Can Someone Explain the Meaning of 'Timing' a Rifle Action?

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I've run across the notion of "timing" as applied to rifle actions, and I must admit that I don't know what this means precisely. Can someone explain?
 
I've run across the notion of "timing" as applied to rifle actions, and I must admit that I don't know what this means precisely. Can someone explain?

I only know of "timing" used in one sense. Putting the bolt handle on a Rem 700 in such a position as it bears on the camming cuts on the receiver so you actually get primary extraction.

Probs other meanings the others know and I don't.

I got pretty wrapped around the axle about this once and Casey at Tac Ord told me "shoot it and see what happens" and it was the best money I never spent lol. Sure did great work on my shotgun though!
 
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I am sure someone will have a better explanation, for instance in the case of a Browning Lever Rifle if you take it apart and don't put the gears back properly you can end up with something like the lever is closed but the bolt is not or visa versa, also this from Google, "Action timing has to do with primary extraction, or if and when your bolt handle hits the little ramp on your action to begin pulling the cartridge out of the chamber. The "ramp"is angled and acts like a wedge to help pry the fired brass out as you lift the bolt. Some bolt handles are attached in the wrong position and miss the ramp"
 
I have run into the phrase in relation to "timing" a Mauser bolt - many times the original bolt handle was cut off, then a replacement welded on to be "scope friendly" - you would want to check that the new bolt handle would hit its stop on the receiver, when the bolt was "square" in the receiver - the Mauser 98 has little wings on the firing pin that would hit little stops inside the bolt, if the bolt was not closed to "battery", when the trigger pulled. Also was an issue when someone replaced the stock, and the bolt handle "stopped" because it hit the wood, instead of the metal-to-metal "stop" - that bolt was not closed all the way.

Other rifles, like Swede m96, P14 Enfield or M1917 Enfield have a slot cut into underside of the bolt body - the sear has a vertical extension - need that bolt fully closed for that slot in the bolt body to be lined up, so that the sear extension could rise up far enough to release the cocking piece - in other words, they would not fire, if the bolt was not fully closed - somebody gets too happy with a grinder and can cause the bolt to go too far, or by welding or whatever, then the bolt does not go far enough - is not a lot of "slop" in that set-up - so often referred to as checking or verifying the "timing" of the bolt in the action.
 
Suppose the barrel of a rifle like a 98 or a pre-64 Win 70 also needs to be timed, since there's a cut for the extractor but I guess that doesn't count as timing the action.
 
Do a search for DANS40X posts about the timing involved in a Remington 700.
 
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Involving bolt handles I prefer the term indexing.

With a 700 action I refer to timing as the fit of the cocking piece in relation to the sear and how much '#### on closing' there is, and how much 'bump' there is holding the shroud in position. A 700 action timed correctly is so much smoother in operation. This involves removing metal from the back of the bolt and from the cocking piece. Keep a spare cocking piece on hand in case you screw it up.
 
Involving bolt handles I prefer the term indexing.

With a 700 action I refer to timing as the fit of the cocking piece in relation to the sear and how much '#### on closing' there is, and how much 'bump' there is holding the shroud in position. A 700 action timed correctly is so much smoother in operation. This involves removing metal from the back of the bolt and from the cocking piece. Keep a spare cocking piece on hand in case you screw it up.

Oh cool, would love to try one that you had slicked up. Sounds like quite an improvement.
 
Involving bolt handles I prefer the term indexing.

With a 700 action I refer to timing as the fit of the cocking piece in relation to the sear and how much '#### on closing' there is, and how much 'bump' there is holding the shroud in position. A 700 action timed correctly is so much smoother in operation. This involves removing metal from the back of the bolt and from the cocking piece. Keep a spare cocking piece on hand in case you screw it up.

Ok. Then the timing was the problem with my rem 700 action with a new trigger tech trigger. It cocked on closing just fine with the original trigger.
 
Well, maybe. If it worked with the original, it's hard to say for sure whether it's the rifle timing or the new trigger. - dan

Agreed Dan. I emailed trigger tech and in the end they decided to send me a new trigger. The new one worked fine so the first trigger tech one must have been out of adjustment for my action somewhat.
 
Involving bolt handles I prefer the term indexing.

With a 700 action I refer to timing as the fit of the cocking piece in relation to the sear and how much '#### on closing' there is, and how much 'bump' there is holding the shroud in position. A 700 action timed correctly is so much smoother in operation. This involves removing metal from the back of the bolt and from the cocking piece. Keep a spare cocking piece on hand in case you screw it up.
Guntech, I agree with your preference in terms. "Indexing" is a good descriptor for what has been described above. To me, "timing" suggests an ordering of things in time, which is not really what is being described here. After some reading on this, I believe I've seen what you have described as "the fit of the cocking piece in relation to the sear" referred to as "ignition timing." Some of that form of "timing" is also concerned with the placement of the sear and front of the cocking piece which will affect the length and force of the striker travel and ultimately lock time. As for #### on closing, I've discovered (from Stuart Otteson's books) that virtually all "#### on opening" actions have a #### on closing component as well--with most actions showing a 3:1 or greater ratio of opening to closing (in some cases much greater. as in the case of the Sako L461 "Vixen" action with which there is almost no mainspring compression on closing), but with some a more equal division between opening and closing, as with the Sauer 80 action which shows a 2:1 ratio.
 
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