L579 Forester .308

[xfmrdude]

Hello. Purchased at an auction a L579 Foester in .308. When I finally received it in the mail I removed the bolt to find that it looks to have been damaged due to rust. The rust has been removed, but the pitting is still obvious.
The chamber does not appear to have any sort of damage in the way of rust or pitting like the bolt has.
My question is is the bolt safe to use in this condition? How is it possible that there does not seem to be any other sign of neglect ?
Is it repairable or should I just replace it ( if possible) with another bolt.
The s/n's match gun to bolt so I would like to keep original if possible.
Sorry about the pics, but could not get my camera to focus up close.

Any and all help would be great!

 

[ricksengines]

Looks good to go.

rick

 

[iwanna]

See what the others say, but from what I think I see in your pictures... Function-wise you got absolutely nothing to worry about. It looks like hardly any pitting will show when the bolt is closed. What pitting there is looks shallow. It is what it is. Use and enjoy.

A replacement bolt, if available, would be near as expensive as the rifle.

 

[paulsonconstruction]

Those shallow pits & rust discoloration can easily be filed & polished away, making your bolt appear brand new. Check with a smith or company that provides bluing services, as they should have the appropriate tooling to "brighten" it up!! You could also just use it as is, unless it bothers you enough that you want it corrected. Neither the cosmetic damage nor the repair will affect the bolt's function or integrity.

 

[GreyFox]

A wire wheel will buff most of that out.

 

[xfmrdude]

Those shallow pits & rust discoloration can easily be filed & polished away, making your bolt appear brand new. Check with a smith or company that provides bluing services, as they should have the appropriate tooling to "brighten" it up!! You could also just use it as is, unless it bothers you enough that you want it corrected. Neither the cosmetic damage nor the repair will affect the bolt's function or integrity.

Thanks Grey Fox.
So even if the damaged is removed completely it will not effect any bolt or chamber clearances?

 

[GreyFox]

Shouldn't be an issue unless you file or mill it away! Use a wire wheel, you'll be OK

 

[kevinlg]

One word.......ScotchBrite!

Gray scotchbrite will easily blend with the factory bolt finish.......or maybe it is the Red "grit".

BTW........by "hand". NO power tools.

 

[xfmrdude]

Thank you all!!
Next question. Should I disassemble the bolt so I can completely repair and properly clean after? Can anyone give me a quick run down on the disassembly of the bolt?

 

[GreyFox]

You tube.

Depending on your level, DO NOT remove the bolt guide (the rotating bar that aligns the bolt. replacement springs ar hard to find and if you distort it your in for headaches.

Personally, I'd wheel it softly (think polish) with a medium wire brush and a grinder on high speed. SOFTLY. let the wheel. not the grinder so the work!

 

[xfmrdude]

Thanks Grey.
Should I use a soft brass wire brush or fine or medium steel wire wheel?

 

[ricksengines]

Hey Dude, Just leave the darn thing alone and enjoy the rifle. The minor pitting in this thing isn't hurting anything and will not affect performance of the rifle at all. This doesn't have to be rocket science. If you just want to brighten the bolt up a bit use a green pad and do it by hand. No power buffers or wire brush grinders please. A good motto to go by is don't fix it if it ain't broke.

rick

 

[paulsonconstruction]

Just from the questions you have asked, it's obvious that your knowledge regarding the bolt is limited. That, combined with trying to follow instruction over the internet usually leads to disaster. Can't tell you how many guns are brought to me in a bucket to fix or reassemble after their owners went down the path you are contemplating. When you asked for a "quick run down on how to disassemble the bolt", I could foresee trouble ahead. Ricksengine has given you the best advice so far & it is well worth heeding. There is nothing that really needs fixed. If you want it to be cosmetically perfect, take it to a pro & save your self a lot of grief & expense. Just sayin'

 

[xfmrdude]

Just from the questions you have asked, it's obvious that your knowledge regarding the bolt is limited. That, combined with trying to follow instruction over the internet usually leads to disaster. Can't tell you how many guns are brought to me in a bucket to fix or reassemble after their owners went down the path you are contemplating. When you asked for a "quick run down on how to disassemble the bolt", I could foresee trouble ahead. Ricksengine has given you the best advice so far & it is well worth heeding. There is nothing that really needs fixed. If you want it to be cosmetically perfect, take it to a pro & save your self a lot of grief & expense. Just sayin'

Yes you are correct with my knowledge of the sako bolt, but I thought that's what this forum is for? Not everyone my have the knowledge of you paulson, so we ask the question to be better knowledgeable going forward.

 

[ricksengines]

Dude, meaning no disrespect but you have been given sage advice multiple times by our contributors that are what we consider to be experts. My impression is that like others that have sought advice you are intent on going down a bunny trail that could get you into a lot of trouble given your experience. Let me give you a good example. In the past we have had people that could not get the safety to work on an L46 rifle. They wanted to take the bolt apart, clean and lube it and reassemble. This condition usually occurs on a rifle that has sat in a safe for years without being used or even lubed and cycled every now and then.

Now pardon me for saying this but, I think I know a fair amount about firearms. My advice to them in such a situation has always been and will always be to soak the bolt in a good penetrating oil for a few days. This approach always frees up the stuck safety and lubes the inside of the bolt to boot. Why this advice, because disassembling the bolt usually isn't necessary and can lead to disaster if you don't know what you are doing or break something like the extractor. No parts available you see.

Now, it is up to you to take our advice. Just because you don't like the advice we give isn't our problem. What if we told you go ahead and take the thing apart and here is how to do it and you lose or break something that can't be replaced? Then I am sure you would be taking us to task for advising such folly.

If you search the board or the internet for that matter there are instructions for disassembling your bolt. But, respectfully, how many times do you need to be told that the pitting is minor, does not affect the performance or safety of the rifle and can be lightly polished out a bit. We are just trying to keep you out of trouble.

All of this said I have to ask a really stupid question. What do you hope to accomplish by taking the bolt apart in the first place? You aren't going to get a gold star by doing so given the nature of the problem that you brought to us.

If you are really determined to take your bolt apart, I say knock yourself out. On the other hand, you asked and we have given you our best advice. I suggest that you take it and move on to other more enlightening threads that have been posted by our members, newbies included.

rick