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Posted: 7/27/2008 1:04:23 PM EDT
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I'm at about 3000 rounds in my rifle. The bolt fragged itself today mid-magazine. It basically cracked in half in the middle of the cam pin hole. The crack is in the vertical axis of the hole. Is this a common stress point, or should I be looking for problems elsewhere? I was shooting my reloads. However, they were all well below the advertised maximum charge amount. I was using 22gr of H335 with a 55gr Hornady FMJ. I don't think this had anything to do with the bolt fracture, but I figured you guys would want all the info. The empty casings showed no signs of overpressure. The bolt was in the locked position, with a chambered round when I realized what happened. I pulled the charging handle back to see the front of the firing pin looking at me. I disassembled the rifle, and luckily I had a pick with a 90 deg. bend that I used to unlock the bolt. I then hit the end of the upper assembly lightly on the shooting rest to dislodge the front of the bolt. An unfired round fell out with it. SOoooo..... what happened??? Do I just have a shitty bolt that decided to let go? I don't own a digital camera, but I contacted my friend who does. Hopefully I can get pics up soon. Also.... Where should I buy a new bolt? Edit- I keep thinking about the reloads. Im still in the early stages of reloading, and this is kind of scaring me off from rolling my own. Im almost 100% positive the charge amount was exactly as stated above, but I suppose human error could have reared its ugly head. Although, like stated above, none of the casings showed signs of overpressure. Could an overcharged round cause this type of fracture? |
ChuckBronson
Surprise Surprise... folks just never get it... EVERYTHING performs solid at first... until it breaks... That's why you spent the coin up front and get something better... Your paying for material and QC testing that will lesson that from happening... get a BCM bolt and learn from this.. Just thing if you had spent a little more.. you would be at the range today and got more then 3K out of that bolt. |
If they break at 3K rounds they are. Like others said. The two outboard lugs should break first. In rifle length gas systems, a good bolt can go well over 30k rounds. I was an armorer for thee years before the M-4 became common and broken bolts were almost unheard of on a .mil gun. |
Lesson learned. However, I did go into the gun store with the intent of buying a mini-14. The guy behind the counter talked me into an AR. I knew nothing about the AR15 platform at the time. Now I know. BCM bolt was just ordered from bravo company. |
Yeah, but now I have a full fledged case of BRD. I have a RRA upper assembly on order that Im going to put on a cmmg lower I bought last weekend for Black Rifle number 2. The 600 dollar plinker plus really got me back into shooting, and I think its going to make a nice "test" rifle for future reload recipies. thanks for all your help guys. |
But if you do call them, be sure NOT to mention you were using handloads. Oly will use any excuse to avoid honoring their warrenty. Tell them you were using Winchester factory ammo. 
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I use the exact same componants to make my blastin rounds except I like it hotter and use 25gr of H335.If you are doing 22gr of it then they are light and you definately had an inferior bolt.in Illinois you are better off loading your own rounds, so keep it up. |
Absolutely right!!! Yeah, I've seen broken Colt bolts a time or two---after 10-12,000 rounds of largely full auto fire. My ARs all have different makers names on the side of the lowers, but every one has a bolt and carrier marked "C"
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Hell, I picked up a couple of test fired only Colt bolt/carrier assys from CDNN a few years back for $100 apiece; the carrier in my class threed SP1 cost me $30 (in 1977) and is correct in it's staking (single punch) and right side hole, and the bolt/carrier assy in the arsenal remand M16A1 upper I bought for $300 a few years back was brand new (along w/the barrel) Sold the upper w/o the bolt/carrier for what I paid for the thing w/the bolt/carrier awhile back. O yeah, also swapped an early issue Colt bolt/ carrier that I paid $25-$30 for, back in the '70s, and some cash boot, for an even earlier Colt chromed bolt/carrier, awhile back. You don't seriously think anyone with a lick of good sense would pay Colt's price for anything these days Hell, all my triggers, hammers, and disconnectors are demilled Colt M16 pieces bought at gun shows for 1/4-1/3rd what Colt wants new. You can go w/anything you want, but to whatever extent possible, I'l stick w/Colt. Not saying there aren't other good pieces out there. It's just that If I can get a good condition milsurp Colt or FN piece I don't have to worry about "did I get one of the bad batch that slipped through?" Hell, Gonif; w/your screen name, I'm surpirised you didn't find a way to get your bolts/carriers for free  ETA:For those who don't speak Yiddish (or Australian slang) Gonif means "Thief"
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