Bolt open or closed?

O

OMJ

New member
This has been bugging me, how should the bolt be left? In the rifle? Bolt closed? Bolt open? Should the rifle be dry fired?
The reason I am asking this is I don't like the idea of the tension on the firing pin and spring all winter in the safe!
I also know some rifles are cock on open and cock on closed. What is the right thing to do? I have Remingtons and 1 Bat action rifles.
Please help me do the right thing!

Jack
 
If you are storing the rifle with the bolt in, holding the trigger while closing the bolt will keep it from cocking (empty chamber of course), and if you store with any oil in the bore, racking muzzle down will keep the action bedding from becoming oil soaked. Just remember to make sure that the muzzle isn't resting on something that could damage the crown.
 
Funny you should post this. I'd been storing the bolt of my rifle in a case in a separate bag until yesterday. I got to thinking about the compressed condition of the spring and decided to start storing mine in the rifle in the uncocked position. I suppose it would be best if I could rotate the bolt to the fired condition out of the rifle to decompress the spring and leave the bolt out of the rifle. I've just got to remember to remove it from the rifle while stored before going to a shoot. New to this.
 
good logic

a few yrs ago ....a shooter came way out here from the desert southwest ....and forgot his bolt at home....well thank goodness someone had a spare rifel for a bak-up (you know old worn out bbl. etc..) ....he borrowed it ...guess what ...he won the match with it..!!! .....but this guy is a hall of famer ..((not me)) the moral is ....keep the bolt with the gun while in storeage....and in the relaxed position....if you have more than one gun it is even better...you cant mix em up....oooo yea some will say ...safety first ...keep the bolt in a seperate locked box over at grandmas house....not me .....dont hide the bolt-clip-ammo from yourself....keep it simple...Roger
 
Good point Roger. I don't know how much time I've spent over the years hunting for things that I put up for safekeeping so they wouldn't get lost and then forgot where I put them. Duh!
 
Lynn...ur rite ..agin!!!

You are rite on...I keep forgetting how wonderful it is to live here in the hills...my new car has remote door locks....and ....I had to have my son show me how to use em...and around here just about every one has a gun on him/her or at arms length...and just about everybody knows everybody...it certainly makes the perps. think twice...
I was just out to southern Kali....visiting my Navy son...wow...great place to visit...too much trafic...too many people for this ole' country boy....
Say hi to dad....Roger
 
Jack,
Firing pin tension? I have replaced my firing pin spring on my Remington 700. I installed one of Tubb Speedlock firing pins back in 1987 after I had the rifle for ten years. In 2003 I replace the spring again with one of Tubb's new and improved Chromate Silicon alloy springs. The new CrSi spring was 5.75 inches long when new. When the spring is compressed in the cocked poistion it is 2.564 inches long or compressed 55.4% The firing pin spring is 2.810 inches long when uncoked or fired and is still compressed 51.4%. So the question is does the extra 4% compression on the firing pin spring really amount to anything. I was told in one of my classes many years ago that a properly enginnered and manufactured spring should last forever under designed loading. 16 million new vehicles each year means 64 million springs that for all but a few last the life of the vehicle. However, I uncock my springs just to make me feel better.

Bolt in or out. I vote for bolt in if it fits okay in case.
Bolt open or close. Bolt open does not fit as well in my cases and makes a big indention in the foam liner, bolt closed and in the case for me.

Thanks Jack - checking my records I could tell when I changed to the new CrSi springs in my other two Remingtons. When I found my bag of springs there were still two new unopened springs. I thought that I changed all three but I only did the one I am using right now. I should change the one in my hunter class rifle before the nationals.
 
ok...lets get some engineers to jump in here.
guys springs "wear" when cycling, not in either relaxed nor compressed. its just that simple.

and i have seen guys show up without bolts for matches...me included...but i was only 10 min from my house.

so store the bolt in the gun, open or closed.

mike
 
For plain old safety reasons ...

I always separate the two just like we do on the firing line. Out of habit, I store my rifle in a gun case and my bolt in its bolt holster, placed in my brenchrest miscellaneous junk and tools box, when not at the range. Art
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top