Any suggestions on slicking up a bolt action? Too bad they can't all operate like Krags!

Yeah... cycle it about 1000 times, literialy.

JBelk offered a personal file on polishing bolt actions a few weeks ago. Maybe you can get him to send you a copy.

smallfrys method works too, just takes a bit more time.

Gentlemen,

Nothing, but nothing, works like taking a brand new rifle on an African hunt.

After three weeks of going through the African dust without being cleaned, the action is as smooth as anyone is ever likely to get it!

It makes an action feel almost is if it was running on ball bearings

I've often wondered if using a mild abrasive like J-B Compound or rubbing compound, and cycling the action a few dozen times would help in a situation like this. Has anyone tried this?

Elmo

When I just begun my shooting activity I was very enthusiastic. After receiving a military gun I would polish it for long hours with a rag and a tube of Flitz while watching TV. Thanks to that now I have a Swedish Mauser and a Polish M44 carbine that feel like running on ball bearings. Now I don't care that much...

Elmo,I've tried it twice with 500-grit lapping compound and it seemed to work well with no after effects.Once while the barrel was still attached and once without.Brownells has a bolt raceway stone made specifically for the job but I seemed to get better results with lapping compound.Its a job getting all the compound out with the barrel still in place.It shows up every now and then in weird places.I even put a little on the caming points of the cocking mec.at the rear of the bolt.Just be sure to clean the trigger housing good.This came to mind while lapping the bolt,was this a bad decision?The bolt still seems to fit tight.Metal removed should have been minimum.

It seems that the most drag I get is in the extractor clearance. Can I buff this a bit to slick it up without harming function?

Try using Pearl Drops Tooth Polish. It poishes very well and washes out with warm water. A friend who is a machinist told me about it. He says they use it in gallon jugs for final fit.

quote:

Originally posted by smallfry:
Yeah... cycle it about 1000 times, literialy.

Is there a consensus that 1000 cycles should smooth an action sufficiently, say a commerical Mauser like the Mark X?

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by smallfry:
Yeah... cycle it about 1000 times, literialy.

Is there a consensus that 1000 cycles should smooth an action sufficiently, say a commerical Mauser like the Mark X?

I don't know about a Mauser, but I have used just plain old cycling without grit to smooth up several other actions to the point where they are easy to manipulate while still at the shoulder. The last two were a pair of the new Steyr-Mannlichers, which start out these days nowhere near as smooth as the old M/S versions. Because they also don't seem to be as hard on the surface as the old M/S actions, I don't think they will ever be totally as smooth, but they are much like butter for smothness now.....and yes, 1,000 times is the minimum I set for cycling mine. I try to do 250 per day rather than do all 1,000 at once. They really don't have to be consecutive and without a break of a day or more.

Thanks. I had planned on doing 250 or so at a time but ended up with 500 last night on one action. I will try at least 1000 and see how it goes.

I have always saturated mine with super fine car polish and cycled the heck out of them. I even make up dummy rounds, coat them, and cycle them through. Messy, but works great.

Make sure that you libricate the bolt with transmission fluid and rear face of the lugs with high pressure grease to avoid galling.You can use JB's as a final lapping compound to smooth actions -be carefull and clean and check often as it will remove metal in this application.

Thanks -- I am using a Teflon lube every fifty cycles or so to avoid damaging the action.