10/22 Bolt Chamfering pics......

[cycbb486]

Well I decided to get down and chamfer a couple of bolts this afternoon for a fellow shooter I know. I would like to say he is a range buddy and all around good guy. I did his triggers for both of his 10/22's and he tells me he is pleased so he asked me to do his bolts for him. Well it took me some time to get phsych'd up and here are the progress pics.

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/cycbb486/?action=view&current=2007_1014Image0027.jpg
Little medicine to get Physc'd up.

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/cycbb486/?action=view&current=2007_1014Image0026.jpg
Pic of 1 completed and 1 not.

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/cycbb486/?action=view&current=2007_1014Image0029.jpg
Both completed.

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/cycbb486/?action=view&current=2007_1014Image0028.jpg
The remnants of my medicine................

I would like to think they turned out OK. Hope they work for you Luke.....

I just have to drill and tap the rear of the receiver on one of them to hold the trigger group tightly in place. I may need to get another bottle B4 I tackle that.

 

[Allstone]

Just wondering what exactly the benefits are for doing this mod? Does the slightly lighter bolt do anything for performance? Thanks.

 

[Steeleco]

Taken for rimfirecentral.com
For a little bit of work the improvements are worth it.

The 10/22, in some cases, suffers from a less than positive cycling action of the bolt, causing stovepiping, and in the case of low velocity or specialty ammunition, it may even fail to complete the cycle, leaving it uncocked for the next round to be fired.

There is an effective method of modifying the bolt to help correct this problem that is relatively easy to perform, using common tools found in the home. I first heard of this modification from Chief Dave, however I don't know if he originally came up with it or just passed it along. One way or the other, it is relatively easy and will make a nice difference the the performance and cycling of the gun. Cocking the bolt by hand is also easier and smoother afterwards.

I used a large table belt sander, but a normal hand held belt sander, mounted upside down would work, as well as other methods, with care. Some have even done it with a file.

The first picture is just to try to illustrate what the modification looks like. It is commonly called chamfering, however that leads to a wrong impression, as a chamfer normally indicates an angle, and this modification actually is a form of a smooth radius. If you decide to make this modification, pay particular attention as you grind, so the metal removed from side to side is equal. Taking more off one side than the other would cause the hammer to be thrown to one side during the cocking cycle, putting extra wear on the hammer pin, and possibly the side rails of the receiver where the bolt slides. Keep it even. I believe that is way more important than the actual angles and dimensions of the radius itself.

The second picture attempts to compare the finished bolt radius to a stock bolt. You'll see in the first and second pictures, arrows pointing to the area below the bolt stop pin recess. In the pictures, it may appear that it is ground to a sharp point, however, I would suggest leaving a small flat area at that point to reduce premature wear on the bolt from the hammer strike. The bolt I am using now has approximately a .025" flat area there, and as of now, it shows no abnormal wear from the hammer strike. The extra leverage you get from the modification is quite large, and I don't think grinding that last little bit away would gain you much more...rather, I believe it would cause premature wear.

The final picture is here to give you an approximate idea of the difference in the original contact point (A) of the bolt, and the contact point (B) after putting the radius on it. The modification works exactly the same as using a longer crowbar to pull nails than using a small hammer to do the same job. If you compare the approximate differences to the pivot point of the hammer, that ratio should be very apparent. A nice smooth radius will make a tremendous difference in the action, since it progressively moves the contact point back down as the bolt is pushed back.

Of course your mileage may vary, but if you've had problems with stovepipes (After the action is properly broken in) or are having difficulties with cycling low velocity type ammo, this may be the answer to your problems. At least is helped mine to a large degree. And cocking the bolt by hand is a LOT smoother!

To see the pictures you'll need to look up the thread on their site.