Any harm in working the bolt ?

[Mulliga]

I'm practicing snap-shooting in my apartment with my 700 Mountain.

My question is this: I've heard it's bad to dry-fire a bolt-action rifle, but is there a problem in working the bolt? Or should I refrain from doing so because it means too much wear and tear on the rifle?

Thanks in advance.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Well, any cycling of a mechanical system will cause _some_ wear and tear. Assuming you're not talking about some prima donna highly tuned precision rifle, around which you daren't breath, I'd say that you're more likely to be helping your parts "become friends with each other" more than anything else.

And besides, what good's a rifle you're not intimate and massively proficient with?

 

[tc300mag1]

i wouldnt worry about it i used some super fine lapping compund to lap my bolt in and now its sooooo smoth when i cycle it .. That it should be illegal bolts just slides easly and so nice

 

[Dionysusigma]

Don't say it should be illegal--I guarantee someone out there agrees with you too much about that

As for cycling the bolt, look at it the way you break in new brakes on your car. After doing it a few thousand times, it works a whole lot better. Just compare the actions of a new Remington 700 and an old M44...

 

[tc300mag1]

Good point bad choice of words

 

[natedog]

If you're afraid to work the action, then you should be afraid of even THINKING of taking it out into the field. It's a firearm. Use it, but don't abuse it. It doesn't need to be babysat.

 

[Feanaro]

Cycling the action only makes it smoother.

(Of course, if you cycle the action five-hundred-thousand times it will not only smooth out but wear something horrible. I am talking about a reasonable amount of cycling/)

 

[Beetle Bailey]

On a new rifle, I just lube and work the bolt until I am happy with the smoothness of it, then that's it. If it can use some smoothing out, why not do it in the comfort of your own home ? If it is fine as is, and it's gonna break if you cycle the bolt say, 100 times, you probably don't want it anyways right ? First rifle? Trust me, rifles like the attention. Take her out and use her the way she was meant to be used and you will be fine.

 

[Third_Rail]

Mmm... I still remember sitting in front of the TV, watching cartoons, working the bolt on my 91/30 for an hour or so. When the cartoons were over, I realized that the action was now ridicoulously smooth feeling; but then again, I've never used a "new production" bolt action rifle, only military surplus, mostly WWII stuff... so I don't know if what I think is smooth is what everyone else thinks it smooth as well.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Mulliga,

Cycling the rifle is no problem. Heck, you don't even need to worry about dryfiring harming it either. My 700 Mountain has been cycled and dryfired so many times it would make some people cringe. But it does help instill familiarity with the firearm. Carry on, before you know it your rifle will be glassy-smooth.

 

[cracked butt]

If you put a little lube on the bolt, you'll wear the joints in your hand and arm out before the bolt wears out.

 

[Mulliga]

Thanks, guys. Never had a bolt-action rifle before, so I'm paranoid.

 

[Jim K]

FWIW, I agree with tc300mag1 on using some fine lapping compound on that bolt. You will see a vast improvement. But be sure you have a bucket of cleaner where you can slosh the action around to get the compound out of it.

Jim