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I have an Adirondack that I would like to get a non fluted bolt for. If I found one or swapped mine for one what are the chances the headspace wil be correct? If it's not correct how expensive would it be to have a smith headspace it? Thank you guys

I had an Adirondack .308 and a Montana 7mm-08. I prefer the fluted bolt and used to swap them all the time. Both guns shot fine with the swapped bolts. I sold the Adirondack, but if you want to trade for my Montana bolt, let me know.

Headspace is the least of your problems with a bolt swap. The bolt is engraved with the serial number so if you swap bolts your warranty is void. Also, the safety might not be in spec after a bolt swap even if you keep your original firing pin, cocking piece and safety. Regardless, I strongly suggest that you only swap the bolt body and not the complete bolt if you really want a non-fluted version.

GWW, was the non fluted bolt smoother than the fluted one? For all purposes it cycles like it should but it bothers me not being smooth. I may sell the whole gun for a Montana. I'm not worried about the warranty.

The Montana bolt is slightly smoother, but I could barely feel the flutes on the Adirondack. There is quite a bit of play in the Mauser style Kimber actions. If you put side to side pressure on the bolt while working it, it won't feel smooth. It seemed to me that the fluted bolt stayed centered on the rails better. But, it could just be my imagination. You should probably handle a Montana to see for yourself. I've never worried about warranties either. I've already chopped the barrel to 18.5" on my Montana, Kimber probably wouldn't like that either.

Thanks. I am going to try to find one to fondle during the break. If it doesn't feel a lot better than the Adirondack I'll stick with what I have.

Put a drop of light oil on your fingertip and rub it over the bolt body and on the front and rear faces of the locking lugs when it’s out of the rifle.


Cycle it about 200 times real hard and fast... like you are well... you know...

See if you can feel any difference between them after that? My guess would be no...

I will try it tonight. I have tried something similar but I couldn't tell a difference.

The Adirondack bolt will never feel as smooth as the 84M Montana bolt because the spring loaded ejector bangs/rattles against the flutes when working the bolt. The fluted bolts on the 8400 actions are a little smoother than their 84 counterparts due to the increased length of the spring loaded ejector in the 8400s in comparison to the dimensions of the flutes.

[quote=MCMXI]Headspace is the least of your problems with a bolt swap. The bolt is engraved with the serial number so if you swap bolts your warranty is void. Also, the safety might not be in spec after a bolt swap even if you keep your original firing pin, cocking piece and safety. Regardless, I strongly suggest that you only swap the bolt body and not the complete bolt if you really want a non-fluted version. [/quote

I have got to handle a Montana and it is much smoother than mine. I've been shooting it some more and killed a couple more deer with it. I really don't want to get rid of it. It shoots lights out. If I did swap bolts with GWW could I have a gunsmith get the safety back in spec if it was not? Again the warranty is of no concern. Mine is probably already gone anyway. im going to call Kimber tomorrow just to see what they say about it.

Good luck calling Kimber, you will blow their minds with a question like this.

You just have to get the right person. Not easy though.

You have the option to call CS and get a price on having a Montana bolt fitted correctly to your rifle but Kimber is not going to sell you (ship you) a bolt due to liability, so if that's what you're hoping for you'll be wasting your time calling CS.

As I stated in an earlier email, your best bet is to swap bolt bodies with GWW with the agreement that if you have issues you can swap back again. If you swap bolts and the headspace and safety function are acceptable for both parties then you're good to go. If headspace is excessive (bolt closes on a NO GO or FIELD gage) there isn't much you can do except pay for a custom recoil lug that times the extractor cut and either corrects or allows for the correction of the headspace. If the bolt won't close on a GO gage you can run a reamer into the chamber a few thousandths. If the safety won't engage due to the fit of the cocking piece to the sear or the safety won't move the firing pin back enough you're out of luck. A talented gunsmith could make a new cocking piece or mess with the cam on the safety or the cam on the cocking piece but that's a whole lot of "maybe".

If I were in your shoes I'd try GWW's bolt body first, return it if the safety doesn't work correctly or if the headspace is unacceptable, and then consider sending the rifle in to Kimber to have a Monatana bolt fitted which would be engraved with your rifle serial number. Sending the rifle in would give you two bolts that both work properly and your warranty would be intact. In hindsight it might have been easier to buy a Montana and have the barrel cut back to 18", new threads cut and a new crown added but then again you wouldn't have the dipped stock or the "special" bolt handle. I hope that GWWs bolt body works for you since that would be the cheapest and easiest route. I hope you let us know how it turns out.

It would have been cheaper had I known then what I know now. If I wasn't scared of the Kimber roulette I would just buy a Subalpine and cut the barrel off. It would also be easier if this rifle didn't shoot so well. I emailed Kimber about the price for a new bolt fitted by them.

You might want to make the point that the rifle shoots very well and that you want to keep your existing bolt and don't want any changes made to the barrel or chamber so that if you use your existing bolt nothing has changed ... assuming that's what you want. What they would most likely do is find a bolt body that has "perfect" headspace and then fit a new cocking piece to your existing trigger such that your safety performs as designed and is in spec. You would have to pay for a complete new bolt plus the labor, test ammo and shipping to/from NY. I'm interested to hear what that will cost.

Kimber said they didn't have the capability to do custom work so no go from them. He said they were looking into it for the future. I talked with a guy named Montana. That's pretty funny. I think I'll just say screw it and stick with what I have. It shoots too good to mess with. Kevin Weaver said he could polish everything and it would be better.

if the oil didn't do the trick, try a little bit of JB compound mixed with oil... just be prepared to have to clean the ever living piss out of it afterwards...

Adirondacks are great rifles, my .308 is my go to hunting rifle. Killed 4 deer and a handlful of pigs in the last 2 years with it. 130gr. TTSX are hammers.

I love everything about it except the bolt. I will try some JB. I have a Browning T bolt I'm going to try it on too. Thank you.