I've polished my OEM bolt but have been checking out a couple of aftermarket bolts made by TandemKross and Kidd. Anybody have any experience with either of these two brands or any of the others on the market?
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vusowupe
I use a Volquartsen, JHW/JWH (something like that), a few Kidd & one that I did some work on. There are people here that are far more technically savvy than me, but here are some basics:
The the big name sources put out good product. The 10/22 headspaces off the bolt (proper cut-out depth and being square is a big deal). This is a big part of what you pay for - and being pretty. Next, the 10/22 firing pin moves up & down too much. Makers of a nice bolt will put a pin through the bolt above the firing pin to limit this. The home guy can mash a bit of lead or similar into the groove to serve the same purpose. Finally, on the bottom rear of the bolt, the corner can be rounded a little bit. This will aid in smooth reliable cycling -especially with subsonic/low power rounds. If you take breaks to avoid getting it too hot, the home guy can also do this before polishing it.
So, is an aftermarket bolt worth it? It depends on how far down the rabbit hole you've already gone and how much you care. Yes, unless you get lucky with a factory bolt, the details of where the cartridge sits does make a difference. Note: there are mentions on here of places to send your factory bolt to be worked on. Prices of everything now are stupid but not long ago, I think that would only have cost something like $45-65 or similar. I'm certain more good info will pop up on here. Good luck and welcome to Rimfire Central.
The the big name sources put out good product. The 10/22 headspaces off the bolt (proper cut-out depth and being square is a big deal). This is a big part of what you pay for - and being pretty. Next, the 10/22 firing pin moves up & down too much. Makers of a nice bolt will put a pin through the bolt above the firing pin to limit this. The home guy can mash a bit of lead or similar into the groove to serve the same purpose. Finally, on the bottom rear of the bolt, the corner can be rounded a little bit. This will aid in smooth reliable cycling -especially with subsonic/low power rounds. If you take breaks to avoid getting it too hot, the home guy can also do this before polishing it.
So, is an aftermarket bolt worth it? It depends on how far down the rabbit hole you've already gone and how much you care. Yes, unless you get lucky with a factory bolt, the details of where the cartridge sits does make a difference. Note: there are mentions on here of places to send your factory bolt to be worked on. Prices of everything now are stupid but not long ago, I think that would only have cost something like $45-65 or similar. I'm certain more good info will pop up on here. Good luck and welcome to Rimfire Central.
TandemKross doesn't make a thing, their bolts are JWH. Search the site for opinions on them. Kidd is about the best you can get.
If everything is working fine. Then leave well enough alone. A Kidd bolt, which is prolly the best , isnt going to tighten up your groups , if you dont have a benz cut chamber.
if you are having extraction problems , get a VQ extractor, or other EDM cut one,
If you are having flyer problems stake the firing pin. This prolly wont fix it, but at least you tried.
As for radiusing the rear end of the bolt, That will let yuo use a heavier return spring and that might keep your bolt closed a nano second longer , which might make things better.
If you want it all to run slicker, then you can polish it up, and scotch brite the inside of the receiver, or just use Hornady One Shot Dri lube .
The things that will let you and your gun shoot tighter groups , imho are in the following order.
1. Better Ammo. Yeah the $15 a box ammo shoots better.
2. Better Barrel, Yeah a Benz type shorter Chamber shoots better.
3. Better Trigger . Yeah a trigger light enough to pinch fire will cut back on the yips.
4. Better Stock, Bedding. Yeah a secure , stable , platform for the action is always better.
Imho, a bolt is just bling, unless its sitting in an integrally designed barreled action where its improved attributes will add to the overall performance.
That being said, I have a bunch of JWH bolts, but that was because I was doing builds , and so I needed bolts and charging handles, and they were cheap enough $40 or less, that they went into the stripped receivers, just like the custom barrels and triggers. And while they are all fine or great shooters, none of them are quite as good as a Complete Kidd Build .
So if your gonna buy a Kidd bolt, then buy the rest of the parts too. They work great together.
if you are having extraction problems , get a VQ extractor, or other EDM cut one,
If you are having flyer problems stake the firing pin. This prolly wont fix it, but at least you tried.
As for radiusing the rear end of the bolt, That will let yuo use a heavier return spring and that might keep your bolt closed a nano second longer , which might make things better.
