How long do the various action types last given loads are not over pressure for;

Mauser 98 (pretend it's new)
Rem 700
Weatherby
Ruger
M70
etc.

In this respect does one action lats longer, has anyone run a test like a "rem 700 lasts 25,000 rounds and an M70 lasts around 35,000"

I am guessing that the weatherby or the Ruger actions would last for more shots than rem's or winchesters. And the older mausers would be last.

What can the experts tell me ??

I have no data nor have I ever seen data nor do I believe such exists.

I've seen burned out barrels but never seen a worn out action of the bolt actions you've listed.

Merely a guess now.....used for the cartridges they was designed for, the life of any of them exceeds a quarter million.

There is such data for modern military automatic weapons ... such as the MG3, M60, and MAG. The M60 and MAG demonstrated receiver lives in excess of 100,000 rounds. The MAG showed fewest failures. Not unexpected given the weight of the weapon.

There is good experience with 1911 based pistols that indicates frame life in excess of 50,000 rounds and some estimate more than 100,000 rounds. I've persaonally had two frames in major Super go more much than 50,000 rounds each. Major Super is pushing a 135 grain bullet at 1330 fps ... a lot like a .357 magnum! Replaced barrels at 20,000 rounds, and had Springfield Armory 9mm slides crack at 34,000 rounds. I suspect that good slides will go much longer than that.

Beretta is perported to have poo-poo'd complaints of slide and frame failure at fewer than 10,000 rounds as "one cannot expect a greater than 5,000 round service life."

I've not seen such data for bolt action rifles. Would be interesting indeed.

I can tell you that a Perazzi shotgun will last 40,000 rounds befor I have to put it under the TIG and rebuild it. I can tell you that a Browning Citorie will keep going for close to 60,000 rounds. But ..... I have never seen a worn out bolt gun. I hounestly don't think I ever will. Unless some one begs to differ? I don't think that you can wear one out! Only wear it in. Within reality that is. I have no control over the next thousand years! Rod Henrickson

THis isn't really the answer your looking for, but the Remington Nylon 66 was tested to some number like 100,000 rounds.

I read an article from the Marine Warrant Officer in charge of the armory for the Corps and he stated that the 1911's in service were not sent back for rebuilding until at least 100,000 rounds were shot through them. He said they were good for 2-3 rebuilds min, and most that were in service currently had over 1/4 million rounds run through them. And yes they are getting old, but it says a lot for those Colt frames.

I don't think anyone has ever been ambitious enough to try to wear out a bolt action rifle, I suppose someone could hook up a mechanical device to load, cycle, and fire a bolt rifle, with a auto feeder, but really what is the point?

Just a swag, with good bolt action rifle action rifle that is not abused should easily last 100,000 rounds, an Italian Carcano maybe 20.

The 2005 Gun Digest has a story about Australian hunting guide Bob Penfold who has an old Remington 700 in .308 that has had a little over 300,000 rounds fired through it. According to him he has replaced “several†barrels over the years, and had to replace the extractor somewhere around 250,000 rounds because it had worn thin and was starting to slip over the rim of fired cartridges once in awhile, failing to extract them.

Rick0311,

Thats funny, I remember a recent thread about about how miserable Remingtons were somebody would be eating crow with that statistic.

Seems to me that any good bolt action such as those mentioned should really last forever, except for some smaller parts wearing out like an extractor or something.

-Spencer

quote:

Thats funny, I remember a recent thread about about how miserable Remingtons were somebody would be eating crow with that statistic.

Does that come with salt and pepper?

quote:

I am guessing that the weatherby or the Ruger actions would last for more shots than rem's or winchesters. And the older mausers would be last.

Strange.....I'd guess the Mausers to be the best.

Interesting question:
I think first, you'd need to define "wear out". Ejectors/extractors/triggers/firing pins/etc will eventually wear out, but are replacable, and the "action" per se, is still usable. So if we define wearing out as a point where the locking lugs/lug recesses wear to the point of being unsafe for the pressure of the cartridge... Well, I don't have any idea how many cycles that would take-and would depend greatly on the care given the piece, I think. I suppose at some point, metal fatigue would come into play.
All in all, I suspect you'd wear out the reciever threads replacing barrels before you reached the point of unserviceability...

I think the answer is never, for all practical purposes. Bolt actions are simply machines, and it is not uncommon in older factories and manufacturing concerns to see machines last for over 100 years. Most of the tools in my shop were older than me when I got them, and had been used every day, continuously, for decades. As long as an action is well built, maintained and operated within its design parameters, I would never expect it to wear completely out.

I thought that bolt rifles in cenetrfire chamberings would wear out due to the pressure exhibited even by "normal safe handloads" that the eventual forcing on the lugs would ruin the action after many rounds of course.

I only though the mausers would come in last due to thes teels used in the older ones.

quote:

Originally posted by PC:
I thought that bolt rifles in cenetrfire chamberings would wear out due to the pressure exhibited even by "normal safe handloads" that the eventual forcing on the lugs would ruin the action after many rounds of course.

I only though the mausers would come in last due to the steels used in the older ones.

I don't think so, TIM!

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
There is such data for modern military automatic weapons ... such as the MG3,

The MG3's I have seen had an eagle holding a Swastika and MG42 crossed out with a crude stamping - not sure how modern that design is!(allthough it's a hell of an MG!)

quote:

Originally posted by schromf:
Rick0311,

Thats funny, I remember a recent thread about about how miserable Remingtons were somebody would be eating crow with that statistic.

I’m sure that the other brands would do just as well...but that’s just one example that I had recently seen.

I will defend Remingtons when I think they are being criticized unjustly, but you won’t see me putting down other brands in order to do so. I don’t think Remingtons are any “better†or and “worse†than the others.

All rifles have their pluses and minuses and I figure that each person considers those against his particular needs and expectations.

All mechanical devices eventually wear out, given long enough use. That includes rifle actions.

BUT, as is probably obvious to almost everyone here, very few of us will ever live long enough and shoot enough to wear out very many rifle actions, if any!

With relatively modern actions, such as the Ruger M77 action, the engineers who design them in the bigger companies DO use their knowledge to try to design to a specified minimum action life. That is one of the reasons those companies employ engineers.

For a whole bunch of reasons, they do not usually share that design life data. (How would you like to try to defend a lawsuit where you had previously stated the designed-life of your action was 75,000 rounds, when the plantiff was complaining that his action which he got from you blew up and cost him his left hand after "only" 34,000+ rounds? Can anyone say "product liability?")

Anyway, one of the few design figures for action life I have seen bandied about is that of the above-mentioned Ruger M-77 casting. It is reported to have been designed to last a minimum of 50,000 rounds. Whether the reports are correct or not, I have no idea....