The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Engraving S/Ns on Bolt Handles?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Is there any tradition of engraving the last few digits of a serial number on the bolt handle of a custom rifle? I remove the bolts before I put my rifles in the safe, and so far, there are so few that I can keep them all straight. Hopefully, though, I'll have the time and inclination to finish a few more projects, and since they're all Mausers, I expect it will be hard to match specific bolts to specific rifles. All have new bolt handles, and I'm thinking of having the last two or three digits of the serial number engraved on the horizontal flat at the top of the bolt handle. Am I the only one with this problem? Is there a traditional solution? Happy Holidays--or Merry Christmas if that rings your Bell-- flaco | ||
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I don't have the problem because I don't remove the bolts. But if I was going to do it, I'd put the the #'s somewhere on the underside of the bolt, less conspicuous there than on top. | |||
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You heirs may be the one with the problem if you depart without warning. I have never understood the removal of bolts if the rifles are secured. All I can think of is it gives you more room in the safe. 1. I have bought several bolts because the rifles were stolen and the owners were left with the bolts. The rifles were not secured. 2. With the bolts out they remain cocked except for the cock on closing models. | |||
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flaco, If you have to do it, put them on the bottom side as mentioned. If you are taking them off so the bolt knob checkering will not scratch other stocks, there is a solution. Go to a office supply store and buy a box of finger cots. They are the heavy rubber thingies that cover the end of your fingers for turning pages. You can find them at Staples office supply.  | |||
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I think we really know what Chic uses those for, and how he discovered them, don't we? Jim Kobe 10841 Oxborough Ave So Bloomington MN 55437 952.884.6031 Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild | |||
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Wow!!!! I knew he is short but that post puts things in a differant light............. | |||
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If they are 98 Mausers then you are storing the bolts with the mainspring compressed, to me not the best possible solution, I have replaced several mainsprings and always thought it was due to people storing rifles cocked. .02 | |||
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A quarter turn and they are no longer cocked. I'd put the number underneath. Check out the bolt welding thread to see how winchester did them. Oops, wait a minute, where is that thread. Why do all the useful threads get deleted?   Aut vincere aut mori | |||
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Chic, Is that what they call a condominium Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Why do I get a smile every time I come to this site? Seriously though I have seen a couple old work german sporters that had the last 2 digits stamped on the top of the bolt handle root. Not what I would do but it did look professional. -Don | |||
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Don, I too have seen some on the top of the root but I believe they are vestigial from being former military rifles. Unless you had someone that could do them real nicely, it would be hard to do. Stamping coould be fun because the root is usually pretty hard. When I weld on a new handle I often leave the #'s on the root depending on the customer's wants. Aut vincere aut mori | |||
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Sheesh- A guy asks for some simple, sincere advice, and whadda ya get? Finger cots and sanitized threads. Another AR Gunsmithing thread gone South. LOL. Don- Thanks. I thought I had seen this. I'm gonna give it a try, if it can be done nicely. You're a hell of a machinist, by the way. Mike- Did you get my email? And... Yippie Yi Yo Kiyaaa!!! Time Off!!! I get to work on my own projects. Instead of selling target rifles. LOL. Have a Good One, Boys.... Whatever you choose to call it. flaco | |||
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Chic, Thanks for suggesting your "finger tips." I never thought of that and it will help prevent those bolt handle dings in the safe!  John There are those that do, those that dream, and those that only read about it and then post their "expertise" on AR! | |||
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See, you perverted bastards, there are someone that appreciates my advice.  | |||
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You also buy a lighter type of finger cot at a pharmacy, they're used to protect cuts but are great to keep mud, snow, ice, etc. out of a guns muzzle while hunting. Shoot right through them. | |||
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All Sakos (at least pre M75) have the last three digits of the s/n etched on the top/underside of the bolt handle. It's one of the things I look for when buying a used Sako. Lou **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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Bruce, No, I didn't get your email. I was having problems last week. Please re-send as I look forward to catching up. Aut vincere aut mori | |||
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British military rifles...the SMLE and No4...always had the full serial number marked on the rear side of the bolt handle so that it could be visible at all times. However, we didn't actually use the number to match the bolt against the rifle. Oh no! That would have taken too long. When thirty-five years ago, I had charge of an armoury with over one hundred of these things, this is how we did it. Each rifle had a unique, two or three digit number painted on the butt. The bolts were stored in a wooden box that looked like a large MTM plastic fifty round cartridge box. But "bolt size" rather than cartridge size. Each bolt would slip into its respective square hole, as one would put a cartridge in an MTM box. And next to that hole was painted the corresponding two or three digit number painted on the rifle butt. Thus when issued with the rifle, and collecting its bolt all that needed to be said was "10", "56" etc., etc. It was then the responsibility of that person to check the serial number match as he took possession of the bolt. For a civilian sporting rifle I would engrave the last three digits on the underside, that is so that it is not normally visible, of the bolt handle. Most European guns have this number actually stamped into that part. As did, the last two digits, such as the Greener GP shot gun. For those with Remington 700s that would be just below where the scotch tape needs to go to keep the thing from falling off. Or so I hear. Storing apart was so that if the armoury was breached then the rifles would be useless without their belts as they were kept in a separate armoury with the ammunition. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Engraving S/Ns on Bolt Handles?
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