Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Are pre-64 bolt bodies stainless?

I was under the assumption that they were stainless, and just received photos from my smith of my rifle that was reblued and the bolt body has been blued as well. It looks very poor and is blotchy in places. I know stainless doesn’t take blueing so perhaps that’s why it looks that way? I’ll probably have them strip the blueing on the bolt before it ships back to me as long as it is stainless.

They are not stainless. I used the know the alloy and RC hardness as I had a few fire damaged guns re-heat treated a few years ago. Same alloy as the receiver but a little harder as I recall.