Mismatched rifle bolts

I don't know why I had not posted this before.

At a Walmart a few years ago I passed the gun counter and noticed the bolt rifles had no bolts. The dept manager said that he removes the bolts as an added security measure. He opened a drawer and showed me the mixed collection of bolts lying randomly in the drawer. I asked how he re-matched individual bolts to rifles and he seemed confused. I told him that they were individualized for headspace. More confusion. I suggested he have them gauged.

This might explain some problems people report with new rifles

Yeah. There's some critical measurements going on with them.

If you need a bolt for a Remington (probably others too), it can not be had anywhere, at any price.
You have to send the rifle back to the factory so they can fit it.

That would explain the new Remington bolt rifle I bought at Wally World about 15 years ago that wouldn't close on Remington factory ammo. Had to carry it to an authorized Remington representative to have the problem fixed. As soon as I got it back I went to a gunshow and traded it for a rifle as old as I am. That one works. I blamed Remington, but Walmart might have been the culprit.

Check for a SN scribbled on the bolt and if it matches the SN on the receiver.

Three44s

Say it ain’t so …

That's very much dumber than separating the magazine from the rifle- and that's dumb enough in my opinion. Because separate parts get, well, seperated.....

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That would have been an excellent time to have a talk with the store manager and send a letter about it to Wally World headquarters.
The man should not have been in charge of sporting goods. He obviously doesn't know enough to handle firearms safely.
He has endangered everyone who bought one of those rifles.
If the manufacturers found out, I expect they would take some severe steps to protect themselves from his incompetence.

When I had my shop many rifles came in for sale without the bolts. Estates I could see owner dies and seperated bolt never found but most were everyday idiots who said the stored the bolt seperatly for saftey and so if stolen it could not be used.

Both kinds missing the bolt offer was 25 dollars. Bring it back with the bolt then we could deal.

Just as Ruger was bringing out the MKII 77's I saw 2 77R's, a 270 and an '06 in a WalMart case and one of them had some pretty nice wood. I asked the guy behind the counter to let me look at it and he handed it over. They were closing them out for $165 IIRC and I needed another 77 like a a hole in the head but I told him to get the bolt and write it up, I will take it. Guess what, no bolt! The manager came out and said they couldn't find the bolts. I made him an offer but he said that he wasn't AUTHORIZED to make that kind of a deal. It makes a good case for doing business with your LGS.