Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Nitriding a complete bolt action build

Anyone had a complete bolt action rifle build nitrited? Do you like it? Pics?

Are you thinking just for protection from scratches and wear?

If you are trying to improve function and works I would arm tech it, and it would look great too!

I have a couple of nitrided rifles and have two more on the way. All steel components except springs. It is an excellent finish. Almost impervious to weather and moisture. I highly recomend it. It comes out a nice matte/satin black look reguardless of use on blued or stainless steel.

Who do you recommend? Can I see some pics?
I am wanting it for increased corrosion resistance as well as longer bore life.

tag

+1, I'd be interested also.

Jim

Here is the place that did my last job. They do about 500 rifle barrels per week. I received a notice the barrel arrived Thursday evening. Friday afternoon I received an email that it was on its way home. I did the barreled action but no bolt. That included a brake now that I think about it. I think the barrel alone was around a hundred, but don't remember.


Salt bath Nitride
Att: Ritt
H&M Metal Processing
1414 Kenmore Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44314
(330) 745-3075
$150 plus return label

This is my main hunting rifle. A blued Remington 700 actions that has been lightened and trued, and fluted stainless barrel, high tech specialties stock in 300 RUM. This is the rifle I use 90% or more of the time. Has riden hundreds of miles in a 4 wheeler scabbard and been drug thru a lot of thick alaskan brush. Its even been used to scrape trees in an effort to get a bull to show himself on a couple of occasions.

The metal has held up amazingly, it literally looks as good now as it did the day I got it back from nitriding. two years ago I shot a small bull at the last minute and during the rush to get the meat taken care of before I had to return to work I left it in the case until I got back from work a week later. When I opened the case water ran out of it. I was a little worried but when I pulled the rifle out it was just fine. The scope ring screws and swivel studs and swivel rings where orange and furry. I have since had them nitrided.



You can see the wear to the ceracoated aluminum bottom metal and the zolatone stock paint. The stock has been painted twice now!

My buddies shop uses H&M metals to nitride prepped parts. Everything gets fully disassembled (barrel off action), bead blasted, and bagged up and sent out. I would definately remove the barrel, the salts will leak out of the barreled action for days and there has been the occasional barrel that gets loose during the nitride process. This is a very hot process and doesn’t work with all metals, it will also melt sweated on barrel bands and banded front sights off.

I had H&M do a Knight barreled action for me. I'm sold. Finish looks great and turnaround time incredibly fast. If I were to do a chrome/molly rifle build, it would be at the top of my list.

I have a complete rifle I did as well. When I did mine they told me they couldn't do 416 stainless actions. I am getting different stories now. I just ordered another CM action and intend to nitride this rifle when it's done. I did everything but the springs too. I am tempted to NP3 the bolt but will probably nitride the whole thing. I don't think you can nitride a Remington bolt without disrupting the brazing on the bolt handle.

I did three barrels as well. One barrel ended up giving me trouble. I recommend only nitriding barrels that have less than 10 rounds down them.

Why do you suspect the barrel gave you trouble? I guess it was a shooter before you sent it and it sucked upon return?

I had my bolt pinned and tig welded before I had it sent to nitride. Its never a bad idea to have your remington bolt tig welded on.

http://www.accu-tig.com

It was shooting pretty consistent .3 MOA groups with 130 Norma Diamonds at about 3150 fps. Once I got it back it would throw a bullet 8-12" out of the group at 100 yards and sometimes the bullet would either miss altogether or blow up in the air. I had 100 or so rounds down the barrel before nitride (I think- it's been several years). The other two were fired once or twice to knock any tooling burrs off and then cleaned to bare steel. They are fine. My action came back with loads of salt still in ever crack and groove. I had to pick salt out for a week! I think I will stick the next one in my utra sonic tank and see how that does.

What's the cost to do an entire action? I'm thinking about having this done on my 7-08 build but will put on a stainless hart barrel

The beauty of nitride is you can do it to stainless and it still comes out a nice matte black. One of the reasons to pull the barrel out of the action is that it will bleed salt for ever after nitride out of the barrel receiver area. We also had a barrel come loose during the nitride process.