How often should you strip and clean a rifle bolt?

Brno N°2 / CZ452: interesting remark about the misfires and stuck firing pin. I had my 452 already some time and had cleaned it often. I thought. Untill I put a cleaning rod inside the bolt body... full with crap! I assume the 2 previous owners sprayed oil in it? Oil + smoke through the firing pin hole = The Grudge.
After a extractor issue the gun smith applied a new spring leaf on top for free.
But there are more possible issues.
There are 2 blind holes next to the chamber. I couldn't believe my eyes what I picked out with a tooth pick. Oil, wax, carbon, lead, gritty stuff that prevents smooth cocking.
And when I did a total disassembly ( yes, also the entire trigger bridge!!!) I found out that the shiny part where the magazine fits in is a loose part. But it was also stuck with black stuff.
Ammunition is a decisive factor for clogging up a .22LR. The dirty Remington trash , Winchester and Magtech create so much smoke that after 100 rounds I can spent 1/2 hour cleaning all internals. But the wax on SK, RWS, Eley do also attract dirt.
 
I saw a YouTube video showing a neat trick to disassemble a bolt using a shoe lace and a bit of tension.
Following along, I tied a loop out of a shoelace, wrapped the bolt with it to get some tension on it, applied pressure with a loop around my foot and a loop in my fist.
As I pulled steadily, just like the video, sure enough the bolt began to ease apart!
It must have been about that time that the lace lost traction, the force released, I belted myself in the mouth with my now released but still closed fist, the bolt slammed shut, catching a half inch of my inner thigh with it.
Haven’t cleaned it since.
 
Look - can we NOT use the C word on an open forum?
My guns might notice then I'd be deep in the doo-doo = they get cleaned every couple of years whether they're dirty or not :cool:

Joking aside - the 700 bolts get a regular strip down, the Mosin bolts are easy to do - Mauser less so, etc.
Depends on the conditions exposed to when last used, but mine tend to be mostly range use
 
Noticed that lifting bolt handle on my t3x has become stiffer & bit clunky - could this be a bolt cleaning issue?
 
Any second hand firearm I've always disassembled completely, including bolt. Possibly a bit foolhardy, but nothings gone wrong yet (fingers crossed!). After the initial strip down, never again unless I have issues.
 
Every year every rifle gets a strip down to component parts, cleaned, oiled, reassembled and re-zeroed. With Sako’s the bolt is so easy to strip it gets cleaned every month but I’m the guy who cleans a rifle that was taken out but not even shot 😳
 
Only clean my CZ 455’s when accuracy goes off but a glance at the bolt face might induce a few passes with a suade brush across the claws
 
Depends
If your rifle is subjected to “out of bag/slip” weather conditions then I would be checking that it is not accumulating condensation/oil/grit/dust and other shizzle

Takes two seconds to decock and pull the innards out of sako and tikka. (Other brands re available..)

Seen some really nasty ones over the years.

Also the cause of numerous light strike issues that were immediately blamed on headspace/case resizing techniques.

The shoulder of the firing pin that rests on a step inside the bolt body determines pun protrusion
Build up of accumulated dust/ dirt that is compacted can be an issue
 
I’ve just done my brno bolt and a quick pull through, probably last did it 6 months ago, I find rifle cleaning therapeutic though 😂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

How often do you clean lever gun after shooting lead bullets?
Replies
14
Views
1K
Vince1968
V
How often do you clean your barrel?
2 3
Replies
42
Views
5K
NullMac
N
  • Article Article
The first and last ibex - tightroping Tajikistan's ridges (Part 2)
2
Replies
20
Views
1K
Roebuck9
R
Steyr SM12 bolt strip lessons!
Replies
2
Views
341
TringSaint
T
Grit.
Replies
0
Views
202
John Gryphon
John Gryphon
Browning X Bolt 2 Cashback
Back
Top