Powder coating bolt

willowbank

Well-Known Member
Out recently stalking a Fox and the moon was glinting on the bolt of my Tikka, now I had full Camo on, face veil etc and taken care to blend as much as possible but said bolt may have given me away.

question is do you think powder coating the bolt would be a sound move, obviously some would wear off with use but has to be better than shining as it does.

son in law is a dab hand at powder coating so no probs getting it done.

ATB WB
 
More chance it was a movement or smell that gave your position away not the bolt !

Think about it, how would a fox see your bolt from looking at the front of your rifle at 100m ? What are you going to do about your objective lens giving off a reflection ?
 
Some bolts are "full body", that is, the bolt diameter is the same as the lugs, so the entire bolt is supported. These have almost no play in them, and no tolerance for any coating of thickness. Sauer 200 and 202, Steyr SL/L/M, SBS 96, SIG are like this.

A bolt with lugs larger than the bolt body can have thicker coatings, because they fit more loosely; the lugs or a guide cut travel in the receiver channel.

The Tikka T3 bolt is stainless steel. You could strip it, blue it, and reassemble it. Stainless can be blued, by a different chemical recipe than carbon steel. It can also be coated with Teflon, vapor deposition, manganese phosphate, Tennifer, or Mannox. Bluing and Teflon are something you are more likely to find easily, as there are industrial shops doing these for machinery.
 
More chance it was a movement or smell that gave your position away not the bolt !

Think about it, how would a fox see your bolt from looking at the front of your rifle at 100m ? What are you going to do about your objective lens giving off a reflection ?


Rifle was on sling on shoulder most of the time but I take your point, generally stalk into the wind ( are you suggesting I smell lol)

Southern mentioned Blueing, yonks ago I used to reblue shotty barrels with a liquid could that be a better way?

ATB WB
 
Ceracoat or hot blacking would be my choice for a rifle bolt. The diy cold gels and liquids never really last that well and the bolt would quickly get wear marks.
 
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