I having a gunsmith take a CZ 550 American Safari 416 Rigby and doing some custom work on it. He is going to replace the factory stock with an English Walnut stock. He isn’t going to install cross bolts, when asked “why not†his reply was, “I’ve built several 416’s and 458’s on CZ actions and never had any problems without the cross boltsâ€. “Clients have taken them to Africa and Alaska over the years without any problemsâ€. Any comments?

It cheap insurance on a heavy recoiling rifle, and they look right on one too. Why not go ahead and have one or two put in.

You might want to post this Q on the Big Bore forum too.

JPK

While steelglassing makes crossbolts unnecessary, I'd still insist that he put them in. There's something so "Man your battle stations!" about crossbolts and frankly, with a buff giving you the "I hate you!" look, every bit of confidence you can get is all to the good.

I am having 2 cross bolts put in my CZ American .416Rigby for appearance, even if they aren't necessary for functionality.

In my opinion all big bores need x-bolts to look MEAN!

They are inexpensive insurance for your stock. And..............they look great!!!

Visible crossbolts are not necessary if hidden ones of allthread are buried at proper places.

I would get a new gunsmith if he is not planning to at least make the hidden crossbolts and pillars a part of the walnut stock glass bedding. Steel bed is great, but alone it is not good enough for a .416.

One in the web between the trigger well and magazine box: you are garanteed to have this crack if you don't reinforce it.

One behind the primary action recoil lug, of course.

If you are keeping the F-block in the forearm for the secondary recoil lug on the barrel, this may be buried and covered with epoxy to serve as the crossbolt there.

SIGARMS Magnum Mauser 98's and Dakota 76 Africans in .416 Rigby and .450 Dakota have no recoil lugs on their barrels, but they sure have good visible crossbolts and bedding: very important in a bigbore, .375 and up for sure.

Hopefully this "gunsmith" knows to relieve the tang too. Better check on that, given that attitude toward crossbolts.

Crossbolts IMO look good and don't hurt a thing. Further they aren't very expensive.

I'd demand they be installed or take the work elsewhere.

I've been looking for crossbolts for a project rifle, but the one's I've found are satisfactory for my project.

I keep seeing Steel In-the-White, Engraved or not
blued engraved or not and the problem is my project
rifle is stainless steel...

So after much frustration I decided to make my own.

AllanD

Above you will find excellent advice. Advice I would reccomend as well. Your gunsmith's comment "... over the years without any problemsâ€. raises one important question - HOW MANY YEARS? Most such rifles don't see a lot of shooting compared to lighter rifles. The problem with heavy rifles and the reason for cross bolts - particularly in the behind the magazine area - is stock flex. The stock will flex outwardly in the magizine area during recoil. Over time this stresses the web behind the magizine and can eventually lead to the formation of a crak that can run into the tang / wrist area causing a catastrophic stock failure. Depending on your wood, frequency of use, climatic conditions and a host of other possibilities, this could happen in short order or never. A cross bolt, blind or visible is very cheap insurance in preventing it!

Thanks to Jeffeosso, I put a cross bolt in my CZ550 in .416 Rigby. We also bedded it and put a metal rod down the grip. Now I shoot with confidence and do not worry about what might happen to the stock.

I posted some pictures on the Big Bore forum a while back. I think the cross bolt looks good too.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Steel bed is great, but alone it is not good enough for a .416.

One in the web between the trigger well and magazine box: you are garanteed to have this crack if you don't reinforce it.

I am in 100% agreement w/ the above. If you check the archives, Jeffeosso has some good posts reference the need to reinforce the web area. I would recommend you do this even if your rifle were a 375H&H and you planned on using it. That web area will eventually crack due to the forces of recoil if you rely only on the wood webbing alone. Just a simple Remington style threaded screw will greatly improve its strength.

i agree with your gunsmith - they probably are unnecessary, that's why I use 2 just on the word probably

Buried somewhere in my store of reference material is an old photo copied article by the late Jack Lott - an entire article on this very subject of stock flex/damage and preventing it. That article and the plain good old common sense it makes is what motivated me to put reinforcing and minimal inletting into every bolt action rifle I've stocked since. It is why I also prefer reworked original triggers/sears on Mausers instead of the slick, adjustable after-market triggers sold for these rifles. The original leaves a lot more wood in this critical stock area... and more room to place the reinforcing!

