Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Silver solder or TIG weld my Model 700 bolt handle back on?

Posted this in Hunting Rifles about my bolt handle falling off but thought I�d bring it here as well.

Scenario � my Model 700 bolt handle came off. A local gunsmith can silver solder it back on or TIG weld it back on. Do you guys have any recommendations for one over the other? The smith said that the TIG weld would leave a less visible seam than the solder.

So � silver solder the handle or TIG weld it back on - what say you and why?

I say tig weld, than you could let us know how it works out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />, and how it looks! just thinking outloud, been thinking about doing something like this myself,either tig or celts bolt trick!ackleyfan

I'd first silver solder it back on, making sure its were it needs to be, then put a small tig weld on the bottom side of bolt handle, I seen it done this way, and to me makes for a stout repair that will give peace of mind in the reliability of rifle.

I've installed many bolt handles on the rem 700 rifle with silver solder. Using the proper ribbon type silver solder, along with a good flux, and some prep work with emery paper on all metal and ribbon solder, I have not had any of my handles fall off.

I think the factory has problems sometimes because not doing the proper prep work and using enough flux, when soldering the handles on. Its a tidious job that is not for everyone to do, it requires a good attention to detail.

In my openion, if you tig weld the bottom side of the bolt handle, it is stronger then the method I've seen people ad screws to hold handle in place, I just dont think much of that Idea of screws. IMHO

if you have not already done so pose your problem on the gunsmithing forum at accuratereloading.com, and do a search there, I think I saw a reference to a reputable smith who pins and silver solders the handles.

Thanks to all - I've found a local smith who I trust and will take the rifle to him this afternoon. Apparently the original silver soldering was not done correctly at the factory. According to this smith and others, proper silver soldering should be strong enough that the bolt handle will bend before the solder joint breaks.

To prove a point, I put rem bolt in blocks in vise, tapped the handle smartly with brass (6 oz) hammer off comes the handle!
Tig done on absolutely clean bolt body & handle, will usally rip steel from bolt body before separating at welds. Ask any benchrest shooter (tapping the handle up in compettion)who has to shoot hot loads to be compettive! I/we used to workup load until popped primer then down 1/2 gr then go shooting!

If you tig weld after silver solder, you will get a mess if the weld is anywhere near the solder. The solder and weld are not compatible.

Jim - FYI, according to Otteson (The Bolt Action Rifle) Remington 3 piece bolts are assembled by a high temperature copper braze. I'm assuming the reasoning behind this is because the braze will still be solid at the temperatures needed to heat treat the bolt (about 1600 F)

Depending on the silver solder used, you could be seeing up to 1100 F, which would take most of the temper out of the camming area of the bolt. So be sure that your smith is using one of the lower temp silver solders.

If you end up going with TIG, it is possible that with good heat control, you wouldn't lose the temper in the camming area even though the temperatures involved are much higher. But even if this did happen, you could have it heat treated post weld.

So, for me, TIG would be my first choice.

TIG welding over a join that has also been silver soldered is idiocy.

Regards,
Scott

If he has the TIG welder and knows how to use it, do that.
He could also MIG it on.

To keep from annealing the bold lugs, you have to remove the firing pin and spring and insert a heat sink to absorb the excess heat and confine it.

Brownells has all this stuff.

Along with the heat sink you also need great globs of heat paste. Tho' the old way was to bury the bolt in wet sand.
Silver solder is fine for sights & such, I would not trust it on a bolt handle.
Brownells also sells 50,000 psi steel rod for acetylene welding. works great.

Follow up - I had this silver soldered back on. You can read about it under Hunting Rifles - "Aw man, the bolt handle fell off".

I figure since it lasted 15 years under normal use even with a faulty fit and faulty solder, it should do okay with a flush fit. As long as I don't take any 2X4's to it, that is. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />