What is the strongest military bolt action?
- Thread starter BoogieMan
- Start date
The version I read said we paid Mauser $200,000 for use of the stripper clip.
Yes, the Arisaka surpised every one in the strength tests.
I would say the M1917 Enfield, the P-13 from which it was derived was chambered for a rather potent 7MM round.
P. O. Ackley may have done "weird things" but like many experimenters he
contributed to our body of knowledge.
Yes, the Arisaka surpised every one in the strength tests.
I would say the M1917 Enfield, the P-13 from which it was derived was chambered for a rather potent 7MM round.
P. O. Ackley may have done "weird things" but like many experimenters he
contributed to our body of knowledge.
RaySendero
New member
Strongest:
How about the Pattern 1914 Enfield?
How about the Pattern 1914 Enfield?
If you want to build a 460 you need a magnum length action. The standard M98 isn't long enough.
The 602 BRNO is a magnum action.
So is the old Remington Model 30 (a civilian extension of the M1917).
Various pre-war Mausers are available but are frightfully expensive. There are also some custom made magnum actions that are equally not cheap.
If I wanted a 460 Weatherby I think I would buy one.
The 602 BRNO is a magnum action.
So is the old Remington Model 30 (a civilian extension of the M1917).
Various pre-war Mausers are available but are frightfully expensive. There are also some custom made magnum actions that are equally not cheap.
If I wanted a 460 Weatherby I think I would buy one.
Not so. Most modern bolt action rifles are not CRF.
The Remington 700 is the most prolific of all the modern production rifles. Not a Mauser style action.
Even the Model 70 went to push feed for a while ....
The Savages all use a rotating bolt head, IIRC. Not Mauserish at all.
....to say nothing of all the modern rifles out there that are not even bolt actions at all .....
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
When Remington first brought out the 721, they issued a press release of their torture test: .30-'06. 220-grain bullet ahead of a caseful of 4064. They would add a 220-grain bullet for each cycle until destruction/impairment.
Four rifles tested: Springfield, Model 70, 1917 Enfield, 721.
Once was enough for the Springfield. The Model 70 quit on two bullets. The Enfield locked up with three. The 721 survived and it was felt that four was sufficient testing.
The 1917 Enfield action has been the basis for many magnum cartridges and large-bore African cartridges.
Four rifles tested: Springfield, Model 70, 1917 Enfield, 721.
Once was enough for the Springfield. The Model 70 quit on two bullets. The Enfield locked up with three. The 721 survived and it was felt that four was sufficient testing.
The 1917 Enfield action has been the basis for many magnum cartridges and large-bore African cartridges.
Jim Watson
New member
Oh, yes, Parker O. was a national treasure.
I was reading his column in Guns & Ammo back when that was a moderately technical publication. One of his mainstays in business then was building eagle rifles. Yup, eagles were shot as varmints as late as the 1960s. Read Elmer Keith on the subject.
I was reading his column in Guns & Ammo back when that was a moderately technical publication. One of his mainstays in business then was building eagle rifles. Yup, eagles were shot as varmints as late as the 1960s. Read Elmer Keith on the subject.
Dragonflydf
New member
as others have said, the Arisaka was the strongest bolt action rifle of WWII.
There is a documented case of a Type 38 Arisaka, which is 6.5mm, was chamber bored to 30-06 and fired a number of times, the owner complained about the recoil and took it to a gunsmith, turns out the chamber was cut for 30-06, but the barrel was still 6.5mm.
How many actions can stand up to the pressures needed to force a 7.62mm bullet down a 6.5mm barrel ?
There is a documented case of a Type 38 Arisaka, which is 6.5mm, was chamber bored to 30-06 and fired a number of times, the owner complained about the recoil and took it to a gunsmith, turns out the chamber was cut for 30-06, but the barrel was still 6.5mm.
How many actions can stand up to the pressures needed to force a 7.62mm bullet down a 6.5mm barrel ?
Blindstitch
New member
I hope that Arisaka barrel was shot out before the 30-06 chambering. Either way I wouldn't want to stand near that person while shooting or do that to my Type 38.
Where did you get that info...........its true of the early Springfields but not the M1917.
I think as to the strongest Bolt Action Rifle, it would be the M1917.
