My first home built bolt gun.

[Minesweeper3433]

Finally finished test firing my first home built bolt gun today. I purchased a 700 SA a couple years ago in 223 and had so many problems with it that I decided to change it. After making friends with a local gunsmith I got an opportunity to true up my action on his lathe. During the time that the rifle was apart a 20 inch 308 varmint barrel came up for sale here on the board for 90 bucks. I jumped at the opportunity and had a nice barrel to try out. As it turns out the 223 bolt wouldn't do me much good (go figure) should have seen that one coming. Another member here on the board offered to trade straight across for a 308 bolt. The bolt came in the mail and it was a better fit for the caming surfaces than the original. Now I had the action trued and a good bolt. After measuring the bolt for eccentricity in the action we test fitted the barrel as it came in the mail. The head-space was roughly -.001. This wouldn't work as factory ammo was a very tight fit. I lapped the lugs and it worked well enough.
Now the hard part bedding. Took 4 tries to learn how to bed rifles but I got it on the last try. My biggest problem was impatience as I would try to pull the action after maybe 2 hours of drying plus I was trying different release agents. I will know only use kiwi neutral shoe polish.
I put my sightron on the rifle and grabbed 40 rounds of M118 that was slightly corroded but cleaned it first. Went to the range today and it will shoot 3 rounds into a quarter inch 5 into a half and I can shoot 10 rounds in 1 minute into slightly less than an inch. Not bad for all factory components and a hogue stock with 4 bedding jobs on it.

 

[boltfluter]

Sounds like you are off to a great start. Keep it up and your friends will start lining up all of a sudden!!! Then will come the friends you never knew you had. Good luck with that. Regards, Paul. 8)

www.boltfluting.com

 

[CT10ring]

Sounds good, nothing like doing it yourself.

Release agent-I have had best luck with Mothers' Carnauba wax, my .02.
can you post any pix?

 

[Minesweeper3433]

Sure Ill get a couple pics up this week.

 

[SixFive]

That is great! Now the sickness will begin, you will buy a lathe, then a milling machine, then all kinds of tools, it never ends I started 30 years ago and the sickness grew LOL

 

[Gargoyle]

This is like going to a whorehouse to get a hug! Where's the pictures?

 

[morpheus]

This is like going to a whorehouse to get a hug! Where's the pictures?

Back in 2012...

 

[Gargoyle]

Damnit SixFive

 

[Lone Hunter]

Camera must have broken too.