bolt conversion from Magnum to Standard

While converting from 7mm Magnum to 7mm-08, ran across problems with bolt. First i knew the bolt head needed changing. When standard bolthead came in, firing pin had to be changed to small diameter. Bought that. Then when TRYING to assemble bolt, bolthead would not seat into bolt body. Firing pin assembly was not the problem, checked length. Found a dimple on the exterior of the bolt body, and no recess milled into the bolthead where the dimple is at. My question is this, what is the dimple for, does it need to be there. Should i dremel it out of the bolt body or have the bolt head milled for the recess. Either way would allow the bolthead to seat into the bolt body.

Pix?

Just a supposition (that's just a fancy word for guess) here, since I will admit up front that "I don't know the answer."

I have seen that "dimple" punched into the side of an older long action bolt i have that also had a large diameter firing pin.

My guess is that the dimple and the corresponding slot in the bolt head were designed to fit together in order to take up some of the force required to turn the bolt head when operating the bolt. Because the larger diameter firing pin requires a correspondingly larger hole in the bolt head retaining pin, the sides of the bolt head retaining pin are thinner, thus the bolt head retaining pin is weaker. I can't imagine that the sides are weak enough to fail because of the force required to chamber/unchamber a cartridge while compressing the firing pin spring.


Again, this is simply a SWAG. If I am wrong, I am sure others more edumicated than I will make the appropriate correction.
I read somewhere of someone simply taking a rotary tool and sanding/filing off the inside dimple...but I can't remember where I read it.

Was thinking the dimple was for alignment of the bolt head to pin. Was going to grind the dimple out of the bolt body vs the bolt head for safety sake

Your are right the protrusion inside the bolt body is there to help get every thing lined up right when assembling the bolt. So you do not wind up with the bolt head on back wards and have to redo it. Just take a dremel tool or something and grind it out.

What I did was use a series of center punches that I have from harbor freight and punched it back out flat and even by using one that would just barely fit and then the next size and then the next till it was pushed back out even.

Michael Grace

i had seen a post on that very subject recently. not sure if it was on SS or not! i think you are supposed to grind it off. make sure you have the correct size bolt head retaining pin also.

Yrs back I built a rifle using an older flat back action and had the same problem. I posted a question and Fred Moreo answered and said that the dimple and groove on the old bolt heads was for alignment but it was found to be not needed so now there are no slotted bolt heads. He said to just grind out the dimple and drill the bolt head to accept the larger dia. firing pin in the bolt. I did and have not had a problems with it.

El Lobo

Thanks guys, this build has had me scratching my head and chewing nails. With all of y'all helping, it should come together much easier and faster.

It is there just to make it a no brainer for the factory assembler.

Notch your head or remove from the tube. either way works.

Update on the "dimple/bolthead". Did go in with a dremel and got rid of the dimple. Since i already had bought the new style bolthead and matching firing pin, i installed them. Will keep the old firing pin and bolthead retaining pin just in case this firing pin ever breaks. I had heard that the new firing pins have a tendency to break. Dont know how it could happen or if its true, but you know how Remington people like to downgrade Savage. Thanks for the input.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ellobo

Yrs back I built a rifle using an older flat back action and had the same problem. I posted a question and Fred Moreo answered and said that the dimple and groove on the old bolt heads was for alignment but it was found to be not needed so now there are no slotted bolt heads. He said to just grind out the dimple and drill the bolt head to accept the larger dia. firing pin in the bolt. I did and have not had a problems with it.

El Lobo

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I knew you were good for something!