Ruger MKII, bolt wear

[clange]

Hey guys, new to the board. I lurked over at TFL on and off for the last couple months. My question is regarding a mark II i just got for christmas. The bolt is showing some wear already just from from hand operating it. I've handled a few rugers and a few did this, one really bad. My uncles didnt do it at all if i remember correctly but its been a long time since i shot that one so i could be wrong. Guys at rugerforum.com said its normal. I'm not worried about it effecting reliability, just makes it look worse then new ya know. Should i try to polish the reciever or just leave it as is? Pics are below. Thanks.

If the pics dont work..(copy shortcut, paste)
http://fiveliteraddict.corral.net/images/bolt1.jpg
http://fiveliteraddict.corral.net/images/bolt2.jpg
http://fiveliteraddict.corral.net/images/bolt3.jpg

 

[Mal H]

The guys at rugerforum are right - that's normal.

 

[clange]

OK i figured i was just being paranoid. Thanks.

 

[Mal H]

You should have seen the beautiful jeweled finish I had on a Remington 700 bolt. I didn't want to operate the bolt for fear it would ruin the look. Well, that was a long time ago, you should see the bolt now. Your MkII bolt looks pristine compared.

Shoot. Enjoy.

 

[444]

Mine has been that way for 15 years.

That would look good jeweled. I had my 10/22 bolt jeweled.

 

[clange]

Originally posted by Mal H
You should have seen the beautiful jeweled finish I had on a Remington 700 bolt. I didn't want to operate the bolt for fear it would ruin the look. Well, that was a long time ago, you should see the bolt now. Your MkII bolt looks pristine compared.

Shoot. Enjoy.

Its only had 7 rounds through it lol.

 

[Chuck Dye]

Kinda like brassed out corners on older cameras-not a flaw but a sign of honorable use. FWIW, my KMK6 seems to have benefited from RIG +P, the grease designed for stainless autos. For that matter, so have my carbon steel guns.

 

[DrDremel]

That is normal. The only area that will wear is the bolt stop area. It will wear out around 100K rounds from my experience. I bought a new bolt for about $40.00 and it has at least another 50K rounds through it after that. Do not worry. The firearm will last a long time. The only parts that wear out are the return spring and guide, extractor, and firing pin. Every thing else will last forever.

 

[gorf]

Yes that is normal. It will look worse after you get some rounds through it. The price you pay for operating it.

 

[larryw]

One thing you can do to a new MkII is polish the bolt and action; will really improve the reliability. Check out Old Hawk's tips.

As for wear on the bolt, the only place I'm concerned about is the bottom of the bolt that cocks the hammer. Turn the bolt over (recoil spring down) and look at the flat part in the middle. You will notice a slight wave; if you start to see a line perpindicular to the length of the bolt right at the wave, call Ruger for a replacement bolt (great service dept!!). I wore one out after about 50K rounds and only discovered the problem when my gun had problems going into battery with target (subsonic) ammo.

With a new Mk II, shoot a brick or two of high power ammo (PowerPoints, etc.); that will help it break in without frequent jamming. Once broken in, they run like a top.

 

[Shmackey]

Very normal. I can't imagine how many rounds you'd have to shoot to "wear out" a MkII. Six figures...

 

[Ledbetter]

It's okay to use dry lube or CLP on the bolt. I even use a light coating of grease on mine.

 

[armabill]

Shoot it and enjoy. Congrats on the Ruger. I have one just like that.

 

[clange]

Thanks for the info guys.