Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing CZ 550 bolt roughness- how to ???

This has had to have been discussed before but my CZ550 has not really slickened up in the years I have owned and used it. I read some instructions on how it might be made slicker using a stone(s)??? Any chance someone has or could produce a few pics - or video- with necessary parts and procedures on how a competent someone might do it and explain it to a hack like myself?

Thanks for any consideration given to this question.

Tag

You have two surfaces to deal with. The bolt and the inside.
You really don't want to touch the mating surfaces of the locking lugs unless you have clear evidence that one is not engaging. Brownells makes tools to do all this for 53 bucks.

The bolt body and the rails can be smoothed a lot on an early CZ as they were 150 grit rough. You can polish the bolt body (like buffing a shoe) with fine grit paper and finishing with crocus cloth, ditto the extractor.

The tops of the receiver rails and the bottom riding surfaces of the bolt lugs can be smoothed with a new super fine stone (keep it flat !)

Good idea to soot up the bolt and rails before any work to see what is rubbing where. Or use a bedding black to do it.

Often missed but also worth doing is polishing the inside of the bolt and any parts of the firing pin assembly that rub on the inside. The cocking cam surfaces also should be stoned smooth to ease bolt lift.

some links:

http://guns.wonderhowto.com/how-to/polish-bolt-bolt-action-rifle-204324/

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-734779.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtH4vs0vFwQ

Just take it slow. Clean up everything and test often.
Nothing quite like a "snickety snick" bolt action !

Thanks Spalding. I ordered two India stones, 320 and 400 grit and may get some 600 grit wet sand paper and give it a go. I might take some pics to document. If I do something wrong y'all can point it out and well maybe it will save others from making my mistakes.

Skip the metal removal. Go have it all Cerakoted in and out and much of the slop will be reduced too.

Put some JB paste on the rails and work the action a few hundred times. Smoothed up a Rem 798 right away I had that was rough as a cob when I bought it. The JB isn't abrasive enough that you can do any damage unlike stones.

Not bad thoughts. Don't want to spend the $$ to cerakote -and want to see a few more of them to get a better feel for it. I used some ring lapping compound on the rails but am sure I didn't work the bolt long enough. My plan is to use the 320 grit in the raceway, then the 400. Seems odd to me that the problem is the bolt itself but will likely go over it as well. I do know the follower puts some pressure on things and wonder if that doesn't take the bolt out of smooth horizontal motion.

A trip to Ace is in my plan. One right by the house and I have coupons so will get some 600 grit paper and maybe some oil since I don't have trans fluid (only brake).

Oh since I just bought a Dremel- can anyone say if there is a place in this process for it?

An old gunsmith told me he thought there ought to be a 3-day waiting period for purchase of a Dremel, because they do so much damage. ;-)

OTOH, my father in law adjusted his false teeth with a Dremel and liked the result, so who knows?

I don't think you can do better than Squirrelnut's method. It smooths both surfaces without removing extra metal - what could be better? Just put on the paste, turn on the ball game, and crank the bolt until the game's over.

forewarned is.....how the heck does that go? I wont be using the dremel. Got my india sticks in today but just got done with another stock ordeal and am giving it a rest for now.

Spalding/oldman1942 is none other than LARRY ROOT, troll of the first magnitude. HE DOESN'T KNOW HIS ASS FROM A HOT ROCK.

Can you point out errors in his advice? My plan is to put Marvel Mystery Oil (sincie it is what I have on hand) on the raceways and bolt and work over lengthwise with 320 stone. Clean up, oil again and go cross wise with 400 stone. Will touch top and side of bolt bolt but not the flats. If I am off someone let me know asap.

Just giving an update to anyone who care.

I worked over the raceways with the 320 stone soaked with Marvel Mystery oil. Wasn't sure if it was better or just wishful thinking so if it was improved it was not by much. The biggest drag occurs as the bolt bottom runs in to the follower. Aside from the direct contact I wondered if the upward pressure it initiates causes contact elsewhere. One rough spot I found was on the top rear most part of the receiver. The very entrance point where you return a removed bolt. It reminded me of inspecting scope rings in need of lapping so I went after it a bit too. I worked the bolt itself over a little and then applied some Flitz to the bolt and lugs mindful not to resurface the locking portions- bolt face. Spent some time running the bolt back and forth and it is definitely improving. Still not quite where I want it but improvement is no longer in question.

Those of you who have a 550 may know what they can be like. If held just right and cycled perfectly they can cycle fine albeit short of slick. On their worst days can really be awful. Right now I have it where on a nice smooth cycle it is much more fluid. It can still bind some when cycled gruffly but I would say it is >50% better.

Some more time with the Flitz, then blasting the bolt clean with break cleaner and making sure to clean the chamber just in case- might have this close to where I would like it.