quote:

Originally posted by oupa:
Above you will find excellent advice. Advice I would reccomend as well. Your gunsmith's comment "... over the years without any problemsâ€. raises one important question - HOW MANY YEARS? Most such rifles don't see a lot of shooting compared to lighter rifles. The problem with heavy rifles and the reason for cross bolts - particularly in the behind the magazine area - is stock flex. The stock will flex outwardly in the magizine area during recoil. Over time this stresses the web behind the magizine and can eventually lead to the formation of a crak that can run into the tang / wrist area causing a catastrophic stock failure. Depending on your wood, frequency of use, climatic conditions and a host of other possibilities, this could happen in short order or never. A cross bolt, blind or visible is very cheap insurance in preventing it!

I have a Very nice Winchester XTR stock that came off of a 338Winchester, the block of wood between the magazine well and the recoil lug is neatly broken out of the stock.... due to this exact same flexing on either side of the magazine well.

Hell I want crossbolts in my 30-06 because it's one less thing to worry about...

AllanD

Hello guys.

Sorry about the dumb question, but whats is a cross bolt and what is it for ?

Check out some pix of large caliber bolt guns and you will see, usually, two metal circles on the sides of the stock. These are the ends of two bolts that cross over to the other side (hence the name "crossbolts") and clamp the sides of the stock together preventing all sorts of unpleasant complications in the wood resulting from the heavy recoil.

A Gunsmith who doesn't believe in crossbolts on a Big Bore sends chills down my spine(like right into my wallet). Like others have said, they are cheap insurance and look pretty good. BTW a .416 Rigby can be loaded up to some pretty stout levels. Remember, if that action gets moving in that stock, then even steelbed will give. Crossbolts add a little more assurance. -Rob

Here you can see two cross bolts installed in this rifle's stock. In this case the bolts are countersunk and pluged with ebony wood plugs.

Sorry about the setting of the photo but it was taken for benefit of the insurance company!

JPK

Now that's one nice thumper!

I also have a .416 Rigby chambered Ruger # 1 Tropical rifle. Does it also require cross bolts or some other measure to strengthen the stock, or am I good to go as is?

Thanks

JPK,
I hope they didn't insure that thing.
It's missing the bolt handle and someone put an extra cheekpiece on it.

BigBores,

I found the bolt handle:


For guys like you, ya just look in the mirror to make it look right, so to speak.

JPK

Doesn't that bolt handle poke you in the teeth when you shoot it?

Seriously, can someone post a thread (or add to this on) about installing blind cross bolts with the ebony plugs (WITH PICTURES)?
My hogback CZ550 .458 Win Mag will be here tomorrow and I need to get it steel bedded and add some cross bolts. I like the blind all-thread idea better than the exposed heads.
I did a search and the pics of a similar project several years ago are gone.

Thanks!

JPK,

Who made your rifle? Caliber? any more info? It is very nice.

BullDog,

You have a PM.

JPK

I have a Browning A-Bolt Medallion chambered in .375 H&H Mag. It came glass bedded, but would anyone recommend having cross bolts installed?

Snyder

If you have a browning A bolt you dont need crossbolts you need a new rifle!

I agree with OUPA that cross bolts are necessary, but not sufficient. My understanding is that most stock splits in bigbores come from the flex of the stock, but many rifles with crossbolts, the pre-64 mod 70 in 458 being one notorious example, will split the stock despite the cross bolts, either the single bolted 1956 version, or the dbl bolted 57-63 ones.

quote:

Originally posted by Allan DeGroot:
I've been looking for crossbolts for a project rifle, but the one's I've found are satisfactory for my project.

I keep seeing Steel In-the-White, Engraved or not
blued engraved or not and the problem is my project
rifle is stainless steel...

So after much frustration I decided to make my own.

AllanD

Anyone know where I can get the half inch head diameter crossbolts with the rectangular shaft that Whitworth used? I have such a rifle in 35 Whelen and some bright spark took the crossbolt out, so it's already inletted.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldsarge:
steelglassing makes crossbolts unnecessary

When I read that Sarge is still holding onto this flawed idea of the functions of crossbolts v. steel bedding I roll my eyes.

This is akin to saying, "with airbags in car there is no need for seatbelts."

Jason