But that's not saying the others are week (excluding the early Springfield).
If you include other rifles, the strongest military action made was the M1 Garand according to Gen. Hatcher's reports of trying to blow up a Garand.
Considering the fragility of the op rods (they get bent when running premium hunting ammo in the Garand) ...... I'm gonna say "No."
The Arisakas and the Mosin will eat pretty outrageous overloads and keep right on truckin' ....
Iraqveteran8888's torture test videos are pretty instructive in this area.
Time to kill the Urban Legend so lets break it down.
A barrel is pre made, the bolt lock up recess and the front sight are all milled in.
Then an INDEX mark is put on the barrel (there is a corresponding one on the receiver).
You turn said barrel to said index mark and stop when they match.
How can you over-tightened a barrel?
You can't as long as all tolerances in in spec and they used gauges to ensure they were.
You might want to Google Chuck in Denver, he has done hundreds of 1917 barrel removals and no issues with cracked receiver.
He is a gun smith, he has the right tools and knows how to use those tools properly.
I don't buy the brittle Eddystone. All mfgs used the same formulae nickel steel and did not have the heat issue treatment 1903s had. (1903s went to that eventually as well, bulge but not shatter.
Failures like a re-chamber can also have to do with the quality of the work done.
I read the topic title as "What is the strongest military bolt ACTION".
Granted its not a bolt action, but the action itself is the strongest action put on a military rifle.
And the Military doesn't use "premium hunting ammo" ammo in their rifles but they do use some pretty hefty pressure loads.
During WWII, more shots were fired by the grand then fired by the Springfield in the history of that rifle.
To the date of Hatcher writing his "Book of the Garand" in April 1948, no Garand receiver has burst or had lugs sheared off the bolt on the Garand.
Hatcher also writes "high proof loads were built progressively in increments of 5000 pounds pressure from the normal proof load of 70,000 pounds pressure to the square inch to the extreme figure of 120,000 PSI...........at the later figure it was found that sometimes the left lug on the bolt would crack" This rifle was then fired with 5000 rounds of service ammunition in an endurance test, The cracked bolt showed no further deterioration.
But back to Bolt Actions, I still contend that none are as strong as the M1917 action. There have been some pretty nasty conversions made on that action including the 338 Lup.
Gunplummer
New member
The original post is really not a question for open discussion. There is way too much favoritism involved (Including me). "What is the strongest military bolt action?". The testing is already history on some rifles. Some rifles were never tested. It really does not matter what some actions were chambered to. Many a rifle was chambered to a round that was fine until a mistake was made reloading or the punishment was finally enough to cause enough setback for serious problems. The smart approach to a rebarrel is to figure what will happen if something goes wrong. I never really got into the Russians too much because they are just lousy hunting conversions. Mostly converted them to anything that was cheap and available when Russian ammo was hard to get. They do appear really strong, but are kind of like a deck built by a carpenter with no knowledge of wood. If he did not understand the wood potential, he just doubled the size of it. Ackley wanted to expand his tests to the Russian and the Carcano, it just never came about. I was always curious about the MAS 36, but there were just not enough junkers around to play with. I have worked on some MAS 36's and the receivers seem to machine just like the chrome molly Arisaka receivers. Many rifles were never used to their full potential or tested because they simply were lousy hunting conversions or the ammo availability.
reynolds357
New member
Boogie man, if you are wanting strength then Mark V WBY. is king in that department. Dumoulin Magnum Mauser action would be right there with the Mark V and technically it is on the list whereas the Mark V is not.
I know the 585 Nyati has been built on the Dumoulin magnum action. Some have also been built on the standard Dumoulin but length, not strength is the problem.
I know the 585 Nyati has been built on the Dumoulin magnum action. Some have also been built on the standard Dumoulin but length, not strength is the problem.
I came up with the question because I was considering (among other) building a Mosin to shoot 460s&w and it was suggested to me that it's not advisable. The 7.62x54 that Mosin was designed around is no where near the 65k psi of the 460s&w. I had saw 45-70 conversions that fed in the Mosin so I considered that the 460 could also be made to feed I that action. pipe dreams at this point, but none the less interesting conversation.
I am ordering a dumoulin mauser action while I can get one.
I am ordering a dumoulin mauser action while I can get one.