I’m having issues, which I believe are related to the firing
pin in my 25-06 rem mountain rifle. No time to repair before the season. Can I just swap bolts with my 30-06 mountain rifle?

If you have a way to check headspace it could work but it isn’t a straight swap without checking. Swapping firing pin assemblies would be an easy and safe test. Or just use the 30-06

Interesting question. Yes, no, maybe. Do you have a gunsmith handy who can check the headspace in both rifles after the swap, assuming they both fit and work properly with the switch? That would be my main worry. I tried a swap using my two M700 Classics and it seems to work OK so other that the possible headspace issue I think it would work.
Paul B.

Try chambering a sized case with the other bolt. Then put a piece of masking tape on the head of the case and try again. If it chambers without the tape but doesn't with the tape, you should be okay to use the bolt.

Why wouldn’t you just swap the firing pin assembly?

Good question. Or just use the .30-06, as nimrod mentioned.

Would have been very easy to just swap bolts. It’s really no biggie, but I have been doing some load development with the 25-06 and was wanting to use it. I’ll probably just run with the 30-06 or one of the others....
Thanks all

Would take less than a minute to swap firing pin assembly?

IF,both rifles have not been trued/rebarreled or molested-

Measure the LENGTH of the bolt lugs.
.440" is mean dimension.

Swap the bolts & don't look back.

The last 4 digits of the receiver serial number are inscribed in the bolt body for identification purposes.


IF,either action has been trued/re-barreled you will need to take a couple measurements from the trued bolt for comparison.

Do this and be done with it.

I would Swap firing pins first and see if that corrects your issue....Good luck...Hb

What problem are you having?


Okie John

It’s weird. The first shot, sometimes the second, have weak primer strikes. I first chalked it up to old primers but then it happened with new primers. One or two shots with weak primer strikes and then I can shoot all day just fine. The exact thing has happened in four trips to the range. Strange. Figured I’d replace the firing pin and spring.

I just stripped the whole bolt and pin down, cleaned, lube very very lightly, and reassembled. We’ll see. Should be able to hit the range Monday.

Anyone else have any other ideas?

The chamber could be slightly too large, or if using reloads, maybe the shoulder is set back too far. (per the cartridge base tape- testing above - only neck sizing of fired cases in the same gun will alleviate) Short shoulders or sloppy chambers might allow the cartridge enough forward movement or displacement on firing to lessen the firing pin strike force, tho this should not happen only on the first round or two, but elsewhere.

Are the primers fully seated in clean, tight pockets?

But it really sounds like firing pin mechanics - gunk or rough surfaces or a burr somewhere may be sticking things up and weakening or shortening the strike until loosened up by the first few rounds Thickened oil (by evaporation, dirt, or cold) on the fp shaft could do this. I use only dry to touch stuff like Eezox or Corrosion X for that purpose. So good deal on the bolt strip and clean.

I would also check firing pin protrusion and for a shortened/weakened fp spring. (Never, ever, store a firearm cocked - dry firing it on storage will not hurt it, and will help preserve fp spring strength.)

You may find it is a combination of things.

If replacing fp and/or spring, Tubb may make a kit or spring for the Rem? , as well as for the M70 (installed on my 7X57)

You can also buy "overstrength" fp springs. (Wolf?)

I’m almost certain with these reloads I only resized the neck, which is what I do 99% of the time for all my reloads. I’ll look into it though.

I did buy it used and there is a custom work done on it. It was an ADL. The ADL barrel was replaced with a rem mountain rifle barrel.

Maybe I’ll take it to a smith for a once over if my clean job doesn’t work for me. It was pretty funky in there.

1: go tot the range
2: put the other bolt in the rifle
3: load the rifle
4: pull the trigger>


Since the gauges for the 30.06 and 25/05 (also 280, 270, 35 whelan) are the SAME, what EXACTLY do people think you're checking on "head space"??? So many internet experts "Check the headspace" have NP Idea what it is ot what it means.

There was a discussion on another forum where a guy inherited a rifle (a well known brand) and could get a replacement bolt from a major supplier. For some reason his family had taken the bolt out and lost it. Lots of people on that forum were : Check the head space".... I said order the bolt from the supplier, and shoot it...

From Brownells Site:

ITEM DETAILS
Cartridge: 25-06 Remington, 6.5-06, 270 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, 8 mm-06, 338-06, 35 Whelen

Style: Go Gauge

Made in the USA

you should get a first clue.

