Since getting my 455 I've been looking for a handle, well specifically someone to do the job, but nobody wants to as they are a huge pain.

I ordered one of these from Glades Armory and will update when I receive it.

CZ 455 bolt handle

I'm really interested in how that works.

I just shot mine with a scope tonight and it's Pain with that short handle

I'll post a review up hopefully it gets here by mid week.   Gunsmiths just plain don't like working on them.  They are hard metal and the newest knobs are hollow so you have to weld a stud on etc.   I'm kind of surprised nobody brought an option like this to market sooner. 

Took cycling it a few times to make it feel right, not sure where it was hanging up, but this is a must have upgrade.

great handles and great to buy from been running one of their savage handles for about 3yrs now, plan to get one for my 6mmCM ruger american also.

Does the bolt require more force to move than with the factory handle? The reason I ask is because I put a GA bolt handle on a Ruger RAR, and it became extremely difficult to manipulate the bolt - MUCH harder than even a Mosin-Nagant bolt.

It had to wear in over minimal cycles, but no extra force.

The factory knob is basically unusable in my option.  At least for what I'm wanting it to do.  Gunsmith's don't want to mess with them because they are are pain in the ass.

I got one from a guy  who shows his work on a few different other forums. It was before the aftermarket one came available. He did an excellent job and the finished product was excellent in finish and function. Glades doesn't look too far behind in quality.

what was his name?  I have been pinging a guy on snipershide (what the HECK happened to that website?!)  and haven't heard back from him yet.

I dont want to give out any info without checking with him although he was seriously backlogged last I checked. He is probably the same guy you found. I know 6 months ago his inbox was full.

And the Hide went back to the legacy site. Is that what you mean?

Nobody wants to do the work anymore.  One guy did get back to me saying he did it as part of full builds, but not one its own.  

Two other guys who do work on that stuff didn't even reply 

The guy im thinking of didn't mind doing it. He didnt think they were as terrible as everyone thinks. He welded a shoulder, filled any holes then turned it down with his lathe. He said he wasnt sure why gunsmiths dont do them other than its a bit more involved. He didnt mind the extra steps. And his always turned out excellent.

And he has had a lot of work. So it doesnt surprise me thats his in box is full.

Elgordo is one i reached to who has been MIA

@TeeRex

Is that a 455 Trainer in a McMillan stock? Reason I'm asking us I saw one in the same camo patterned stock at a LGS and was wondering if it was a McMillan stock. No one at the store could tell me.

It's a Manners T4 in gap camo.  That's how that particular model comes. 

I have that same model. it's spectacular, but you're right, that bolt knob is a flipping joke.  almost not usable.


i'm ordering the glades right now.

Did I read somewhere that some of these are aluminum? Does it really matter? Reason I ask is I'd like to do the tactical one as it looks very similar to the Badger Ordnance on my match rifle.

Depending on which one, the threaded knob is aluminum. The bolt handle itself should not be aluminum. I would be concerned if that were the case.

Handle is steel, knob is aluminum.  

Got my Glades bolt handle this afternoon and installed it tonight.  


I had the same issues that TeeRex ran into.  The bolt handle was catching on something in the action.  Mostly the bolt would cycle forward fine, and then on the back cycle it'd stick,  sometimes pretty solidly. I'd have to wiggle it a bit and then it would cycle back.


I did the same thing, I oiled it up and cycled it thirty or forty times, it smoothed up some but was still sticking every few  cycles.  Then it stuck shut. I couldn't get it open at all. I pulled pretty hard, whacked the handle a couple times with my palm and it was stuck pretty good.

I dropped the mag and jiggled, nothing.

finally I started jiggling the bolt hard with firm backwards pressure, after several seconds of this it finally popped loose.


I looked at the Glades and Stock bolt and they looked and felt pretty much identical.  there is even an almost little mold seam on the bottom edge of the collar that felt like it would catch, but the stock bolt has it too.

There is a sharp flat edge on the very root of the actual bolt knob that was sharper, it felt like it was hanging up on the shoulder of the action some.

this bolt also doesn't play very nicely with the Athlon Argos I have mounted on this rifle. The zoom ring is pretty thick and the bolt handle base almost hits that. I thought originally that the bolt was catching on the ring, but what it seems happens is I would open the bolt to where I'd naturally open it, pull back and it would catch.

