ORIGINAL: Folically Challenged
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I suppose that in the grand scheme o' things, what the bolt feels like when it's traveling back & forthdoesn't matter nearly as much as how well the thing locks up when you put the handle down. Still, I wonder if there's something... more.
FC
I think that sums it up quite nicely. Funny thing, the other day a friend was complaining about his Remington being too "rough" during cycling. He asked me to look at it. I took it and cleaned the slide rails good and applied a light coat of synthetic lube that I use on my pistols. Gave it back to him and he loved it.
I personally think that too much emphasis is place on "sloppy" action and the like. If the bolt is square and locks up tightly with equal contact on each lug then you have a good gun. Take a colored sharpie and color the backs of the locking lugs on a bolt. open and close the bolt serveral times and remove the bolt. Look to see where the marker has been rubbed off. On a good action both lugs will be completly wiped. On a bad one only one lug will be clean, while the other will looked like it hasn't been touched. And of course there is every thing in between. Partial contact on one, partial contact on both etc etc. You will find both good and bad in every commercial manufactured action.