Action bolts touching pillars

[Rhunter]

I have a Montana rifle company x2 that has accuracy issues. I sent it back to the company and they mailed it back and said it was fine. The rifle is not fine and i beleive I have found the issue. The action bolts are rubbing the pillars. After numerous conversations with mrc I would like to fix it here rather than deal with them. Can I just take a fine hand file and remove enough pillar so they don't rub? I thought about drilling but I think the hand file would leave more pillar. FYI the accuracy issue was that the gun would shoot two separate vertical groups about an inch apart at 100.

 

[Preacher]

A action bolt should NEVER hit the sides of anything, it mess's with accuracy...
A file will do you just fine, go slow and fix it...

 

[savagedasher]

Find a drill 1/64 larger and increas the size of the hole . Larry

 

[FatBoy]

I've drilled a pillar before, no problem. just mAmerican sure it's sharp and you go slow.

Let me ask, is it always touching or is it touching during recoil? If the action is moving enough to allow contact under recoil you have a bedding problem.

 

[savagedasher]

I've drilled a pillar before, no problem. just mAmerican sure it's sharp and you go slow.

Let me ask, is it always touching or is it touching during recoil? If the action is moving enough to allow contact under recoil you have a bedding problem.

I feel that if the screw is tight it's the same as touching . The piller is being held from compression . The lug is made to stop movement . Larry

 

[FatBoy]

I feel that if the screw is tight it's the same as touching . The piller is being held from compression . The lug is made to stop movement . Larry

I agree, I just like the extra space around the action screws. I like an even swipe on the pillar from the screw taper, then mark the screen position under proper torque. Helps tame my OCD, as I had a 300wm shoot the front screw loose before.

 

[Jesse Gietzen]

Find a drill 1/64 larger and increas the size of the hole . Larry

This. Just make sure you drill straight. I recently had a rifle get kicked back because it wouldn't shoot and noticed the finishers drilled my pillar at an angle. One side was never touched by the bit, and the other side was into the pillar threads. Normally the bit just shaves the sides back a bit. If you're careful, you should be alright.

 

[savagedasher]

This. Just make sure you drill straight. I recently had a rifle get kicked back because it wouldn't shoot and noticed the finishers drilled my pillar at an angle. One side was never touched by the bit, and the other side was into the pillar threads. Normally the bit just shaves the sides back a bit. If you're careful, you should be alright.

After it has been drilled the drill will only increase the size of the hole. If you pressure the drill i he middle will still end up being the same size. The top and bottom will end up oblong or tapered to the middle. Larry

 

[Jesse Gietzen]

I was vague (I do that a lot, sorry!). I meant to keep the drill straight and parallel to the hole during the initial (edit: and only) drilling. Once you get it sideways and into the threads like this one was, you get to "fix" it with a 1/2" bit and drill the whole pillar out. This one was only drilled once: expertly sideways and oblong longitudinally. Most of the time the hole gets gently shaved open from .250 to ~.280 and the screw doesn't touch the sides. This one left the screws touching up near the receiver on the left side. There was no attempt to fix the hole by drilling again. I agree with your post.

 

[savagedasher]

I was vague (I do that a lot, sorry!). I meant to keep the drill straight and parallel to the hole during the initial (edit: and only) drilling. Once you get it sideways and into the threads like this one was, you get to "fix" it with a 1/2" bit and drill the whole pillar out. This one was only drilled once: expertly sideways and oblong longitudinally. Most of the time the hole gets gently shaved open from .250 to ~.280 and the screw doesn't touch the sides. This one left the screws touching up near the receiver on the left side. There was no attempt to fix the hole by drilling again. I agree with your post.

Like I said a drill will only make the hole larger . If your going to elongate the hole you will need a mill or a file . Larry

 

[Rhunter]

View attachment 995530 View attachment 995529 Here are a couple of pictures taken with my phone. The bolts are pressed against the front of the pillars. You can see where the threads were actually digging into the pillars. The action fits the stick tight enough that it can't move around at all. I took a small file and made the hole slightly bigger. I am anxious to shoot it now. I will post results.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

View attachment 995530 View attachment 995529 Here are a couple of pictures taken with my phone. The bolts are pressed against the front of the pillars. You can see where the threads were actually digging into the pillars. The action fits the stick tight enough that it can't move around at all. I took a small file and made the hole slightly bigger. I am anxious to shoot it now. I will post results.

Please do. I've always heard it'll hurt accuracy but have never tested it and have a hard time wrapping my head around why it matters.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Please do. I've always heard it'll hurt accuracy but have never tested it and have a hard time wrapping my head around why it matters.

I definately see it hurting if they caused the lug to unseat. But in this case they would have pulled the lug back, so I am interested as well.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

I had it happen with a ruger once. When I relieved the hole the gun went back to shooting.

Aaron