Model 70 bolt handles breaking

[lenoxmi]

In the newest issue of Rifle, Brian Pearce mentions that very occasionally post-64 Model 70 bolt handles break the weld to the bolt body.  Does anyone have any experience with this issue? 

Pearce write that the fix is re-weld the entire handle to body seam and grind the excess.
Does anyone know of a gunsmith experienced with this fix.

This is for my .375H&H and I'd like the bolt assembly to stay together when I really really need the rifle.


 

[LONGTOM]

With well over 30 some model 70s of all years and calibers that I have used for over 40 years
I have never had this to happen to me or anyone of my friends but I have heard it could happen.
I would think any good gunsmith could reweld a bolt for you.
 
 
LONGTOM

[Mikey]

lenoxmi:  Pearce makes it sound as though broken handles on Winchester M70s are a regular occurance and almost something one should expect.  I dunno buddy but this guy sure seems to have his opinions and I have to tellya that in about 45-50 years of slamming the bolts on M70s or other Winchester made rifles I have never encountered, seen or heard of a bolt handle breaking off a Winchester.  I have broken the lever on a M94 before but not the bolt on a M70.
 
The only bolt handles I have ever seen or experienced brealing off were with Springfields and I cannot recall if they were 03s, 03A3s or whatever.  I had one actually snap off after I slammed the bolt home on one once in Vietnam but fired the rifle, tossed it and picked up another.  A hunting buddy once had his bolt break off after he had fired his rifle and found he had nothing to grab to recock it but we got his empty shell out without problem. 
 
As for bolt rewelds - pretty common practice especially with mil-surp rifles going into sporterization and most gunsmiths should be able to provide this service for you, but there should be some indication of a breakage about to happen, like a break or split that can be easily seen or just some area of the original factory weld that concerns you before you go to the expense of a reweld when you may not need one.  However, that being said, if you are concerned I would first look for a gunshop or gunsmith who sporterizes older military rifles as he would most likely have the most experience rewelding bolt handles.  HTH.

[mannyrock]

 
  In 40 years of shooting, I have never heard that this was a "problem" with any Model 70s.
 
  The truth of the matter is, though, that when you have hundreds of thousands of rifles being mass produced by machinery every year, there is ALWAYS going to be a tiny tiny percentage that have a manufacturing defect, for one reason or the other.  I have no doubt that somebody somewhere sometime had a bolt snap off of a Model 70, but exactly the same is true of a Remington, a Savage, Ruger, and every other brand of rifle.
 
  Enjoy your rifle.  There are about hundreds of other things more important to worry about.  You have about 1,000 times greater chance getting killed in a car wreck this year, than having your bolt snap off and being injured by a game animal.
 
    And, don't become  "mentally invested" in your rifle.  It just a piece of machinery,like any other, and a pretty cheap one at that.  If you had a $1,000 Snapper lawn mower, I doubt you would be worrying about whether the gear shift hand will break off while your are driving it, resulting in an injury.  :-)
 
   Best, Mannyrock
 
 

[Rock Home Isle]

I have never had a bolt break on any of my Winchster M70's...course I don't use my boot to kick the action open either. 

[charles p]

I once had to climb down a tree, go to my truck, drop the tailgate, take a seat, take off a boot, and use the boot to hammer the bolt open on a rifle.  Another time I got a reloaded unfired case stuck in a rifle and used a hammer and wooden block unsuccessfully to open the bolt.  Never broken a bolt off yet. 
 
When I was in the military, an instructor was demonstrating how to clear a stuck case by slambing the butt of his stock on the ground.  He broke the stock in half. 
 
I would never remove a factory welded bolt just to have it rewelded by someone else.

[Rangr44]

Now........ If it was Remington 700 bolt handles coming off, you were pondering     , that's another thing entirely.
 
Here's one I found, which I propmtly put on a Mauser 98
 

 
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[gunnut69]

Never even heard of problems with the winchester bolts but remington bolts espesially the 788 series had a habit of falling off. Since the 700's are applied basically the same way but with more contact area I'd expect there's a chnce for failure. The M70's are also composite bolts but it's nothing I've heard of before. One should be cautious with that much heat that close to the cocking cam and extraction cams..

[ratdog]

my son had one go flying off his Austin helic muzzle loader new gun only fired a few time he took it back to the guy he bought from got his money back.i have welded a few on the bolt alteratons i have done some guys grind to much of the weld of to clean it up to look nice  and don't v out the weld joint enough.before welding.

[Savage_99]

A smith reported that some post 64 M70 bolt handles break off at the braze and that more Rems do.

[while99]

I bought a used, USRAC-manufactured M-70 Classic (controlled-feed) stainless synthetic in .270 WSM a few weeks ago and had this very thing happen to me.  I was able to tap the handle back onto the bolt body and continue shooting.
I've since had the bolt handle welded to the bolt body.

[Les Staley]

I had Downrange gunshop in Sheridan Wy. do mine.. also a Montana 1999 action bolt..cost about $50 IIRC..  shipped him the bolt, and a check and he returned the bolt Veed out the seam and tig welded ..looked great..  Les     Google it ..

[Swampman]

The breakage Brian is talking about, is not the handle but on the bolt body itself.

[336SC]

Only bolt handle for me to break (knock on wood) was one of my Remington 788's and the factory repaired it at no cost.  This was back in 1975.  Unless I'm gonna hunt something that might bite back and eat me, I'm not too concerned.  I'll just keep shootin and shiftin my
bolt guns!
336SC

[Frank46]

Les had it right. Tig weld only minimal heat in weld area, less chance of screwing up the heat treatment in or on the cocking cam and little to no scale on the threads inside the bolt. I've had a few model 70's over the years from 1949 up to the post '64's. Never had problems with the bolt handle. Now remingtons I believe are silver brazed but do not know the process they use. Frank

[gunnut69]

The Post 64 M70 bolts are made of pieces brazed together. They do have a bit more surface area than the M700 so fail less often.. I've seen none....