Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Newest M70's have one piece bolt and handle?

The new flange is so small it actually doesn't do much. It's not at all like a flanged Mauser 98 bolt shroud.

Yes, but if I had a gas leak, I'd sure as hell rather it be with my S.C gun than my New Haven gun. RJ

Okay, so I agree it's a two piece design,. My mistake was assuming that the original concern was that the handle was tacked on like the Remington 700. It obviously isn't. The handle is one piece with a collar that slips onto the bolt body, and the collar is brazed on. (IMO superior to the Remington 700. The contact area of the brazed collar is significantly greater than the contact area where the 700 handle meets the bolt.)

I also said there is no evidence of brazing material and I think I am wrong there, too. My mistake there was believing the brazing material would be like that seen on the Remington 700 - a metallic bronze color. But the Winchester apparently uses copper. And I believe there is evidence of that in that area. One of my bolts has some turquoise coloring in that area that might be some left over copper, maybe some overflow, or from copper infused flux, that looks like it was perhaps polished then blued resulting in the bluing salts oxidizing the copper into its tell-tale turquoise color. That turquoise showed up on one of the earlier pictures I posted.

Which will only happen with misuse. It’s seriously a non issue.

It's a non-issue as long as the joining is done properly with sufficient brazing and a decent fit between the parts; just like Remington. This is not always the case. GD

Here’s another version of the story….

https://benchrest.com/showthread.php?76743-Model-70-Stripped-Bolt-Spline-Repair

My guess is that if any movement exists or develops between the two parts, trouble lies ahead.

I agree 100%. Look hard enough, you can find problems with anything. Even Leupold scopes.

Actually you wouldn't be able to tell much, if any differance. BTDT.

If one is really concerned about it send it to Accu-Tig.

But possibly enough difference to save an eye. RJ

I’ve been present at two whoopsies involving the wrong cartridge for the rifle. One was with an experimental P14 chambered in 7.92 Mauser fed a .308 by mistake. The other was a pre-64 rechambered from ‘06 to some .30 cal mag, but no so marked. Both shooters got some powder grains in their faces, and the P14 guy had a few bits of brass. The P14 sustained serious damage; stock broken around the mag well, bent floorplate, and the extractor broken into several pieces, one of which that hit me a couple of benches over. The M70 got a bent floorplate and the extractor came unhooked at the front, but nothing else. The smith at the shop where it was purchased straightened the floorplate over his thumb and re-attached the extractor. Without glasses however, that one could have been bad. I always wear glasses at the range, and have started wearing them most of the time in the field too.

You will still get plenty of gas in the face. That's why you should wear shooting glasses.

Yep, cheap and quick. I sent my 416 Rem bolt to him and had it back pronto. I took it with confidence to Zimbabwe for buffalo and plains game. Dirt cheap insurance.

Not necessarily, not all gas leaks are created equal. RJ

They don’t list the M70. Has anyone had one of those done there?

EDm just mentioned above he had.

Did you miss the part where I said I have experienced a gas leak with a model 70 with a flanged bolt shroud? Even with a minor event you still get gas in the face.

Why would you consider this?

First, are there any credible accounts of M70 handles breaking off bolts? I've scoured the net and the best I can find are a few very anecdotal 2nd or 3rd person accounts, possibly duplicating each other, with no photos or any other sort of proof. If this were a thing even approaching an issue, wouldn't there be some evidence of it? Even the very few accounts of Remington 700 bolts coming off usually involve abuse, or some yahoo cutting a knob off his bolt handle and trying to weld on a tacticool knob without taking the precaution of using a heat sink and heat absorbing paste to keep the brazed joint from getting compromised.

Second, (with no intent to disparage anyone's work) brazing is a incredibly strong bond, applied over a large area, with moderate heat that doesn't involve melting the bonded metals. From all accounts I've read, brazing produces a bond that is as strong or stronger than the bonded metals. And again, that bond is applied over a larger area than a weld. Welding requires much higher heat such as to melt the bonding metals. Can't applying a weld to a spot on a brazed joint compromise the brazing? It seems it can. Then you are left with a small spot weld holding two pieces together that was held together by a larger area of brazing, probably resulting in a weaker joint, not stronger. To satisfy my own curiosity, I talked last night about it with my son who hold multiple welding certifications and does welding on aircraft carriers and submarines. He seems to think the same thing. And he says tig welding has its own challenges so that you don't end up with a weak weld. Given that many of his own welds have to be xray inspected since they are on critical parts of warships, I'd tend to go with that.

I just don't see the issue here. There are next to no proven accounts of M70 bolt handles breaking off. With the number out there, you'd think there would be some. Nothing really but anecdotes. But if having a weld put on brings peace of mind, go for it. But you may be doing more harm than good.