect or no manufactures would do it. There has to be a reason the pretty much every custom action has it.
Just because the military doesn’t use rifles that have it doesn’t mean shit really. I mean honestly 98% of military are morons when it comes to firearms anyway.
Just because the military doesn’t use rifles that have it doesn’t mean shit really. I mean honestly 98% of military are morons when it comes to firearms anyway.
“Military Grade” always means top quality....said nobody whos ever served.
Honestly though, if it comes with it, sweet. If it doesnt, Im not going to drop $ on getting it done.
Honestly though, if it comes with it, sweet. If it doesnt, Im not going to drop $ on getting it done.
It makes the the rifle lighter ?
Purely aesthetics bruh
Are you seriously this dumb?
Some things are done because customers expect them even if they have no useful value.
I didn't say "the military" thinks bolt fluting is useless. I said the US Marine Corps Precision Weapons Section (who builds all the USMC sniper and match rifles) thinks it's useless.
Hi,
Well it looks like someone needs to inform AI and Sako that their rifles would and could be much better in the extreme elements if they would flute those dam bolts......
Don't they know anything about rifles operating in the elements......
Sincerely,
Theis
Well it looks like someone needs to inform AI and Sako that their rifles would and could be much better in the extreme elements if they would flute those dam bolts......
Don't they know anything about rifles operating in the elements......
Sincerely,
Theis
Pretty much this. It looks cool. Manufacturers provide it because it sells rifles.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a few fluted bolts myself, but I have those because I felt like spending the money for it and I liked it, not because I needed it for performance.
It's almost as useless as external rifling.
It makes your wallet lighter.
I three/six lug, full diameter bolt body is a completely different animal than a two lug Remington style bolt body. They can't even be compared when it comes to fluting. On a two lug, where the bolt body is smaller than the lug OD, there is no benefit to fluting other than looks. Just because manufacturers use them, doesn't mean it is anything other than a marketing gimmick.
The fluting on the bolt is to get people to ask questions and argue about it on forums about long range shooting. Does a pretty good job; doesn't it?
AI bolts are fluted... pretty sure it has to do with giving dirt and ice build up a place to go while you cycle the action.
Sterling sub machine guns have fluted bolts. I can see the benefit with an SMG, but not 
with a bolt action rifle
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There are huge benefits to fluting a bolt. It can take a plain jane run of the mill tactical rifle and make it officially tacticool for like $100.
You will never be operator without it.
Got mine done from LRI when they were running a deal for like $30. Who wouldn’t want to be tacticool for $30???
You will never be operator without it.
Got mine done from LRI when they were running a deal for like $30. Who wouldn’t want to be tacticool for $30???
Man, you have some serious pull. Just like magic they now do on the AX 308 family, AX 338 andAX 50's I can try to find a link if that helps
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Hi,
Another no flute needed
Now if we could only get AI to release the AS....
Sincerely,
Theis
Another no flute needed
Now if we could only get AI to release the AS....
Sincerely,
Theis
Honestly, I have a bunch of fluted bolts because it makes it look like a custom rifle.. nothing more..
In really sandy or powdery dirt in high desert winds if you use grease the bolt body every type of bolt just sucks. Some of the fluting idea did come from running the bolt 100% dry with only the high pressure area on the lug lubed.. I have been shooting where my bolt has been extremely slow and hard to move, so much so I had to remove and clean, but I have no idea if the flutes made it worse or better.
THEIS as a lefty, man I hate those bull-pups.. Need a can on the top image to keep the NV form oiling over LOL.. Where did you get that last image? Looks like the guy has an extra leg for his junk..
In really sandy or powdery dirt in high desert winds if you use grease the bolt body every type of bolt just sucks. Some of the fluting idea did come from running the bolt 100% dry with only the high pressure area on the lug lubed.. I have been shooting where my bolt has been extremely slow and hard to move, so much so I had to remove and clean, but I have no idea if the flutes made it worse or better.
THEIS as a lefty, man I hate those bull-pups.. Need a can on the top image to keep the NV form oiling over LOL.. Where did you get that last image? Looks like the guy has an extra leg for his junk..
Y’all are dumb as hell. A fluted bolt is a must on a tactical rifle, and if you don’t have one, well, you’re just not tactical.
I don't care whether it's fluted or not. I don't care whether it's pretty, tactical or ugly. I want reliability and accuracy.
Thankfully we don't have rifles with bolts that have interrupted threads like an artillery breech block. Or will that be the next feature dujour for precision rifles?
Thankfully we don't have rifles with bolts that have interrupted threads like an artillery breech block. Or will that be the next feature dujour for precision rifles?
....one could argue thats technically what a locking lug is.....
Comment from Tom Irwin of Accuracy International on SH thread dated March 18, 2017: @tomirwin
Mar 18, 2017
The flutes on the AI bolts started with the AW back in 1991. There was a requirement from the Swedish Army to hose the rifle in water and place in an industrial fridge for the weekend, after which the bolt had to open. Without the flutes it was frozen solid, with the flutes it was fine. An added feature is that it assists with clearing sand and dirt.
Tom Irwin
Accuracy International
I guess he is full of shit... lol
- Carl
Mar 18, 2017
The flutes on the AI bolts started with the AW back in 1991. There was a requirement from the Swedish Army to hose the rifle in water and place in an industrial fridge for the weekend, after which the bolt had to open. Without the flutes it was frozen solid, with the flutes it was fine. An added feature is that it assists with clearing sand and dirt.
Tom Irwin
Accuracy International
I guess he is full of shit... lol
- Carl
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Well said.
The flutes are on the other side of the bolt...
- Carl
The AI has a full diameter bolt body and is fluted in the bearing areas between it and the receiver bore, NOT in a wide open, no bearing area of a 2 lug, reduced bolt body diameter Remington or clone.
Not even remotely comparable.
True, but the OPs question was " What does bolt fluteing do?", NOT "What does bolt fluteing do in a wide open, no bearing area of a 2 lug, reduced bolt body diameter Remington or clone", so sorry...
- Carl
Seems to me like they just provide more places for dirt to accumulate and make it harder to clean. Plus it seems like it could hang up on or scratch the top round in a mag. That's why mine are all non fluted, but I am a boring traditional mofo.
Too late. Vulcan arms has, or had interrupted threads on their 50 bmg rifles but they apparently had a habit of implanting the bolt in to the shooter.
Ouch! That’s gonna leave a mark.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Fluting is nothing more than a set of chrome wheels on a bolt action. It does save a little weight, but the amount is so minuscule that its really not even worth fretting over.
One thing I know it helps with. Ice. years ago I did a rifle for a client who owns an outfitting service in MT. The scenario went like this:
Wake up at the crack of dawn and head out. Ride around in a warm pickup for X number of minutes/hours till you get where your doing your thing. Truck is warm, guns are in the cab. They too are warm. Leave and head out in heavy snow fall. The stuff lands on the gun and melts. -for awhile. Before you know it the rifle cools off and its now got an ice cube growing on the outside of it. The light flutes that came with this particular action were not enough to crunch through it.
So, we were asked to pick up the existing flute and cut em deeper. The report back to us was that it solved the issue.
Its not something I normally use as a sales pitch for this kind of work, but in this instance it did seem to help. We never had another complaint.
Hope this helps. If your interested, we do a ton of this work. Lowest price around and the fastest turnaround. Happy to help. Our store has fully automated ordering.
LRI Bolt Fluting
