Bolt handle Reattach

[Bill Rodolph]

Had a customer shoot some questionable ammo in his new 280 AI and had to beat the bolt open with a hammer. Of course he did it twice, just to make sure. Never could get out of him what ammo, supposedly factory. Never the less, the handle has started to separate from the bolt body. I'm thinking that it can be re-silver soldered back. See pic. Not in my skill set. Can someone be recommended for this repair? Oh yes, its a Remington 700. Thanks,

Bill

 

[tobnpr]

No one better than Dan.

Welcome to Accu-TIG

 

[Dkk37058]

Yes Dan40X is the man

 

[ShtrRdy]

Long Rifles Inc TIG welds bolt handles on.

 

[AlNyhus]

Had a customer shoot some questionable ammo in his new 280 AI and had to beat the bolt open with a hammer. Of course he did it twice, just to make sure. Never could get out of him what ammo, supposedly factory. Never the less, the handle has started to separate from the bolt body. I'm thinking that it can be re-silver soldered back. See pic. Not in my skill set. Can someone be recommended for this repair? Oh yes, its a Remington 700. Thanks,

Bill

Did it have any extraction camming?

 

[DaveTooley]

I believe Butch said Dan was out of town for work. I'd wait for him to return.

 

[DaveTooley]

Here's a way get a bolt open that most of the time doesn't require follow up work.
Equipment; two blocks of wood, big hammer, cleaning rod and help.
Procedure; place one block of wood on a solid surface, concrete slab works well. Place muzzle on that block of wood, place the other block on the back of the bolt shroud, now hit it hard a few times. Test to see if the bolt will rotate using only hand pressure. If not repeat the process with more force. If it moves at all, it's good start. DO NOT REACH FOR THE HAMMER. Rotate bolt using hand pressure until you reach the action camming surface. Have a friend come in from the muzzle with a cleaning rod, jag removed, and while you apply pressure on the bolt handle, he , with modest effort, tries to drive the case out. Most of time this works, saving the bolt handle and extractor. If that doesn't work then get something that can get down to the root of the bolt handle at the stock line. Then use the hammer to drive the bolt back. If none of this works then get a smith involved.

 

[LVLAaron]

It is times like these I am required to share one of my favorite videos. Pay off is about 16 minutes in if you're impatient.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Here's a way get a bolt open that most of the time doesn't require follow up work.
Equipment; two blocks of wood, big hammer, cleaning rod and help.
Procedure; place one block of wood on a solid surface, concrete slab works well. Place muzzle on that block of wood, place the other block on the back of the bolt shroud, now hit it hard a few times. Test to see if the bolt will rotate using only hand pressure. If not repeat the process with more force. If it moves at all, it's good start. DO NOT REACH FOR THE HAMMER. Rotate bolt using hand pressure until you reach the action camming surface. Have a friend come in from the muzzle with a cleaning rod, jag removed, and while you apply pressure on the bolt handle, he , with modest effort, tries to drive the case out. Most of time this works, saving the bolt handle and extractor. If that doesn't work then get something that can get down to the root of the bolt handle at the stock line. Then use the hammer to drive the bolt back. If none of this works then get a smith involved.

Agree! If bolt lift is heavy from the start, the case is holding the bolt in tension longitudinally. Hitting the bolt shroud is effectively just barely bumping the shoulder with the case in the chamber, allowing the bolt to rotate. If it's still very tight when the extraction cams begin pulling the case, that's a diameter issue and might take more coaxing to remove...like your cleaning rod method after hitting the bolt shroud to create a bit of clearance. Being tapered, it typically won't take a lot of clearance to free the case in both planes...length and diameter. Depends how badly it was over pressured.

 

[DaveTooley]

One additional comment. The case, in all likelihood, will be stuck in bolt nose. Before you go twisting beating and banging on the case consider where the extractor is located and use it for the pivot point. I've seen several bolts that were successfully removed from the action only to rip the extractor and retaining lip out.

 

[jds holler]

Freaky to consider that scenario happening from factory ammo. -- if he's being straight with ya. jd

 

[WSnyder]

It is times like these I am required to share one of my favorite videos. Pay off is about 16 minutes in if you're impatient.

The infamous Speerchucker posted that method up many many years ago. He used to post a ton of great stuff back then. Very experienced gunsmith out of Canada for those that never came across him.

 

[jackieschmidt]

The bolt handle on my original Farley came off, (silver brazed), so I re-attached it with quick setting JB Weld in order to get it timed perfect, then put the assembly in my mill and did what it took to bolt the handle to the body.

That has been 20 years ago, it’s still going great.

 

[Bill Rodolph]

Did it have any extraction camming?

Don't know, wasn't there. And to top it off, I'm not dealing directly with the shooter, got two people in between. The owner of the rifle and his goffer. Kinda frustrating!

 

[Bill Rodolph]

Thanks gentlemen for the replies!! Good info there. I will be in contact with the persons recommended.

 

[1911nut]

A friend freed a stuck case by spraying Kroil in the muzzle and storing the rifle muzzle up overnight. Next morning the bolt opened easily.

 

[LVLAaron]

I'd silver solder it back on. But I'm sometimes over confident and don't know what I'm doing.

 

[tobnpr]

The infamous Speerchucker posted that method up many many years ago. He used to post a ton of great stuff back then. Very experienced gunsmith out of Canada for those that never came across him.

Yep. Rod Henrickson, link to his YouTube channel, hasn't added content in a couple of years. The grease gun video is 9 years ago.

Rod Henrickson Gunsmith

Rod Henrickson Gunsmithing

www.youtube.com

He's on the Accuratereloading gunsmithing forum- I've gotten a lot of great tips/tricks from him over time. He's also got a sticky at the top for barrel shank drawings that include some "how I do it" notes. Definitely worth a read for smiths and home shop guys that do their own barrel work.

 

[LVLAaron]

But did he blow a case out, spraying oil everywhere and making an indention in the drywall?

 

[LVLAaron]

Yep. Rod Henrickson, link to his YouTube channel, hasn't added content in a couple of years. The grease gun video is 9 years ago.

Rod Henrickson Gunsmith

Rod Henrickson Gunsmithing

www.youtube.com

He's on the Accuratereloading gunsmithing forum- I've gotten a lot of great tips/tricks from him over time. He's also got a sticky at the top for barrel shank drawings that include some "how I do it" notes. Definitely worth a read for smiths and home shop guys that do their own barrel work.

Interesting channel. I'll go through it all tomorrow over my morning hot beverage.