[TomBulls]

Hey everyone- I got a call from the gunsmith earlier today. The fellow is installing a bolt-handle conversion kit from ATI (and a few other things) and he called me with a concern of some kind. He says that the rear 1/3 of the bolt body was incorrectly heat treated and is brittle. The bolt in question has the semi-turned down bolt handle, and I don't know when/where it was manufactured. He didn't say HOW brittle it is, but he was under the impression that the rifle may not be safe to shoot because of this. I am curious to know if this excessive heat treatment which he insists was done to the bolt (probably by the original manufacturer) really does make the rifle "unsafe" to shoot. Is this sort of excessive heat treatment pretty standard for Mauser bolt bodies? I'm really not too worried about it and I think he is making a bigger deal out of it than he needs to be. Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

-thomas

 

[Clyde]

Hey everyone- I got a call from the gunsmith earlier today. The fellow is installing a bolt-handle conversion kit from ATI (and a few other things) and he called me with a concern of some kind. He says that the rear 1/3 of the bolt body was incorrectly heat treated and is brittle. The bolt in question has the semi-turned down bolt handle, and I don't know when/where it was manufactured. He didn't say HOW brittle it is, but he was under the impression that the rifle may not be safe to shoot because of this. I am curious to know if this excessive heat treatment which he insists was done to the bolt (probably by the original manufacturer) really does make the rifle "unsafe" to shoot. Is this sort of excessive heat treatment pretty standard for Mauser bolt bodies? I'm really not too worried about it and I think he is making a bigger deal out of it than he needs to be. Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

-thomas

Well, no, improper heat treatment is not standard with Mauser bolt bodies, and one that was brittle would not have been properly treated. Next - just how did he conclude it was brittle? I mean - did he give it a sharp rap and some bits snapped and flaked off, or what? Finally, consider how a Mauser bolt and action work together. The FRONT of the bolt has locking lugs that turn into closely fitted locking recesses in the action body just behind the breech-face of the barrel. The rear thrd of the bolt serves to hold some of the bits in the desired location and orientation and serves as a location to attach the bolt-handle to.

If only the last (as in rear) third is hardened too much and hence is brittle, it isn't going to compromise safety significantly. BUT - if the rear third is improperly treated, what about the front? I'd have concerns that would need to be addressed. Including how he made the determination in the first place and "what about the front two-thirds and the locking lugs"?

 

[Hawkins]

It sounds like someone heated the bolt handle to bend it then quenched it.. The needed strength of the bolt
is in the front end around the lugs. However if the heat treatment of the bolt is ruined get another one.

 

[TomBulls]

I'll be sure to ask him how it is (specifically) that he determined this about the nature of the metal, but I am not fully confidant in this mans gunsmith skills either. He works for a fellow that I have great confidence in, but the gunsmith has only just graduated from the two years associate program for gunsmithing. Needless to say I was a little bit worried about having him work on the rifle in the first place, but the fellow who employs him (the same person which I have great confidence in...) assured me that his man would be able to do this sort of basic work. I really hope he is right.

-thomas

 

[TomBulls]

It sounds like someone heated the bolt handle to bend it then quenched it.. The needed strength of the bolt
is in the front end around the lugs. However if the heat treatment of the bolt is ruined get another one.

I don't know who would have done that, or why. The bolt and receiver were purchased from Century Arms, and only Lord knows where the bits and pieces came from or what has happened to them under prior ownership....

 

[Hawkins]

Some people heat and bend the straight handle.

 

[tt63]

If you have the opportunity to obtain and read books by a gentleman whose name was Roy Dunlap, I'd recommend it. Do a search and review his credentials; they are mighty formidable. Mr. Dunlap worked for the Ordnance Department, and/or The U.S. Army during WWII in matters of individual arms. He was a gunsmith/writer for many years. He did substantial bolt body work and liked to shorten receiver/bolt body combinations.

The anti-weld Garand Receiver group probably won't appreciate his opinion. I have a couple of "Welds" that I shoot frequently with no issues. His writings gave me the confidence to make the effort to do so.

 

[musketshooter]

The rear end of a Mauser bolt is a non-critical heat treat area. Many straight handle bolts have been turned down and as long as the bolt sleeve can be reinstalled, there is no problem. When installing a new custom bolt handle, that area has to be red hot to attach the new handle. When properly done with a heat sink, there is no problem with safety.