Action Job

[zacko]

I' d like to learn a little gunsmithing and I' ve heard a good place to start is doing an action job on a bolt action rifle. Any suggestions on a manual, class etc that is better than others?
I' ve always done my own cleaning and I' m not afraid to cut and grind, but I don' t want to cut and grind my way into a boat anchor.
My first project (victim?) would be my Ruger M77 .30-06 with a very tight action.
Any direction would be greatly appreciated.

[Briman]

If you have a very tight action, why would you want to change it? Bolt actions are supposed to be tight. Is it tough to extract? the bolt handle hard to lift? Your locking lugs might have too many tool marks on them or you are shooting loads too hot for your rifle. Your best bet is to leave it alone, or put a little lube on it, even a little powdered graphite on the locking lugs. If that' s not satisfactory enough, run the bolt back and forth a thousand times while watching TV or open and close it as many times to slick it up a little and break it in. I wouldn' t recommend lapping the locking lugs unless you are replacing the barrel because it will increase the headspace slightly, and you only have few thousanths of an inch of change before your rifle is unsafe to shoot. The best way to lap them is to do it with the barrel off anyway.

[Goodguy]

zacko
Is your action always tight cold or hot or is it as Briman asks, is it tough to extract? the bolt handle hard to lift? after firing? If that' s the case, in addition to the possibility of too hot a load my experience may be of interest to you. I have a M 70 in 300 WSM that when new after 3 rounds you practically had to pry the bolt open it was so tight. Turned out the lugs were not bearing evenly and lapping them totally corrected the problem. Headspace is still well within the allowances. gg.

[zacko]

I guess " tight" isn' t really a good description. Rough would be better. It opens okay, even after shooting some hot loads I' ve worked up, but moving the action back and forth it just isn' t very smooth. I noticed that the grooves that the bolt travels in are not really smooth. The bolt is smooth and other than a little nick on one of the locking lugs looks good.
When you say lap in the parts, do you mean getting a little jewelers rouge and going to town or some other method?

[eldeguello]

Leave it alone!! How' s that for a suggestion???















" It seems very difficult to impress most reloaders with the fact that every rifle is an individual, and what proves to be a maximum load in one may be quite mild in another, and vice versa." Bob Hagel, GAME LOADS AND PRACTICAL BALLISTICS FOR THE AMERICAN HUNTER, 1977