I've converted a few Swiss Vetterli rimfire bolts to centrefire over the years, but hadn't yet tried the "Pin Carrier" sold by "Swiss Products" and distributed in Canada by our own "diopter". Took me about an hour, and it looks like a good solution for the home handyman. I suppose it could be done with a drill press, but you really need a lathe.
Left - the Swiss Products Pin Carrier made from white Teflon, Centre - a #48 drill (a 5/64" would be fine), Right - an RCBS Decapping Pin (RCBS #90164 - 5 Pack). Note the sloped "shoulder" at the shaft-head juncture.
The bolt disassembled and cleaned. This one was a mess and two hours in my tumbler with stainless pins (like I do with brass) and it came out nice. The only part you won't be using is the rimfire firing pin (the little "H" shaped part in the bottom left).
The drilling of the boltface.
Insert the Pin Carrier into the bolt (without the decapping pin) and drill it with the same drill on the lathe through the hole made in the boltface - that way it's perfectly centred. Now we need to remove the bolt body from the lathe and chuck the decapping pin in the lathe and remove the sloping "shoulder" at the shaft-head juncture, making it 90 degrees. If you don't, in time the slope will serve to penetrate into the carrier and cause it to spread out.
Finally, assemble the bolt and put it in the fired position (striker hard against the firing pin). You now need to carefully remove material from the end of the firing pin until you have 0.050-0.060" of protrusion. Round it off. It's good to have extra decapping pins (buy a five pack), as if you go too far, you can't add material. Now #### the bolt and ensure that the pin moves freely - check for free movement before each use. Trim the Pin Carrier flush with the bolt body - easy with a sharp knife.
The completed bolt.
Here's another method whereby 0.070" drill rod is hard soldered into a hole drilled in the striker. More work, but I prefer this, as the firing pin is forcibly extracted when the bolt is cocked.
Now that the gun has been converted, and you've made up brass and ammo (threads abound on that subject, e.g. http://www.swissrifles.com/vetterli/centerfire/), you'll find that it shoots about 12" high at 100 yds. I bought these from "Chicken Thief" on "Castboolits". They were the last of what he made and I guess I thought I'd have 10 Vetterlis some day.
Left - the Swiss Products Pin Carrier made from white Teflon, Centre - a #48 drill (a 5/64" would be fine), Right - an RCBS Decapping Pin (RCBS #90164 - 5 Pack). Note the sloped "shoulder" at the shaft-head juncture.
The bolt disassembled and cleaned. This one was a mess and two hours in my tumbler with stainless pins (like I do with brass) and it came out nice. The only part you won't be using is the rimfire firing pin (the little "H" shaped part in the bottom left).
The drilling of the boltface.
Insert the Pin Carrier into the bolt (without the decapping pin) and drill it with the same drill on the lathe through the hole made in the boltface - that way it's perfectly centred. Now we need to remove the bolt body from the lathe and chuck the decapping pin in the lathe and remove the sloping "shoulder" at the shaft-head juncture, making it 90 degrees. If you don't, in time the slope will serve to penetrate into the carrier and cause it to spread out.
Finally, assemble the bolt and put it in the fired position (striker hard against the firing pin). You now need to carefully remove material from the end of the firing pin until you have 0.050-0.060" of protrusion. Round it off. It's good to have extra decapping pins (buy a five pack), as if you go too far, you can't add material. Now #### the bolt and ensure that the pin moves freely - check for free movement before each use. Trim the Pin Carrier flush with the bolt body - easy with a sharp knife.
The completed bolt.
Here's another method whereby 0.070" drill rod is hard soldered into a hole drilled in the striker. More work, but I prefer this, as the firing pin is forcibly extracted when the bolt is cocked.
Now that the gun has been converted, and you've made up brass and ammo (threads abound on that subject, e.g. http://www.swissrifles.com/vetterli/centerfire/), you'll find that it shoots about 12" high at 100 yds. I bought these from "Chicken Thief" on "Castboolits". They were the last of what he made and I guess I thought I'd have 10 Vetterlis some day.
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