Good Hollow Mill for Bolt Handle? Or just use a file?

[LRShooting]

I have been looking at adding a bolt knob to my savage 11. Its currently a little on the small side and I find cycling the action with heavy gloves or just doing so quickly without missing the bolt sometimes can be a little bit of a challenge. Being that I dont have a mill and it would be hard for me to make a jig to stick into the huge lathe I would have to use, I am looking at filing down the original knob to a relatively close finished diameter and use a hollow mill to finish it off. This is assuming hollow mills dont require a lot of side to side forces and a drill press would suffice. Im guessing 5/16 diameter would be right for all intents and purposes.

That being said...would it make better sense to just take my time and completely file it down by hand into a fairly close 5/16 shank to be threaded? Ive threaded some pretty bad pieces and as long as its not too thick, it seems to work most of the time. This is usually on softer metal though. I have no experience with bolt handles. Im guessing they are fairly hard, but not as hard as what trigger group components might be.

I have a grinder as well if that is of any help to remove the majority of material. As far as threading, I have all the dies, but they aren't special by any means so I dont know if they will work. Ive only used them on softer materials and I dont know the hardness of savage bolt handles.

 

[hoghunting]

This oversized bolt handle is temporarily out of stock, but it might be a lot easier:

http://www.brownells.com/shotgun-pa...lt-handle-right-hand-oversized-prod13058.aspx

 

[BBBBill]

http://gladesarmory.com/11/savage

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=savage bolt handle

http://www.sharpshootersupply.com/ - click on bolt parts

http://www.tacticalworks.com/Savage-Bolt-Handles/

http://shop.pacifictoolandgauge.com...t_info&cPath=308_129_130_133&products_id=1330

 

[LRShooting]

True. I did not think about just getting one made. After I put 4 or 5 hours of work, get the tools to make, and fit everything, it probably would be easier to justify just buying one outright that has been done right.

BBBBill, any idea on why the PTG bolt handle is so high? I know it comes with the sleeve centering disk and adjustable nut, but it wouldn't justify its x2 cost compared to something like glades armory. Thanks for the sources!

 

[BBBBill]

No clue! I do know that PTG makes really top shelf stuff. I love their reamers and smithing tools. Not sure that I'd pay that much for a bolt handle without more details on the differences.

 

[LRShooting]

No clue! I do know that PTG makes really top shelf stuff. I love their reamers and smithing tools. Not sure that I'd pay that much for a bolt handle without more details on the differences.

My thoughts exactly. I plan on getting their DBM for sure, but I dont think I can see justifying the cost of the handle...

 

[dubbleA]

Looking at all the threads you have going with the topic of building a rifle/gunsmithing, I would suggest building a fixture to use in a lathe. Making jigs are part of the learning curve when smithing and machining. They are a great way to hone your skills while making tools to make a job easier.

Building a jig will teach you many things. When done with figuring out geometries, angles etc single point thread your handle. 5/16x24tpi is pretty much standard for that.

You will have a tough time using a file on a Savage bolt handle as they are fairly hard. Files, grinders,dies are not even close to being a precision method either, something that you will need to instill in your work.

The PTG handle is more due to it having a removable knob, the stem is most likely threaded and it comes with a bolt lift kit. PTG stuff seems a little overpriced at that too.

 

[Kp321]

I have looked into a mill like you describe to cut bolt handles but have balked at the prices. I grind the knobs off of Remington bolts by hand then thread them with a standard 5/16 fine thread die. The interior metal is soft enough to thread well. I have drilled a piece of scrap barrel out to 5/16" and use it as a gauge as I am grinding. I am able to keep it round enough to get good threads.
That being said, I would just buy an oversize Savage factory handle for a 110.

 

[rcmodel]

A hollow end mill in a drill press will probably not work anyway in a typical home drill press.

Even the best drill presses have to much slop in the bearings and quill to prevent chattering when they start cutting

End mills work in mills.
They don't work very well in drill presses no matter how good they are.

The bearings are designed for heavy vertical load, not lateral load chatter a milling cutter introduces into the mix.

Rc