I would push the bolt just a hair higher, towards the scope, and it would come free.   so that sharp shoulder was somewhat suspect.



I took a small diamond file and knocked that sharp edge down just a bit and radiused the corner. I wasn't too careful cause this gun is never getting sold and it's an aftermarket part, I can always drop the stock part back on and be fine. So I just filed off the edge and rounded that corner a little bit. Hoping for the best.

After working it a bit it was still sort of "catching" just a bit but didn't stick hard,  that edge was catching on the shoulder of the action like a sear.

I got some JB bore paste, and smeared it around the base of the bolt collar where that little seam seemed to be catching and worked the bolt in and out about 200 times and opened and closed the bolt a couple hundred times and cleaned it up.

Bolt is very very smooth now and isn't hanging up,  works VERY well and is HUGELY beneficial to this rifle. The rifle is much much easier to use with that knob on it and I wish they shipped with a knob like this. I'd have paid a little more for a knob like this from the factory.


The only downside is my bolt has a dull gray look now and not shiny from the abrasive action of the bore paste.   I don't think I care,  it still looks awesome, just a little more muted. The upside is my bolt feels like it's riding on greased ball bearings. It was good before but it's fantastic now.  


rifle is perfect, the only other thing I can think to do to it at this point would be to drop a Lilja barrel on it, but at this point that would probably just be vanity and one-upsmanship or something.  This barrel shoots as well as I can with Norma Match ammo,  I can't imagine the Lilja would be any better.  This is now by far,  my favorite .22.  

Oh and it's my heaviest.   By a country mile  But man it's a great rifle and that bolt just polished it off.

pictures of finished product?

Awesome post. Mine shipped from Glades today, I'm anxious to see how it works.

I swapped the knob out on mine to match what I use on my centerfires.  

I was probably one of elgordo's last bolt jobs.  Here's a shot of my bolt elgordo sent to me prior to cerakoting.  His turnaround was less than 5-days door-to-door.  The blending of the bolt to the knob is impeccable.  Hopefully he'll start offering his services again.

I *REALLY* want him to start again, I actually ordered a spare stock bolt just in case he starts doing it again. That is a good looking bolt and built on the stock bolt handle, probably wouldn't have the polishing/hanging up issue.


Anyone know how to put the original polish back on my bolt if I decide to?  Dremel with some polishing compound?  Should I get a buffing wheel?

I just placed an order from Glades.  Glad I found this thread.  I was hoping to find someone to modify my handle-but I guess the wait times will be less with Glade's handle.  I'll throw up some pics when I get it in...



Adam D.

I got one of these and had no issues with fitment. Works great.

Am I crazy to want to loctite the handle on? It comes unscrewed easily.

The bolt handle itself?  I am going to. I actually couldn't find my loctite but did find my Teflon tape,I put a turn of Teflon tape under it for now and it's holding fine.

As soon as a track down the loctite I'm going to though

How long did it take to get yours after they shipped it? I didnt get a tracking number with the shipping email

Got mine quick. 3 days I think.

nice i think it shipped last friday or saturday so it should be here soon

Mine got here last week, it went on easily and after a few cycles with a light oil on it my action feels like butter. Fantastic upgrade.

I had a guy ( there's a couple different guys that do them ) on Rimfirecentral put a aftermarket bolt handle on my stock cz 455 precision trainer. Looks identical to the Glades version. They both have a couple different style's available

The problem is pretty much nobody is taking work on them.  Guys that are are only doing them with full barrels, etc. 

I received mine a few days ago and also thought it was hanging up on something. It looked like the edge of the handle was hitting the action and preventing the bolt from going forward.

It actually ended up fine though, it was the way I was pushing the bolt forward - bolt now cycles fine and I worked it about 50 times. My CZ action is just super rough, by far my worst action, hilariously enough the trigger is awesome.

I agree though, this is a must have upgrade. The price is right as well. The stock bolt nob is almost unusable and super uncomfortable. Even with the gritty AF action, the bolt handle was even worse.

Money well spent

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campId=5337559805&toolId=10001&customId=j3sua385ys00zk8a00004&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F182598603820

Installed my new one from Glades last week.  It was a little catchy on the down stroke of cambering a round at first, but some oil and about a hundred times working the action while watching TV and now it is slick and real nice.  Now just a finger and it lifts and recocks without disrupting the sight picture.

@ TeeRex

Are you associated with Team Area 419?