You got that right, Don. He should be taking notes here, not giving advise. Somebody could get hurt.


Hancock,

Headspace is set for a given receiver and bolt when the barrel is chambered. Different bolts may have different length/geometry of lugs, and may interface differently with the receiver, causing a change in headspace. Headspace could be reset for that bolt by extending the chamber with a finish reamer, taking material off the back of the bolt lugs, or by setting back the barrel and rechambering.

Bottom line is, it’s possible for one bolt to close on a GO and not close on a NO-GO, but for another bolt in the same rifle not to do so.

"Since the gauges for the 30.06 and 25/05 (also 280, 270, 35 whelan) are the SAME,"

That's not quite right. The .280 Rem. is a fraction longer to Darwin types cannot load it into a .270. Proper headspace for the .280 would be excess headspace for the 2505..270, 30-06 and .35 Whelen.
Paul B.

That is like saying all 2x4's are the same length. Not after being installed. Same as headspace. It fits THAT barrel and bolt together. We are talking about thousandths here

Sounds like it's either dirty or your firing pin spring is weak. I'd take it to the gun smith and take the '06 hunting. No way I'd swap bolts and shoot it without a gun smith checking the head space first.

Have you ever re-barreled a rifle? Not put together an AR,
What if the "head space" is off? then what? You stretch a case, similar to fire form,

Think of an AR Build: The barrel sits in the upper and it "head spaced" by a an alignment pin; the bolt is a 2 piece design, mass produced.

Ever been to a gun maker's business, The guns are put to together like sexing machines, vacuum cleaners, or auto mobiles. Assembly line styled.

Go ahead, spend the money on head space gauges - it's you r money,

BTW the gauges for the '06 family is all the same gauge, so make sure you ask for one for '06 and one for a 280, just to be safe.

Same head space gauge, 308/243/358 are all the same also, But what do I know??

So, I should swap bolts, or definitely don’t swap bolts, maybe try a Howa bolt, check headspace with some masking tape, buy a few different headspace gauges....one for each-06, stand behind a tree with full body armor and a mask, then pull the trigger with a 20ft rope, and lastly, disinfect the rifle and look for signs of pressure. Sound right?

Don't do it. It may work but it may cause you more trouble than you'd think. Case separation, rupture, stuck bolt. You wouldn't have one working rifle.

Maybe stop asking for advice on the Internet from anyone who can type.

Says the man with 4,000 posts.....probably none of which were offering or asking for advice.

I sure hope you were able to see my sarcasm.

I've done it several times......

Take one of your pieces of fired brass, knock the primer out, pull the firing pin assembly out of the bolt, and chamber the brass.

Then, take your other bolt, pull the firing pin assembly, and chamber the same piece of brass.

If it closes easier, tape a piece of scotch tape on the base of the case, & trim to fit. Tape is around .002" thick. If it won't chamber with the tape your GTG.

If pressure on closing the bolt is about the same with either bolt, I'd go ahead and use it w/o worry.

Final test would be to fire a round, deprime, and measure headspace, base to datum line on the shoulder, if you have the tools, and compare to brass fired with the original bolt.

Easy way to check.

Trade bolts and chamber a fired 30-06 case with the 25-06 bolt and vice versa.

You think a 30 cal neck is gonna fit in a 25 cal chamber?

I had IT&D re-barrel a 308 700 Rem. Sent the bolt AFTER this work to AK to have a new bolt handle welded on. USPS lost the bolt on return to me. I bought a new bolt, had the handle welded again then sent the rifle back to IT&D to check headspace. Maybe I was lucky, but headspace was fine. Seems the bolt specs are pretty close on mass produced rifles.

Do as Jordan says or find someone with a headspace guage. I'd prefer the guage route.

Wow

Yep they are all close. Within thousands of an inch. Which is enough to blow your rifle into toothpicks.

Someone, maybe several someones said "Or just use the 30-06."

That is never a bad idea. If a 25-06 will kill whatever you are hunting, a 30-06 surely will.

Shot today. Went off like it should. Think tearing it down and cleaning everything well did the trick.....until the buck of a lifetime steps out broadside at 75 yards!

The 280 headspace gauge is NOT the same as the other '06 based cartridges. Jordan's recommendation to check the headspace with tape is a viable method but I don't recall ever seeing an unaltered 700 where bolts couldn't be interchanged and still be within acceptable limits. I've rebarreled hundreds of them. GD