Can I Fix This ????

Okay guys, let's not get carried away. I got some helpful posts here and some some input from two smith's I trust. The consensus is to relieve the offending surfaces and shoot it for groups. If it still won't group, have my smith pull the barrel and correct the problem. Makes sense to me.

The action was pulled off a new donor rifle and blueprinted by the smith and a barrel chambered and threaded. I wasn't there, nor was the seller, so we can't speak to what really happened.

The seller never fired the rifle. He's more upset than I am and said he would cover all costs to make it right.

For all I know, this rifle is the only bad one the smith ever built and I won't be responsible for harming his business, based on one rifle. Everyone of us has made mistakes, so he'll remain unnamed.

I will update this thread when the rifle is 100%. Thanks to all.

 

Well said. You are a good and wise man.

 

And the seller sounds like good folk also.

 

I'm still the dissenting voice. Those 2 surfaces may have been polished a little during the "blueprinting" process.

Pull the firing pin assembly, leave the barrel attached. The bolt should fall from gravity. If it does, you are fixing the wrong problem. This is a 2 minute test you should do.

Edit: I was unable to see on my phone (picture management issue) that he had already done this test. I now agree that there is a problem with the dimensions of the tenon and bolt nose recess.

--Jerry

 

You can easily check for a general idea of bolt nose clearance yourself with scotch tape. One surface at a time. Scotch tape usually runs in the 2 thou range. You can put a piece on the bolt nose with a stripped bolt, cut around the edges, you'll end up with a round piece of tape covering the nose and over the bolt face recess. Keep applying until the bolt won't close or starts to drag. Don't force it. Measure the tape when you reach this point. Will give you a good idea of bolt nose clearance. Should be around 0.010" give or take a few. Can do the same thing on the outside of the bolt ahead of the lugs. Wrap a single piece around and keep going till it drags. Measure the tape. Same thing with a FL sized case. Apply tape till it drags. You should be able to get one possible two pieces of tape on the case till it starts to drag depending on how thick your tape is.

That being said, this will give you an idea and isn't an exact measurement. It is still suggested to have it checked by a guy you trust. If it's already gone to a smith, no worries, they'll figure it out.

 

If I Iowned that rifle, I could fix the bolt clearance issues in about twenty minutes; including removing the stock. Whether or not this would fix the inaccuracy, I can't say. I don't think so but would be happy to be wrong. WH