Parker Hale / Zastava commercial bolt Question

The Kurgan

The Kurgan

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This might be a dumb question, but can a standard M98 military shroud/safety, or a commercial M98 shroud/safety be fitted to a Parker Hale bolt body?
 
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Yes, but you will need the correct cocking pieces and firing pins to do one or the other. Except some Midland based on the Springfield bolt (and later back to '98), they are just that, M98...
 
From my attempts at that, you will likely need to cut a "notch" in the military stock, and possibly a clearance on the right side of the receiver tang, to allow the "scope friendly" PH bolt to "time" correctly when closed. From "old time" gunsmithing texts, important that the bolt timing result when metal bolt handle hits metal tang - not when it hits the stock wood - want that to be clearanced.
 
Thanks all. I will let you know how it goes.
This is a test for a Brno model 21 that was originally designed with an eloquent butterknife style bolt handle. Normally higher rings are required to clear most optics. I want to test a factory Parker Hale bolt body--as they are available as NOS from Tradeex . It could turn out to be a low cost solution for Brno 21 owners who don't want to modify their factory bolt bodies/handles but want more clearance. Yes, I will check headspace with proper gauges.
 
Received my bolt from Tradeex on Monday. Tried inserting today. It took quite a bit of pressure to close. Do I need to polish the front lugs? I have not yet transfered the Brno 21 bolt internals yet. Perhaps the Parker Hale shroud is causing a fitment issue? Once the bolt is closed however, you would think the bolt was made for the rifle. Low swung and fits cleanly inside stock cut-out.
 
How does the bolt with extractor only fit?
Do you have gauges to check headspace?

To fit properly, the locking lugs must evenly engage the abutments in the receiver, the bolt nose to barrel face clearance must be correct, and headspace must be within limits.
 
"pressure to close" - could easily be the front face of the Parker Hale Extractor against the back end of the barrel. Was an issue in swapping a military Swede extractor onto a Husqvarna 1600. Up to you to determine where the "tight" is coming from - jiffy marker?? Mauser bolts and receivers will have a "closing cam" for initial, say 40 degrees, of bolt handle swing, then bolt and receiver have flat faces, nominally at right angle to the centreline of the bore, so no bolt advance for last, say, half, of the mauser bolt travel to close. P14 and M1917 are different - they have cam surfaces, their bolt continues to advance right up until the bolt handle stops, although last portion is much shallower slope than initial.
 
A second thought - there is grinding, etc. on a PH shroud to clearance their side safety, so underside of the bolt shroud may not be perfectly identical to a military mauser shroud. Not sure if this is your issue, but advice above is excellent - start with bare bolt body, then add the extractor, then add the shroud - find where the "binding" occurs, and take opportunity to verify clearances at each step. Do not want protrusions on bolt face, nor the extractor "hook" to bear against the rear of the barrel, when all set up to correct head space.
 
Thanks all, excellent advice. Will try your suggestions. If this works, and if headspacing is correct, these NOS bolts might just be a "plug and play" solution to Brno 21 owners who want to mount optics.
 
Very high likelihood that replacement bolt on Mauser 98 are "plug and play" for headspace, etc. - unless somebody got "busy" and ground the bolt lugs or lug abutments, "squared" the bolt face, ground front end of internal "C" or "H" ring, etc. - which is why headspace verification is so important.
 
The Kurgan said:
It's easier to simply to leave the original alone and insert a spare--as long as the spare bolt body handle is designed for optics, which the Parker Hale M98 bolts are.
Click to expand...

You sure about that...$200 bolt, $156 for headspace gauges. A nice bolt welded handle is around $100.
The Tradex bolts look like Zastava made based on the bolt handles.
 
Hitzy may have a point - add in $88 or so (currently on Amazon.ca) for Jerry Kuhnhausen's "Shop Manual" to see about bolt timing, clearances, adjusting safety and triggers, etc. All ends up for a good cause, though!!
 
True enough... But the gauges will be reused and shared. The difference in cost, though I doubt a nicely done handle will cost under $100, is worth it to me. I hate modifying originals unless there's no inherent value.
 
I've had Spencer do a few from straight handle 98 bolts....$50 for a forged bend, finished looks the same as PH handles. $100 cut and weld look the same as HVA style FN 98's and 1600's....he does a good job.
 
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