ideas for savage bolt handle

[nekshot]

I am redoing a savage bolt action and I want to do something with that ugly pettibone hydralic lever they call bolt handle. If any of you have done or seen something nice on a savage a picture sure would be nice. With the bolt at the back of action I am failing to find any artistic inspiration but a replacement must happen. thanks,nekshot (juniors screw driver handle is a little to simplistic for this gun,lol)

[Junior1942]

Try a deer antler like I used on my Turk Mauser.

http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/photos/m3824t.jpg

[nekshot]

I love it junior, I wonder what a hurst competition lever would look like on a milsurp?

[Junior1942]

I love it junior, I wonder what a hurst competition lever would look like on a milsurp?IIRC, I looked at them while researching a handle for the Turk shown above, and they looked too big. I also thought about a smaller 8-ball and a skull, but I couldn't find a size to suit myself.

PS: Like the screwdriver handle on my MN, the antler knob shown above is grip-friendly and would be even coated with grease.

[Artful]

Junior1942 has some good idea's - googlage has lots of pictures
http://www.connorcustomguns.com/images/6.5x284-4.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--HSHERXGOQE/UWIsY_s8JbI/AAAAAAAABo0/i0prdLM6Ql8/s800/100_3862.JPG
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m277/52449/PICT0052.jpg
http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/billboltround1.jpg
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/images/utg-bolt-web.jpg
http://twistedbarrel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/20120720_0002.jpg
http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/primary/674/674002.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h270/mscott_photos/bolt%20knobs/coatedknobs001.jpg
http://www.savagegunsmithing.com/images/custombolthandle.jpg
http://lancelarsonstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Moose-carving-on-Buttstock-of-6.5x55-Mauser-rifle1.jpg

are you leaning towards a particular type? - Butterknife, Oversize, Natural material, metal???

[Artful]

More googlage
http://www.loweyproducts.com/images/bolt_knobs1.jpg
http://www.kampfeldcustom.com/hexed_bolt_shroud_coating_rifle_bolt_knob.jpg
http://rimfireshooting.com/uploads/monthly_03_2010/post-3899-1269258501329_thumb.jpg
http://thetruthaboutguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Icon-10-bolt-handle-safety-and-trigger-guard.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img843/3344/picture7pu.png
http://boltknobsbybill.com/Images/Round_Aluminum.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad309/TXBRASS/CopyofKNOBS2.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/314rscg.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/82boy/IMG_0130.jpg
http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/batprod02.jpg

[swheeler]

Art I could go for some of those, some not so much. The butterknife on the mauser is neat!

[Junior1942]

That brass one looks like a brass ramrod tip for a muzzleloading shotgun. I recently bought one from Dixie Gun Works--$2.50 I think.

[nekshot]

WOW, I never would have thought of all of the creativity being expressed in a bolt handle! I am leaning towards a few of those butterknife type handles. I am trying to put a tuxedo on this savage, not keep it in coveralls or bibs! Thanks for all the info, it is giving me some ideas. I guess I am more of a traditionalist but I did like that yellow bolt with the stock and all.

[Artful]

WOW, I never would have thought of all of the creativity being expressed in a bolt handle! I am leaning towards a few of those butterknife type handles.

http://www.snipercentral.com/images/reviews/steyr2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5mW7PXBh.jpg?1
https://www.proxibid.com/AuctionImages/1397/56651/FullSize/23.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Mannlicher_Sch%C3%B6nauer_1.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk176/DCW1000/M-S%201908/IMG_0507.jpg
http://www.bahnhof.se/wb384515/MS1.jpg
http://www.mwreynolds.com/SHOOTING/mannlicher1956magnum1.jpg
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/files/2010/09/rs_merkel-kr1-custom_b.jpg
http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/boltman/bolt_work/ButterknifeMosin2.jpg
http://ugca.org/04aug/eng2.jpg

[Artful]

http://216.197.108.5/cook/gun_images/Mauser-96-Receiver.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/APEXDUCK/closeupbolthandle.jpg
http://pendletonfirearms.com/rifles/rspr0101%207%20Bolt%20Handle.jpg
http://shootersjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Fraser-Bolt-Handle-Casting-e1347245015432.jpg
http://shootersjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/wpid-IMG_20120919_222558.jpg
Oh, and I forgot one in the original group - Junior's
http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/photos/rr/rr23t.jpg

[HollowPoint]

I bought a new 17 Remington 700 rifle several years ago that I had problems with the bolt handle riding way to close to the scope I had mounted on it.

