Here's teh new bolt handle for my 7x57 classic.
I posted a solid model of it a week ago and had the time to whip it out yesterday. I have been very spoiled by CNC's. I took me a while to set all my tools and grind the form tools for the radii, but it came out GREAT!
[URL= ]bolt handle[/URL]
[URL= ]shot 2[/URL]

Now I have to cut the old one off and get this puppy TIG'ed on.

Very interesting form. I like the design. How long will it hang down in a 90 degree weld?

Very nice. Do you plan on marketing them?

That is going to be absolutely goregous! Well done.

Thank you for the compliments.
333_OKH: right now its about .2 long. I will set it's length to place the bottom of the ball even with the bottom metal where the trigger pierces through.
Craigster: I wasn't planning on marketing the design, but its a CAD model with dims so I could send it out to a CNC house easily enough. Doing them as one-offs on a manual machine would get tedious in a hurry. The ball was roughed out as angles and then hand filed in using a radius gage as a guide.

I am hoping for half of the ball to be lower than the bottom of the bottom metal.

I am seaking knowledge through expirence here, not trying to be agumentative:

The photos I have of pre-war mausers show the bottom of the ball about even with the the bottem metal. I was under the impression that if it were much lower it would smack the knuckle of the trigger finger under recoil.
I notice that this is how Rugers and Remingtons are set up as well.

I am always open to suggestions for a "better way". Why do you want the ball lower? I have the shank length available now to set it up like this, but I thought it would be too low based on my studies.

Just to be clear, you'd rather see it this way, correct?
[URL= ]ball to bottom metal[/URL]
[URL= ]handel angle[/URL]

The form is great, you should think about marketing it

Rusty that's an attractive, and different, look. I like it.

Here's a photo of two rifles with differing bolt handle lengths. The top one looks right to me, and the bolt handle on bottom rifle looks a bit short for my tastes. Both are good looking rifles though.

quote:

I am seaking knowledge through expirence here, not trying to be agumentative:

Interesting? I simply was stating what I prefer such as seen on a few original Mausers I got to handle this weekend. I did not realize anything I said was argumentative, at all!

Below is what I was saying and "my preference." Everyone else can do as they wish! I do however like your design.




I originally thought these were level but have found out differently lately. Both of these rifles were confirmed to be lower than the metal to wood line, and I like it.


ForrestB do you have more shots of that top rifle? I like the bolt placement and would like to see other pictures of that, but I really like the period English stock with upswept forend piece.

LOL, 333_OKH,
You've missinturpreted me my good man. I have been accused of being argumentative in the past when my opinions differ from the "master". Especially when I want a "why?" answered; I don't take, "because I said so" very well. That's why I didn't go into the military, yes they would have broken me of it, but I didn't feel the daily asskicking would be worth it.

As this is my first full build and I will be seeking the advice of the Masters on AR, I just didn't want to be labled as argumentative from the word GO.

Rusty you inspired me. This is my rendition using an Oberndorf bolt as a model & adding my own twist. I tried to retain more of the original pear shape to the knob because i like that shape so much. I don't have cnc so I just used my manual lathe & German milling machines ( files )

333_OKH, that's a page from a book and the only picture of that rifle. https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/486105894

Doug, that's a nice looking handle. I prefer the pear shape too. The knobs on the two rifles in the photo have very round knobs and they just don't look right to me.

Very nice shape Doug, I like the concave crown over the ball.

ForrestB, thanks for the eye candy on the other post. Do you have a specific dimension that you work to for placing the ball off to the side of the trigger guard?

quote:

LOL, 333_OKH,

Rusty--

Now I understand and I also always hated the "because I said so" type of answers. I like to have just a small piece of the bolt available below the woodline when I need to do fast shooting. This has been my preference in rifles for the brush and on boars. I also like the old Springfield 1903 handles just because they were out from the wood enough to really work for me.

When the new handle goes on my custom [in progress] it will have about half of the ball below the woodline and the handle will lie in the front 1/3 of the gaurd bow.


P.S. thanks ForrestB, I appreciate it. Although the rifle o nthe left is only about 1/3 below the woodline this is what I am talking about.