The Accurate Reloading Forums
How do you like your crossbolts? exposed/plugged....
05 January 2011, 21:46
Dago RedHow do you like your crossbolts? exposed/plugged....
Hey guys, I have a preference on crossbolts (if any of you know the different companies/people making them and have links/pics it would be cool) and wonder what you think. I'll wait and give my opinion later and reason.Do you like your crossboltsExposed crossboltsPlugged crossbolts
05 January 2011, 22:41
Von GruffGenerally the crossbolts are there to stop the wood through the mag well from flexing so the stock bolts need to be tight.Even with the best finishes on properly seasoned wood, minor shrinkage can occur over the years and if the bolts are pluged they can't be tightened, so I voted for exposed.
Von Gruff.
05 January 2011, 23:37
Dago RedI think the same thing, while a wood screw, which I suspect is often what they do when they put the wood plugs over it, would help some, it I don't think it would provide the same amount of compression that an exposed crossbolt could, and you are right, you couldn't tighten it as needed as time went by.
of course I also like the way they look and they give Scrollcutter somewhere else to display his talent.
06 January 2011, 00:26
J.D.SteeleIf you epoxy the entire bolt in, they won't need tightening.
Otherwise I like the Miller ones for looks.
Regards, Joe
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06 January 2011, 08:32
JBrownI strongly prefer exposed crossbolts. I know my opinion is over the top, but I
really think plugged crossbolts ruin the look of a stock. IMO nothing looks worse on a fine, rich walnut stock than shiny ebony plugs. Well maybe ivory accents...
I like Talley and B-Square crossblots. I normally epoxy the threaded tube into the stock and secure bolts with just a bit of preload. Of course I index the holes and finish the bolts so that they follow the contour of the stock.
If the stock shrinks and the bolts become loose a shim can be placed underneath. But I have never had to do that.
Jason
"You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core."
_______________________
Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt.
Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry
Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure.
-Jason Brown
06 January 2011, 08:42
SevensDepends on the rifle. A "working" rifle, I'll take them plugged as it's one less thing to worry about rusting. On a fancy safe queen, exposed with, maybe, minor engraving.
06 January 2011, 21:42
Dago RedJD where do you find the miller ones, I don't know what they look like.
thanks guys for the feedback, more people prefer plugged than I thought. Yes I have one with a plugged crossbolt, it already had a crack inside between the mag box and the trigger but otherwise was fine, didn't want to chuck it. I just had the local shop do it and I think they plugged it with rosewood.
Red
07 January 2011, 03:22
J.D.SteeleRed, I wish I could find their source, I'd love to have some for my builds! I assume they either make their own or adapt something else to serve the purpose, it wouldn't be difficult.
I personally frequently use hidden crossbolts and even other hidden recoil reinforcements. Never had any problems even with LW heavy kickers and IMO there's less chance of an unsightly result. JMO.
Regards, Joe
__________________________
You can lead a human to logic but you can't make him think.
NRA Life since 1976. God bless America!
07 January 2011, 05:27
butchlambertJames Anderson is saving a set of nice exposed ones for my Enfield Rigby. I don't remember what he called them, just said they were special.
Butch
07 January 2011, 06:01
BobsterI like them exposed with acid etching to create a gray frosty look. Then coat with satin baking lacquer so you don't have to worry about rust.
07 January 2011, 07:14
craigsterExposed. I think the plugs look a bit tacky. I've used the standard military Mauser version, they work without too much trouble. Numrich has them.
07 January 2011, 10:40
ForrestBIt's a matter of individual taste...
individuals without taste prefer the plugs.
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Francis Bacon
07 January 2011, 15:35
Winkquote:
Originally posted by ForrestB:
It's a matter of individual taste...
individuals without taste prefer the plugs.
Has something been dripping out the magazine box onto the stock (known as drool-back, rather than fiddleback), or did you just get lucky when the stock was laid out?
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AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim.
07 January 2011, 18:03
BoxheadI sure like the looks of what David Miller does with them.
07 January 2011, 19:10
GaryVAIf it is a Guild showpiece, I prefer a fancy exposed crossbolt. If it is a hard use working rifle, I prefer this:
It's light, strong, and about as bomb proof as you can get with a wood stock.
07 January 2011, 20:44
butchlambertThey don't have to be ugly to hunt with.
Butch
09 January 2011, 01:55
Sevensquote:
Originally posted by butchlambert:
They don't have to be ugly to hunt with.
Butch
It certainly cuts down on the amount of tears shed though.
09 January 2011, 02:20
JBrownquote:
Originally posted by Sevens:
quote:
Originally posted by butchlambert:
They don't have to be ugly to hunt with.
Butch
It certainly cuts down on the amount of tears shed though.
Not if it's so ugly it makes you cry from the get-go.....
Jason
"You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core."
_______________________
Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt.
Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry
Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure.
-Jason Brown
11 January 2011, 00:30
TwoZeroWhat about option #3 ??
Hidden crossbolts?
I remember reading and article in a gun rag a while back, but it was so far back I don't remember the name of the rag or author.
11 January 2011, 00:46
fla3006#4:
NRA Life Member, Band of Bubbas Charter Member, PGCA, DRSS.
Shoot & hunt with vintage classics.
12 January 2011, 02:41
BaxterBexposed and embellished. A black filler plug looks like a mole and I dont like moles...
12 January 2011, 13:03
GaryVAI had dinner with Julia Roberts who has moles. I must say that based on that night, I found her moles extremely sexy
It's hard not to like moles after that
13 January 2011, 20:12
BaxterBYou starting to sound like Tolstoy... next thing you know you will be extolling the virtues of the 'downy lip..." :-)
13 January 2011, 20:38
Marc_StokeldMiller does make their own bolts and it shows them in the Turpin book.
I did one stock with exposed bolts. They looked really bad due to the way i shape my stocks through the action body. For that reason i will only use bolts with ebony plugs covering the metal heads. The way most people shape their stocks it does not matter either way.
point being at times the decision can hinge on who makes the stock. most look ok either way, but some only look good with ebony plugs