Replacement M305/M14 bolt
- Thread starter Obtunded
- Start date
There's removed from service norinco bolts floating around for pretty reasonable prices on the equipment exchange. The used or new in wrap GI bolts are considerably more expensive, but also appear from time to time on the equipment exchange. Ask 45ACP, he's had some bolts for sale.
I believe 45ACPKING and Lazerus2000 have numerous bolts and bolt guts for sale on EE.
I think they even micced them, you can find to best suit.
USGI bolts are rising high in price.
There was talk of a US company making bolts and oprods...but no word to date on when.
I think they even micced them, you can find to best suit.
USGI bolts are rising high in price.
There was talk of a US company making bolts and oprods...but no word to date on when.
There is really no sense replacing a bolt on an M-14 unless you are planning on lapping in the new one. If you get a new unused bolt it will have to be lapped so that correct headspace can be obtained. If your nor using a new bolt that how will you get a headspace?
Scott
Scott
the newer production m14s rifles will generally accept a GI bolt without much messin around. The older norcs, like one i got yesterday, will generally need to be rebarrelled as the barrel sits deeper, protruding slightly into the receiver.
The norc rifle i got yesterday headspaces 1 thou over 7.62 nato go with it's norc bolt(
) and is the first norc rifle I have met with headspace under 4 thou over Go.... most are around 9thou.
If you want to tighten up headspace on the newer norcs, a excellent to new condition usgi bolt will or should give you a rifle in the .308 go headspace range ( after lapping the bolt in).... no good for surplus 7.62 nato. The bolt could be further lapped to 7.62 tolerances... but... generally the swap to usgi bolt is not necessary unless you WANT a .308 chamber. This where the TRW bolt is often chosen as it is longer by a touch than other usgi manufactured bolts. If you are after match or close to match headspace for 7.62 nato..... look for a used but serviceable HR or winchester bolt and you should end up fairly close with a bit of lapping.
Currently i have one bolt for sale in the EE, it is an unfired norc that headspaces 4 thou over 7.62 go.... in my rifle.....
My quest for parts is nearly done and i'm not anticipating getting anymore G.I. bolts. They are availlable stateside, but MUST have import/export certs to be brought in...... for one bolt... it's just not worth it..
Here is what i have done to procure these parts..... me and 3 friends sourced our parts in the U.S. and pooled the order together through an importer similar to Questar... splitting the import fees.... made it much more affordable
*** ALSO, a bit of a warning, the more you have to lap a bolt in, the deeper into it's "surface" hardening you go.... if you are lapping the bolt and removing more than 3 thou from the bolt lugs...... the newly lapped bolt may require case hardening before it can be safely used as lapping off that 3 thou has gotten you to the softer metal underneath and this bolt is now unsafe.
The norc rifle i got yesterday headspaces 1 thou over 7.62 nato go with it's norc bolt(
) and is the first norc rifle I have met with headspace under 4 thou over Go.... most are around 9thou.If you want to tighten up headspace on the newer norcs, a excellent to new condition usgi bolt will or should give you a rifle in the .308 go headspace range ( after lapping the bolt in).... no good for surplus 7.62 nato. The bolt could be further lapped to 7.62 tolerances... but... generally the swap to usgi bolt is not necessary unless you WANT a .308 chamber. This where the TRW bolt is often chosen as it is longer by a touch than other usgi manufactured bolts. If you are after match or close to match headspace for 7.62 nato..... look for a used but serviceable HR or winchester bolt and you should end up fairly close with a bit of lapping.
Currently i have one bolt for sale in the EE, it is an unfired norc that headspaces 4 thou over 7.62 go.... in my rifle.....
My quest for parts is nearly done and i'm not anticipating getting anymore G.I. bolts. They are availlable stateside, but MUST have import/export certs to be brought in...... for one bolt... it's just not worth it..
Here is what i have done to procure these parts..... me and 3 friends sourced our parts in the U.S. and pooled the order together through an importer similar to Questar... splitting the import fees.... made it much more affordable
*** ALSO, a bit of a warning, the more you have to lap a bolt in, the deeper into it's "surface" hardening you go.... if you are lapping the bolt and removing more than 3 thou from the bolt lugs...... the newly lapped bolt may require case hardening before it can be safely used as lapping off that 3 thou has gotten you to the softer metal underneath and this bolt is now unsafe.
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What Thomas said ...
but to add a bit more terchnobabble to the conversation ...
