Can anybody recommend a good smith who can checker a bolt handle?
Thanks

Max McFarland

Charity littleton. She was Dakota Arms checkered. She's an artist. Prices are reasonable too. She's kinda difficult to get ahold of. She fit did a Pre64 M70 bolt for me. Stunning.

Charity has done several pre64 M70 customs for me. Always nice!
Phil

Does anyone have pictures of checkered bolt handles, and who done the work .

Thanks

Hal

Mark Penrod

⬆️

Nice.

Agreed. That’s such a nice touch and functional as well.

I just sent Mark an email. He built my RF competition rifle, but didn't know that he could do this.

The good ones usually are. Is there a quirkier or more difficult profession to get ahold of than good smiths? Shoot even the mediocre ones are slow to return an email and are oddballs😂

Any of the firearms engravers should be able to make your wishes come true

I have used Charity Littleton and Bruce Farman in the last couple of years. Both did good work, Bruce was more accessible and quicker.

More of that bolt.

That tang looks great.

Mark Penrod told me to contact Gene Simillion.

Roger Green.

Mark Penrod. I think Mark uses Max McFarland bolt knobs (if you look at this thread - a lot of the bolts are Max McFarland. Darcy says he can buy McFarland knobs cheaper than he can make them.



Gene Simillion



Another Mark Penrod.

Sample Bolt Knob

Exceptional rifle.

I agree

Steve Heilman. He built this 22 Hornet by cutting down a pre 64 model 70 22 Hornet action to 22 Hornet length and other metal work that is superb…

http://www.metalandwood.com/Metal---Wood.html

I really like it!

Did Roger do the square bridges? I sure like your rifle!

Heilmann did this bolt handle for me as well. His bolt work has no peer IMO.

Pathfinder

Is that a bolt handle Heilmann made and sells or did he do the installation.
Great looking job.

Hal

Here are pictures of his work on an original Super Grade 22 Hornet bolt. You can also see how well he shortened the original bolt to the shorter bolt for the customized 22 Hornet...

He sure does great work. The checkered panels sure adds to the rifle.
Some of those guys are true artists.

I suppose he made the splice under the extractor grove on the bolt body.

What a great rifle.

Hal

He just did the installation

That is one of fifty (#49) such small ring actions that Pete Grisel built prior to his work with Dakota.

Charity Littleton, if you're not in a hurry.

I could wait for that.

She do the stock also?

For sure. That is very nice.

Just the bolt knob. As far as I know, she only does metal checkering. Can't seem to locate her website, so not sure if she's taking work.

I love the Lincoln log😆

Teebone

What a great piece of wood. Super looking rifle.
Any more pictures or info on the rifle.

Hal

Hal, thanks, here you go. The rifle is built on a commercial FN action, with Blackburn bottom metal, Wisner safety and Lothar Walther barrel chambered in 6.5x55. The blank came from Gunbroker, intended for the seller's project that apparently never got off the ground. The wood was pictured dry, so it wasn't entirely clear what I was buying. Stock work is my own - something that's become an enjoyable hobby over the past 10 years or so.

Wow what great work. You have a great eye for a balanced looking stock. All the lines flow very well and the checkering complements and completes the rifle.
You got a bargain from gun broker. Thanks for sharing.
Hal

Agree with Hal.

Did you do the stock checkering?

Thank you. Yes, I did the stock checkering.

Well done. Can’t imagine the time that took!

TeeBone
It's hard to say for sure but your checkering lines look extremely straight.
I think you could quit your day job and do rifle building.

Hal

I apologize that I'm not able to make a bolt checker recommendation as requested by the OP. My only suggestion is that looking at the profiles of the members of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild might yield some good options to consider.

Having said that, since this post is about checkering bolts I just thought I would share a rifle that I did not win at auction that was built by Dietrich Apel (owner of New England Custom Gun & now deceased). I really liked this LH Dakota 76 in 7mm-08 but I think it's the only rifle I was willing to potentially pay a lot of money for just because I loved the bolt handle so much. Unfortunately someone else loved it more than me.

Great looking bolt knob.
Thanks for sharing.

Hal