If you want it all to run slicker, then you can polish it up, and scotch brite the inside of the receiver, or just use Hornady One Shot Dri lube .
The things that will let you and your gun shoot tighter groups , imho are in the following order.
1. Better Ammo. Yeah the $15 a box ammo shoots better.
2. Better Barrel, Yeah a Benz type shorter Chamber shoots better.
3. Better Trigger . Yeah a trigger light enough to pinch fire will cut back on the yips.
4. Better Stock, Bedding. Yeah a secure , stable , platform for the action is always better.
Imho, a bolt is just bling, unless its sitting in an integrally designed barreled action where its improved attributes will add to the overall performance.
That being said, I have a bunch of JWH bolts, but that was because I was doing builds , and so I needed bolts and charging handles, and they were cheap enough $40 or less, that they went into the stripped receivers, just like the custom barrels and triggers. And while they are all fine or great shooters, none of them are quite as good as a Complete Kidd Build .
So if your gonna buy a Kidd bolt, then buy the rest of the parts too. They work great together.
I have three full volquartsen bolts. IMO they are definitely worth it (especially when you can get them at a discount). Better extraction, smoother running bolt and guide rod design, and DLC coated for easy cleaning and almost no lubrication needed. They are on sale on their ebay discount page right now if you're looking.
the bolts I use are Ruger, JWH Comp, Pike Arms, Volquartsen, KIDD
I go Ruger (with Volquartsen extractor) for budget builds
JWH Competitor (1st gen) because I got a great deal on them when they were on clearance
Pike arms because I wanted a black bolt and KIDD was out of stock
Volquartsen Competition because they came in the barreled actions I bought, and the Firefly aluminum bolts were on clearance
KIDD because I think they are about the best bang for the buck, once you want something better than the stock bolt
I go Ruger (with Volquartsen extractor) for budget builds
JWH Competitor (1st gen) because I got a great deal on them when they were on clearance
Pike arms because I wanted a black bolt and KIDD was out of stock
Volquartsen Competition because they came in the barreled actions I bought, and the Firefly aluminum bolts were on clearance
KIDD because I think they are about the best bang for the buck, once you want something better than the stock bolt
so all I can afford is regular ruger bolts that I modify. At this point, ignorance is bliss because I know not what I might be missing!
I hear good things about CPC reworking Ruger bolts, pretty cheap. Connecticut Precision Chambering
Clark Custom is another lesser mentioned source of good stuff.
Clark Custom is another lesser mentioned source of good stuff.
+1 for CPC. He does nice work and it's reasonable and quick. I also have a Kidd bolt and love it. Everything they make is perfection. It's a bit more expensive than the CPC option tho.
If you want to make your action feel even better, I highly recommend the Kidd bolt handle and spring kit - it's extremely smooth operating compared to the others I've used - and their bolt buffers are great too.
If you want to make your action feel even better, I highly recommend the Kidd bolt handle and spring kit - it's extremely smooth operating compared to the others I've used - and their bolt buffers are great too.
Never had an extraction problem with any bolt. Oem or other. Dont like the bolts with the screw in handle and the interior rod. Oem bolts are smaller that after market bolts, and sometimes thats a good thing, cause some after market receivers are tighter than oem, and the after market bolts dont run in them very well. Love the Kidd Rod, smooth as silk And 3 springs, but the std one always works best for me. But you can do that to the others if you unstake the spring., grind off the nub edges , not the nub!
Had a box of oem bolts, sold them on fleebay when the prices were insanely high. Kept 2, one that had been reworked, from the Brown Precision Custom team Challenger, so slick , that you can barely hold it without it slipping out of your hands, and another one that is just a nice example of when Ruger does things right. That one is riding in the Steel Kingston receiver, it wouldn’t run with a JWH bolt, and shooting HM2 like a champ with the Heavy Tungsten bolt handle from Power Custom.
Had a box of oem bolts, sold them on fleebay when the prices were insanely high. Kept 2, one that had been reworked, from the Brown Precision Custom team Challenger, so slick , that you can barely hold it without it slipping out of your hands, and another one that is just a nice example of when Ruger does things right. That one is riding in the Steel Kingston receiver, it wouldn’t run with a JWH bolt, and shooting HM2 like a champ with the Heavy Tungsten bolt handle from Power Custom.
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