I am restocking a 98 mauser which currently has straight bolt. I want to bend bolt down but I do not want to cut and weld bold...what is best way to bend bolt? Do I pack bolt with wet rags, heat bolt arm with torch and bend with something or other. Any suggestions are really welcomed.

They make special holders for doing what you're talking about. Midway and Brownells both have them. You put the bolt into the holder and heat the handle and then bend it. I think the holder is designed to that it gets bent at the proper angle.

I'll suggest you pick up a copy of the nra gunsmithing book... it's pretty thorough in that matter.

bending works.. but the bolt will be shorter than if your tried any other method.

you'll need
1: bolt bending blocks
2: heat sink
3: heat control paste

all from brownells

jeffe

If you're doing this to get clearance for a scope, I don't think you are going to do that without cutting and welding. If it's just for looks, there are probably a lot of people who can help you on this board.

rjn,

Where are you located? Maybe someone is around your area who can help you. What equipment do you have available to work with? Use the search function here, this has been discussed in detail in the past. Another method is to cut the bolt almost through then bend it, then fill the cut with weld. You gain a little length with that method too.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I have all the tools...my Dad was a Gunsmith and I use to watch him but that's different than doing it. I really like the suggestion about partial cutting than rewelding. It is hard for me to justify buying equipment and such for one bolt.

Maybe this link will help

Bebding/Forging Bolt Handles

If you want to, send the stripped bolt to me, and I'll do it for $15 (finished and polished) if you'll pay the shipping. Let me know...........

The way I do it, it takes two guys 20 minutes to bend a bolt, when bending a number of them in one day.

But I have seen the same bolt bent and re bent all day by a perfectionist.

A big vice is placed in the center of the shop with the bolt body in blocks from Midway or Brownell's.

A heat sink with butressing threads is screwed into the bolt body after filling and covering it with welder's paste.

Both guys wearing brazing googles, one guy heats the base of the bolt handle with the Oxyacetalene torch while the other one hits a special forming tool with a sledge hammer, with the forming tool pushing on the handle.

I like to get it done fast, before the heat spreads to the body of the bolt. The bolt body and heat sink are removed from the vice and blocks as soon as possible and dipped in water with the bolt handle just out of the water. This keeps the heat in the handle from spreading.

The idea is to get the bolt handle bent without the cocking cam nearby on the body to go no hotter than straw color.

picture of the bent bolt with no die grinder work to make it look smooth



pic of a bunch of bolts I bent



pic of MORE bolts I bent



buchsenschmeid ,

Where were you before I paid for that $600 Oxyacetalene set up?

UUuummmmmmm (this may be a trick question...)

Wyoming??!!??