PSA re: bolt failures in recent import M-14 pattern rifles

[notsorichguy]

So, not sure if this thread is still alive or not , but I recommend this rifle to a friend a few years ago and after visiting over Christmas he pulled the rifle out to show me that sometime last summer he decided to pull it out and run some 308 hunting ammo through it , bolt survived 3-4 rounds and completely detonated on the 5th looking exactly like the one at beginning of post. Now, what do we do about replacing bolt with propped USGI bolt?

Fitting a GI bolt is not something I would recommend a “non-gunsmith” do…

If the receiver is “post 2016” production, it will likely be cast as well. If that is the case, a GI bolt will not drop-in.

 

[shifti]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and based in Europe.
I recently bought a new M305 from a dealer. From what I can tell it was assembled in 2022 based on the serial number.
I tried to capture some pictures of the bold, as far as I can tell its a forged bolt, not MIM?

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How can I tell if the receiver is casted or forged? On first sight I can't see any casting marks.

Appreciating your help,
Richard

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and based in Europe.
I recently bought a new M305 from a dealer. From what I can tell it was assembled in 2022 based on the serial number.
I tried to capture some pictures of the bold, as far as I can tell its a forged bolt, not MIM?

https://imgur.com/NqJDCHt


How can I tell if the receiver is casted or forged? On first sight I can't see any casting marks.

Appreciating your help,
Richard

Welcome! Good luck! Please apologize in advance to your wife or sweetheart that you will not be seeing her as much as before.

Buried in the long thread are the visual indications. From memory, the signs are small circles where the molten metal was poured into the mould. You probably will not see them just glancing. I think they are typically underneath.

A USGI bolt would be an amazing find, however as the Chinese emptied their parts bins and sold rifles to Canada, they had to substitute new manufacture parts. We have not been able to buy any more M305s, and the international distributors would have redirected shipments elsewhere. If your rifle is new and unfired, chances are high you have a new bolt not a 1950s USGI example.

 

[notsorichguy]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and based in Europe.
I recently bought a new M305 from a dealer. From what I can tell it was assembled in 2022 based on the serial number.
I tried to capture some pictures of the bold, as far as I can tell its a forged bolt, not MIM?

https://imgur.com/NqJDCHt


How can I tell if the receiver is casted or forged? On first sight I can't see any casting marks.

Appreciating your help,
Richard

Your bolt does not appear to have the tell-tale casting marks. Unless the cast manufacturing method has changed, you should have a forged bolt.

Its tough to tell from pictures if the receiver is forged or not. The only way to be able to tell from pictures are if there are casting flaws.... I can offer 3 things to look for.. 1- a "seam" along the middle of the heel of the receiver; 2- soft corners or a very small "pebbling" to edges that are normally cut in a forged receiver; 3- a "known forged" USGI or Chinese bolt will not fit or operate (move front to back) properly in the receiver.

I'm sure there is a way to decipher the code on the underside of the receiver to get the factory or manufacturing date on the receiver. Unfortunately the "date" that is associated with the serial number is the assembly date, so it may not be a cast receiver even with a manufacturing date of 2022.

Cheers!

 

[45ACPKING]

it's my very strong opinion that those cast receivers are not good candidates for fitting a forged bolt. I would not trust th hardness values of the cast receiver's bearing surfaces