If you have a caliper, measure the right and left lugs on your original Norc bolt. Also, measure the headspace of that bolt with the existing chamber and lug geometry. Write down those numbers. Now ask the vendor what the lugs [left and right ] measure on the bolt he is selling.
Do the math. ... the GI bolt will average about .010 - .015" thicker lugs, which should just about perfectly compensate for the headspace most of the NEW Norcs are running [ .006 -.009" OVER M-14 Gage for 7.62 NATO GO, and you will end up in the .308 GO range..
This will give you a pretty good idea of how much the new bolt will change your headspace [ deduct about .001" for lapping ].
Voila, you now know which bolt to buy.
PS: MOST of the OLD Chinese rifles with GI barrels swapped in, and a NEW US GI TRW bolt will headspace a cheerful .002" - .003" TO F%^&NNN SHORT. And with the OLD 14s, you need a GI barrel as well as the bolt, because the OLD barrels were longer at the breech end, and protruded too far into the receiver, to allow a US GI bolt to fit with the original barrel. Just ask Tom ... we tried it with his new [OLD] one
Most of the NEW batch of Chinese M-14 rifles will take a NEW GI bolt as a "drop in" with the original Chinese barrel, and with a bit of lapping, they will work out pretty close to .308 GO. But some will still be a bit tight.
Which is why I usuallu prefer a USED US GI bolt, and prefer NON TRW bolts for most of my GI bolt swaps [ the TRW bolts are just a bit longer ... which is NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING ]
So don't believe everything you read on the internet ...
TRW bolts are NOT always the best bolt for you to use on your Chinese bolt swap.
Too much information?
Still can't do the math?
Too bad,
you should have stayed awake in school.
TTFN
LAZ 1
[;{)
but to add a bit more terchnobabble to the conversation ...
If you have a caliper, measure the right and left lugs on your original Norc bolt. Also, measure the headspace of that bolt with the existing chamber and lug geometry. Write down those numbers. Now ask the vendor what the lugs [left and right ] measure on the bolt he is selling.
Do the math. ... the GI bolt will average about .010 - .015" thicker lugs, which should just about perfectly compensate for the headspace most of the NEW Norcs are running [ .006 -.009" OVER M-14 Gage for 7.62 NATO GO, and you will end up in the .308 GO range..
This will give you a pretty good idea of how much the new bolt will change your headspace [ deduct about .001" for lapping ].
Voila, you now know which bolt to buy.
PS: MOST of the OLD Chinese rifles with GI barrels swapped in, and a NEW US GI TRW bolt will headspace a cheerful .002" - .003" TO F%^&NNN SHORT. And with the OLD 14s, you need a GI barrel as well as the bolt, because the OLD barrels were longer at the breech end, and protruded too far into the receiver, to allow a US GI bolt to fit with the original barrel. Just ask Tom ... we tried it with his new [OLD] one
Most of the NEW batch of Chinese M-14 rifles will take a NEW GI bolt as a "drop in" with the original Chinese barrel, and with a bit of lapping, they will work out pretty close to .308 GO. But some will still be a bit tight.
Which is why I usuallu prefer a USED US GI bolt, and prefer NON TRW bolts for most of my GI bolt swaps [ the TRW bolts are just a bit longer ... which is NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING ]
So don't believe everything you read on the internet ...
TRW bolts are NOT always the best bolt for you to use on your Chinese bolt swap.
Too much information?
Still can't do the math?
Too bad,
you should have stayed awake in school.
TTFN
LAZ 1
[;{)
I have a polytec barrel from the states. Is there any measurement I can take short of assembling it on my receiver to know whether it is a long protrusion as you mention? I bought it so I could have one to chop and thread.
with a digi caliper.... measure your polytech barrel from the chamber end to the barrel shoulder where it meets the receiver when thraeded in, then do the same to your norc barrel you have removed. compare these numbers and you will know if the poly is longer in the area that threads to receiver.
Thanks, that's a good idea. I was hoping for a shortcut that saved me removing the old barrel. Barrel and action wrenches are future projects for me.
Edit, OK, tried measuring this. That's one difficult measurement to take accurately. I'm all over the place in measuring this. 0.667-0.680 LOL, I'm a complete hack at this measurement.
Edit, OK, tried measuring this. That's one difficult measurement to take accurately. I'm all over the place in measuring this. 0.667-0.680 LOL, I'm a complete hack at this measurement.
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