Winchester Model 70A Breech Bolt Sleeve

[JackWagon]

I'm rescuing a mid 1970's Model 70 I picked up as a basket case and I am down to the last piece. Looks like Bubba was busy with his cutting tool when he could not figure out how to remove the end cap so the nimrod cut into the edge where the pin locks the cap on and buggered up the side where the safety switch pin is so I can't even get that apart but it does still work properly. I know it's just aesthetics but I want it fixed. I have been looking for a sleeve for about a year with no joy. If I wanted to get crazy I could just JB weld the cap back on but I don't want to go down that road so it's either finding a complete assembly or repair.

I'm thinking a quick tig weld will do the trick to fill it back in, re drill the hole and file it smooth. Anyone know someone who could take on the tig job?

 

[matthias]

Anything can be fixed with enough money and time. My guess is that a replacement will save you both money and time.

 

[AlNyhus]

If you end up having it TIG'd, I'd find a race fab shop familiar with doing small pieces.

If you don't need the cap, Midwest Gun Works has the complete bolt sleeve.

 

[JackWagon]

Unfortunately they do not have my bolt sleeve (70a) and to change over to the style they do have would require a new firing pin and other fitting as well.

The economics of it preclude a lot of things. I'm not going to sink a 1000 dollars into this thing but I will put my personal time into it. The poor thing was covered in surface rust as is common in Florida when someone stuff's a rifle into the back of the closet. Oddly enough internally must have had a good coat of oil as the inside of the action and barrel was totally free of it. I highly doubt the thing had more than 30-40 rounds down the pipe and the stock was almost perfect.

I think you are right though, I need to find someone who is used to doing small pieces for the tig route. I found a couple of places that do custom bolt handles last night on line so I am going to contact them. Everything is complete except for this last part.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Welding it would be simple and the best repair, but if you want to try a cheap easy repair you can stick a wax candle into the hole as a barrier fill the area with steel epoxy
and after it is cured for a few days drill the epoxy out of the hole.

 

[SBS]

This version of the sleeve was fairly short lived. It was for mainly housing a cocking indicator . I'd look at cutting the projection off and making it look like the sleeves before and after this model. I think that would also involve cutting the cocking indicator off the back end of the cocking piece, to make it look proper. A Dremel and a file would make short work of it.

 

[JackWagon]

This version of the sleeve was fairly short lived. It was for mainly housing a cocking indicator . I'd look at cutting the projection off and making it look like the sleeves before and after this model. I think that would also involve cutting the cocking indicator off the back end of the cocking piece, to make it look proper. A Dremel and a file would make short work of it.

That was actually my plan at first until I had a good look at the cocking piece. It has a cut across the back rather than solid for clearance to the dust cover pin.

 

[SBS]

You could either claim that as a "lightning cut" to shave weight off the firing pin and decrease lock time or use part of suggestion above: fill the slot with Devcon steel and use some matching paint. Of course, you could get the slot tigged up, but be careful about heat, so that the cocking piece doesn't get soft.