Resale value of rifle thats missing its bolt?

Good idea I will check with Western Gun parts before selling the rifle.
They are worth around 1200$ in complete and very good condition from the research I've done. This one has a bit of surface rust and is missing the bolt so the 500$ number floating around seems about right.
If I can source a bolt I'll probably keep the rifle as it has a beautiful walnut stock with a flat target forend. I dont have a varmint rifle yet so it would make a good addition.
 
In all probability, any bolt that turns up will be used. Why was the rifle broken for parts? Is the bolt in a condition appropriate for the rifle? Do the lugs engage? How is the headspace?
Obtaining a bolt is just the first step.
If I had a bolt, I don't think I would pay $500 for the rifle - because I don't know if the bolt would fit, or if it would have to be fitted. And what is the rifle worth with a used replacement bolt installed? As much as the same rifle with all original parts? And what is the condition of the rifle?
 
Well I also feel the pain of this issue as it also happened to me. In my experience it diminishes the valve of the rifle considerably. The rifle is totally useless with out it. Like a having a nice car without a motor. I lost the bolt out of a M-70 push feed back in the mid seventies. Winchester Canada was based out of Coburg Ont at the time and the rifle had to be sent there to have a new bolt installed. Epps wasn't allowed to do the work and they were a Winchester authorized service centre. The Winchester rep at the time insisted the bolt work has to done in Coburg.
A brand new M-70 was selling at the time at Le Barons in Toronto for $270.00, the bolt replacement cost me $168.00. So that will give you some idea of the value loss of a rifle with no bolt. The rifle actually was more accurate after the new bolt was installed, and it worked very well for the next 25 yrs, until I sold the rifle.
 
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OP - do not skim past what tiriaq has written - simply finding and buying a "replacement" bolt is only first step. No assurance at all that the replacement bolt will function with your existing chamber. Need a set of headspace gauges to verify that the headspace created with replacement bolt is correct. Then also need to verify that the new bolt lugs bear reasonably well on your rifle's locking lugs. Then need to satisfy that the existing trigger functions properly with the replacement bolt's sear surfaces. All can be dealt with - if you are paying someone knowledgeable or can do that fussy work yourself. Some military mausers are almost "plug and play" - indexed threads on receiver and barrel tenon - some military's stock replacement barrels came with the sights already installed - spin them on and virtually 100% of them end up within spec. Many ex- military mauser bolts swap and end up within spec. They were designed and built to do that - not so sure about commercial rifles, or those Sako's in particular - I have not worked on them. What can be done easily on ex-military guns may influence some ideas of what can be done on commercial rifles - I am not so sure that is a certainty.
 
I picked up a tikka t3 a few years ago. Complete without a bolt for maybe $200. Bolts were available for $375 (Although I’d have to wait for the supplier to get if from finland) new plus tax plus gunsmith fee to headspace. Add shipping the gun to and from the gunsmith and the bolt to the gunsmith. At that point I wasn’t ahead at all. At the time the same rifle could be picked up used for 700-800 shipped without the hassle.

The $500 number that people having been floating around is too high imo. If you get anything more than the value of the mag you are doing great. A pain in the a$$ fee should be up to 50% to get the gun working again has to be factored into its value. It will take the better part of a year to get a boltless rifle firing again. Get the rifle from your father in law. Hold onto it. When the next registery comes around. Buy a registered version of the same gun. At that point lose the bolt into the unregistered gun.
 
Cocked&Locked said:
I shake my head. So many foolish people that hide bolts and/or magazines, only to be lost forever...incredibly stupid.
I think it's unlikely to get an offer beyond $50.
Click to expand...

Stupid people just don't lose gun parts. I put my passport away for safe keeping, and now that I need it, it's nowhere to be found.
 
I do store some guns with the bolts removed. The bolts are in a safe. They aren't hidden.

Someone who has a bolt would be interested in either selling the bolt, or in buying the rifle. This happens. Over the years I have broken a number of rifles for parts. Including two Sakos.
Both were stocked up and rebarreled.
If I wanted a heavy barreled Sako .22-.250 with a varmint weight bullet twist barrel, I might consider buying the rifle. If I hadn't assembled these actions into rifles, I would have considered selling an action.

There are loose bolts around, tucked away in parts bins. I know I have an incomplete Tikka 65 bolt. Probably a M70 push feed. A short action M70 CRF. Savage 110, 340. Certainly Lee Enfields.

The OP should post WTB ad in the EE. A bolt might be offered.

Just recently, I needed Ruger M77 bolt parts. Tang safety 77; out of production. Ended up buying a complete bolt instead from a very helpful CGN member. I now have a complete 77 round top long action ready for a barrel. Getting the barrel I want will be another quest.
Also bought a M700 bolt advertised in the EE. Salting that one away against the day I need a Remington bolt. Might want to turn a .223 into a larger caliber.
Bolts are out there. But there is luck involved. Sometimes there is serendipity.

Here is the 77 round top:
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It now has a complete bolt.

Do remember, though, while a bolt may drop right in, it doesn't mean the fit is correct from the standpoint of shooting.
 

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Pay attention to the point about another bolt may not ‘fit’ ... I have several m65 Tikka rifles including a 270w ... I purchased a very nice m65 270W barreled action without a bolt (or magazine) in case I might need the barrel at some point .... guess what? The bolt from my 270w M65 will NOT close in the barreled action ... despite the fact that they are the same calibre and fairly close in serial number .... the bolt is too tight won’t turn down and I won’t force it! Be aware that Rifles from that era received a lot more hand fitting than today’s rifles.
 
Is the bolt nose making contact with the barrel breech face? That is the sort of fitting that is a one way street.
 
over 10 years ago we had a customer lost his bolt of his tikka t3 in the mountain. after asking the stoeger people i think it was around $400 with the shipping up here then of course needed to check the headspace with a gunsmith.

good luck i do think $500 is a little too high but maybe with the right buyer.
 
From the little bit of reading I've done it seems like even later SAKO bolts will fit the L579 and any of the .308 parent case bolt faces will work with a .22-250
According to SAKO collectors forum most of the bolt tolerances are almost interchangeable between rifles as well. I'd still check the headspace obviously so I dont rupture cases.
This might be not so hopeless a task to track down a bolt that'll work.
 
Wasn't there a post on here (might have been another forum) a few years back where someone had a bunch of rifles stolen that had the bolts removed?

Maybe he will have a bolt to match if a guy could find him.
 
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