hi, can someone please tell me how to correctly measure a bolt action to determine if it is a magnum action ?

and can you give the dimensions for a magnum action vs a standard pls thanks, being a double rifle guy i am not knowledgeable about this.

The easiest way is to check the mag well to see if it will accomadate a typical magnum like the 375H&H at approx. 3.6inches or a 416 rigby at about 3.72 inches. You can measure bolt stroke to verify for sure-- I'll pull one out later and measure the stroke of the bolt and reply again. But it should be around 4 inches.

Took some measurements of some common manufactured rifles: winchester 70 in 375H&H bolt stroke is 4.75 and mag well is 3.75---remington 700 in 458win is the same. My whitworth express in 375H&H is considerably shorter at 4.5 inches of bolt stroke and the mag well as well at 3.75. The whitworth is a nice rifle but it is not a true "magnum length" rifle. The manufacturer {zastava} removed metal from the rcvr behind where the bottom lug of the bolt locks in to gain length in the mag well.

how do you measure the "bolt stroke " ?

would the measurement of the bolt length say from front to handle or something tell what it is ?

i have a brand new fn action i put away some years ago and am trying to identify it for length. appreciate your help, tomo577

Didn't measure the length of the bolt itself. As far as bolt stroke I just put a tape measure in front of the bolt handle where it meets the the rcvr for referance point, held it in place and opened the bolt and pulled it to the rear and read the measurement in front of the handle.

look at the underside of the magazine cutout. A 375 length magnum Mauser should be about 3 5/8" or a bit longer.
At least the one on my desk is. The bolt is 7 and 7/16" long. Does anyone else here keep one on the desk to just "fondle" in your spare time on the 'net here? A maximum magnum (416 Rigby class) should have a mag box and bottom cutout 3.85" to 4" IIRC. At least that is what the box I have from Jim Wisner measures.

Rich

The bolt length of my model 70 in 375H&H measured from bolt face not extracter to front of bolt handle is about 5.688. The whitworth is the same as a standard model 98 mauser at about 5.313 inches. My browning {FN mauser type} in 30-06 is like the 98 mauser in dimensions.

MAG Lengths, internal

standard length
3.4" or so (+/-)

magnum length
3.7 or so

Other measurements vary by maker.. for example, a win70 long action is the same length, external, from 270 to 458 lott, the inside and boltstop are different.. but, a 3.35 (458win) length action has the same BOLT as a 3.65"..

front to rear screw differences
winchester, shortaction 7 1/8, long 7 5/8
ruger 77mkii (not rsm) 7 5/8 or 8 1/4
mauser
98 large ring, standard length, 7 7/8
TRUE mauser magnum, 8 1/4
small ring 93,96, and mexican mausers 7 5/8
there is a couple odd ball mausers but if they are, they aren't suitable for magnums, anyway.

jeffe

thanks for your help guys. i'll check it out this week when i go to my shop and let you know what i find. tomo577

Hey Jeffe, ever had a Herters (Parker-Hale built) Looooooooooong action in hand? I am playing with one here I was offered for $50 out of and odds and ends ammo can at the shop. Bare bolt and bare action, but those guard screwholes are seven and 15/16ths inch apart. The bottom opening is 3.645" long, and the top port is 3.355" long, bolthead is a standard .472-3" Anybody know anything about thes babies?

Rich

Rich,
not a clue... that an m1200? with the HUGE bottom metal (or had) ..
I'll give you 50 bucks for it

jeffe

Specs of typical "MagMauser" clone-Brevex:
Wt. 53oz
Length 9,25in
Receiver ring dia. 1,5in
Bolt dia. 0,7in
Bolt travel 4,975in
Mag. length 3,925in
Mag. well width 0,665in

Std. Modelo 98:
Wt. 45oz
Length 8,75in
Receiver ring dia. 1,410in
Bolt body dia. 0,700in
Bolt travel 4,570in
Guard screw spacing 7,825in
Mag well opening length 3,320in

From Bolt Action Rifles 3rd ed by Frank de Haas.

This Herters/PH has me befuddled...not as easy as it sounds. I have a ww 375 300gr softpoint factory round in front of me, and if I filed the exposed lead off the tip it would fit in the bottom cutout. A 7STW factory round will lay flat in the cutout with room to spare and it measures 3.52". I think I got a bad case of "one more magnum rifle" coming on. Pray for me...

Rich