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Thread: Spiral Bolts

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    Spiral Bolts

    I’ve been seeing a lot of spiral type bolts in videos. Do the spirals replace the locking lugs or are locking lugs still used? If so, what purpose do the spirals serve?

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    IMHO Fancy lightening of the bolt, the lugs still exist

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Sales gimmick.
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    Supposed to give crud a place to go. I’ve never seen a benefit to it.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    There is a slight reduction in weight and some like the looks. You can also get them with a strait flute but the bottom of the bolt will have no flutes as it messes with the rounds in the mag. A fluted barrel will often remove about 1/2 pound. Some people think that fluting a barrel will allow it to cool quicker but it also allows it to heat quicker.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post
    There is a slight reduction in weight and some like the looks. You can also get them with a strait flute but the bottom of the bolt will have no flutes as it messes with the rounds in the mag. A fluted barrel will often remove about 1/2 pound. Some people think that fluting a barrel will allow it to cool quicker but it also allows it to heat quicker.
    As I understand it, that isn't the real reason behind the flutes in the barrel. The idea is to get the extra stiffness of a larger diameter barrel without the weight. The extra cooling was a by product.
    As far as bolt fluting, the spiral cuts were touted as making the working of the action smoother. Personally, I think it is more decorative than functional.
    Just an opinion. Worth what you paid for it.

  7. #7
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    As far as bolt fluting, the spiral cuts were touted as making the working of the action smoother
    This is the most accepted reason I know of. I will add, a friend had his bolt handle peel off when trying to open the bolt on a loaded round. The flutes allowed us to walk the bolt open with a screw driver safely. Not a reason to flute a bolt, but it was handy then.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

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    99% cosmetic. the other reason as was stated is to allow crud a place to go on a tighly fitting bolt.

  9. #9
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    Is something engaging the flutes or are they just there?

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    they are just there. nothing engages them, they dont lock into anything etc.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Flutes on a bolt body remove surface area and thus friction making a snig fitted bolt feel smoother. Jeweling used to be used to help accomplish this with less metal removal. As far as looks goes that's each to his own.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    Let’s not forget it also gives the crud a place to fill in as well.


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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    Flutes on a bolt body remove surface area and thus friction making a snig fitted bolt feel smoother. Jeweling used to be used to help accomplish this with less metal removal. As far as looks goes that's each to his own.
    This^. Crud? I’ve never hunted or shot in a place where the environment was that dirty to jam up a bolt action. Factory guns have a lot of bolt clearance anyway. If the gun was dropped in mud, then a thorough cleaning is in order anyway.

  14. #14
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    Bolt fluting is intended to do two things, IMHO: 1) make the rifle/bolt look cool, 2) separate you from your money. It most definitely succeeds in accomplishing number 2.
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  15. #15
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    Simple dirt collectors. It does not make the bolt function smoother. Krag rifles aren't cut like that, and are the smoothest action you will ever work. Ditto for any action that has been blueprinted.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
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  16. #16
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    I thought they were instructions for how to work the bolt

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  17. #17
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    Your right about the weight reduction, almost all the fluting jobs I get are about weight reduction.

  18. #18
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    Weight I guess is the real best reason.

    I don’t care for the looks but did own a M700titanium action mountain rifle. The stainless fluted bolt actually would bind if not drawn properly straight back, no side pressure as the titanium action grabbed the stainless. That annoyed me and the gun was not a good shooter. I did take a nice ten point with it though but I sold it and made money and parted from the features I did not like.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lance Boyle View Post
    Weight I guess is the real best reason.

    I don’t care for the looks but did own a M700titanium action mountain rifle. The stainless fluted bolt actually would bind if not drawn properly straight back, no side pressure as the titanium action grabbed the stainless. That annoyed me and the gun was not a good shooter. I did take a nice ten point with it though but I sold it and made money and parted from the features I did not like.
    Sticky bolts like that occur when the Rockwell hardness of the parts are too similar.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  20. #20
    Boolit Master Clark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by waksupi View Post
    Sticky bolts like that occur when the Rockwell hardness of the parts are too similar.
    My father was chief engineer designing guns with 150 engineers and draftsmen he yelled at.
    I bought my son a Chimpmunk rifle 25 years ago.
    My father said the bolt body and firing pin were the same hardness and rubbing. There was galling. He yelled at me for buying a rifle designed by amateurs.
    My wife took the rifle back to the store.

    Right now I have a number of barber pole looking bolts for Rem700s. I got them from PTG.

    I have one that is from Defiance Machine for a Defiance action.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Defiance Hunter action 7mmSTW McMillan edge Limbsaver 20180512_093542.jpg  

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check