I needed the bolt-knob to be just a little bit farther down the arm of the bolt-handle so I ground the factory bolt-knob down to the diameter of the arm of the bolt-handle and threaded the very end of the bolt-handle up about a half inch or so from the end.

I then went down to my local Ace hardware store and bought a brass pipe/plumbing fixture that had the correct oblong shape I needed, threaded the inside of one end of it to match the threads on my bolt handle, some red lock-tite and I had a functional and good looking bolt-knob that now cleared my scope nicely and looked pretty good as well.

It wasn't until after I had done that, that I discovered some of the oblong shaped cabinet door-pulls made out of different types of metals that I could have used as well. The Remington rifle was a fancy Custom Deluxe model so the Brass bolt-knob looked like it belonged on it. Any one of those oblong fancy metal cabinet door-pulls or door-knobs would have looked right at home as well. All I would have had to do was drill it out to the diameter of my Bolt-Handle and thread it to the appropriate thread pitch.

There's lots of ways to solve certain gun related obstacles. Some are as close as your neighborhood hardware store. I think it was a four-dollar part. A gunsmith would have charged alot more I'm sure.

HollowPoint

[nekshot]

I have a hard time seeing the bolt flow in the gun because of the rearward location in the action

[Artful]

Are you unhappy were the bolt is now? Are you trying to move the bolt handle forward
http://www.hwsportsman.net/Dogleg.jpg
or aft of it's current position?
http://home.comcast.net/~gunspotz/us_rifles/1917/enfield11.jpg
A Dog Leg handle will help with that just make sure you have it up enough to not hit you upon recoil.

brownells just sells a little bit rearward tactical model
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/bolt-charging-handles/savage-tactical-bolt-handle-prod21635.aspx
http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/products/p_100002199_1.jpg

[uscra112]

Keith and Cooper are spinning in their graves. . . .:kidding:

[Artful]

Neither Elmer Keith nor Col. Cooper was happy with any push fed rifle.

[nekshot]

I was thinking maybe a forward flow like the remington 600, but I can't see it in my mind. I attacked the bolt on a savage some years ago and failed miserably. Maybe just a shiny polish job would do it. This thing is driving me nuts! The gun is the matte black finish and I don't know how a shiny bolt would look on it? I guess I can find out easy enough.

[nekshot]

Ok, I polished the bolt knob assembly and it makes the gun look better than before. I still am not satisfied but I will take that issue up with the other savage bolt I totally blew, however if it were compared to some of those shown here it would stand out as modern art. Like the time I bought a butt ugly savage in birch stock, went home and thinned the stock and shaped it little better and painted it purple with alot of soft clear coats to look like a soft rubbed finnish. Showed it to the gun shop and he said if I put that on the shelf it would sell in a day and fellas would want more of them. (the same gun sat there for about a year before I bought it)

[Any Cal.]

Can you do a faceted job on it? It may be that just a small change could make a dramatic difference.

[Artful]

Faceted to body?
http://www.valkyrierifles.net/IMG_1090.JPG

knob?
http://img1.etsystatic.com/003/0/6869046/il_570xN.353407635_20lv.jpg

[Any Cal.]

Faceted knob, just file it and then polish it.

[Whiterabbit]

I haven't had much luck drilling and threading glass. Any tips?

[Any Cal.]

File and polish the stock knob, change it from round to faceted.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Whiterabbit: use a cutting torch?

randy