03 Springfield Turned-Down bolt handle question

[Newtire]

Trying to get my favorite cast bullet & otherwise rifle going again. It's a "sporterized" Springfield rifle and I like the thing because it's just a real accurate shooter with the original barrel & all. My old bolt cracked at one of the locking lugs a few years ago. It's a high number Springfield Armory(1,036670) and the thought occurred to me that maybe the bolt that was in there was maybe from an earlier one with the bad heat-treating. At any rate, I sent off for a "turned-down-bolt" from Sportsmans Guide and sure enough was turned down but not enough to clear the scope. I was wondering if anyone knows a place in the San Francisco bay area that does this kind of work and if I could have my old bolt handle welded on to replace the one that's on the replacement bolt. I checked headspace with a Forstner's no-go and it's fine as it's a no-go. The thing that worries me is that the welding operation could make the bolt brittle & maybe that's what caused the old one to crack. Any recommendations?

[Herb in Pa]

I would ask the question here: http://www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/03/03config.pl?

[Newtire]

Thanks Herb,
Heading to a football game right now but will browse around in there later.
Actually got the bolt to slide by the scope by grinding down a huge corner along with some stoning on the burrs has made it slicker. My old bolt handle is just bent nicer to make it work better is all.

[Frank46]

Newtire, this may be past tense, but try to see of you could find a 03A4 sniper bolt body. I have seen many that with a little dremel work that would function as well as a welded job. And you would not have to worry about the heat treatment changing.
I have one for a spare on my 03A3 and with a no-go guage the basically are identical in terms of headspace. Frank

[Char-Gar]

Two thoughts on the issue at hand:

1. Welding a bolt when properly done won't harm the bolt in any way.

2. It has been 40 years since I had an 03 bolt handled modified, but I sent it to William Gunsight and they did great work. No need to send the rifle, just the bolt.

[brimic]

When a bolt is welded, a heatsink is attached to the bolt body so that it doesn't become weakened.

[JSH]

Newtire, I have a turned down sporterized bolt body that came with my 03 project gun, it was scoped. If I new for sure me replacement was headspaced correctly I would give it to you. The handle is chromed and the bolt face has a few pits but it looks to be in fair shape If you are not in a big hurry let me know.
Jeff

[Newtire]

Thanks all you great guys! As it turns out, today was a "range-day" for me & my son. The old-reliable Springfield is now functioning as it did when I got it except for being a bit stiff. From all indications, the new bolt is gonna work just fine. I'm kinda in the same boat as Pat Marlin who has way too many projects around the house, so will take care of the finishing Dremel work on one of our long rainy weekends coming up. Fired off a couple of sandwich bags full of loads & things are looking real good. Nice to have my old rifle back shooting again. Thanks again for all the good advice & offers. And JSH, if you need the borrow of a No-Go gauge for that '06, give me your Snail-mail addy & I'll drop it in the mail for you. If it works, I'll take that bolt off your hands.
Thanks again,
Newtire

[Buckshot]

.............Welding on a new bolt handle if done by MiG or TiG concentrates heat in a very small area. If it's done in a fixture so the bolt may be turned and down all at once, it is and then the bolt handle is quickly placed in room temp water.

As Brimic mentioned too, normally an aluminum heatsink is screwed into the bolt along with heat transfer paste. Although the temp still raises, it isn't high enough to draw the temper in the cocking ramp area. I've done a few of'em and will weld the top and a side, cool then do the other side and bottom and cool.

..............Buckshot

[Captain Midnight]

Trying to get my favorite cast bullet & otherwise rifle going again. It's a "sporterized" Springfield rifle and I like the thing because it's just a real accurate shooter with the original barrel & all. My old bolt cracked at one of the locking lugs a few years ago. It's a high number Springfield Armory(1,036670) and the thought occurred to me that maybe the bolt that was in there was maybe from an earlier one with the bad heat-treating. At any rate, I sent off for a "turned-down-bolt" from Sportsmans Guide and sure enough was turned down but not enough to clear the scope. I was wondering if anyone knows a place in the San Francisco bay area that does this kind of work and if I could have my old bolt handle welded on to replace the one that's on the replacement bolt. I checked headspace with a Forstner's no-go and it's fine as it's a no-go. The thing that worries me is that the welding operation could make the bolt brittle & maybe that's what caused the old one to crack. Any recommendations?

The Captain happens to have a sporterized bolt body for a 03-A3 in his surplus bin. My 03-A3 already has a nice sport bolt on it and this one is available. Email and we can come to an arrangement.
Rodney@FrangibleBullets.Com