Rifle without original Bolt

[aspen80]

I see so many milsurps these days without their original bolt.
Is it a stigma to buy a rifle in that condition? There are some pretty nice ones that are matching except for the bolt.
What do you think? Buy or pass?
Only Curious

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[Al Diehl]

Depends on the price, the make, the model, the caliber (I own some head space gauges), condition. It may be worth buying for the parts if nothing else.

Al

[bob q]

Other than effecting the collector price , there is nothing wrong with a mis-matched bolt .

[Eaglelord17]

It depends on the rifle. For example I have a Bulgarian M95 with a non-matching bolt, but if I waited for another original Bulgarian M95 with a matching bolt, it would likely never happen. A Swiss or Swedish rifle I wouldn't accept a non-matching bolt as the majority is matching.

It also has the added benefit of making the firearm cheaper which can be beneficial if your seeking a more representative piece than a 100% correct from the factory example. When your shooting provided the firearm isn't handfitted to the rifle, you won't even notice the difference.

[Aragorn243]

I look at a matching bolt as a plus. I don't look at a mismatched bolt as a minus. As stated above, I would not buy a Swiss rifle with a mismatched bolt because it is extremely rare for one to be mismatched. But nearly everything else is more common to be mismatched than matched. US rifle bolts aren't serialed at all, most Italians aren't either. Most Soviet Nagants match but Finn Nagants don't. Matching German rifles command a huge premium putting them out of the price range of all but the serious collectors because most don't match. Japanese and British rifles are about 50/50, maybe less. French rifles rarely match, Turk Rifles never match, Yugo depends on the model. Spanish never match, Swedes almost always match. I guess I shouldn't say "never", there are always the exception and if you find one, buy it if it's cheap. Austro-Hungarians are usually force matched. Kind of a crap shoot.

[mmppres]

I agree with Steve. Most of all matching number firearms are collector grade

[Peter Laidler]

The point about numbering bolts is to make sure that they stay with the same weapon for mechanical reasons. Generally, that is so that the locking surfaces that take the whole of the rearward load (recoil) bear evenly on the body locking shoulders they're fitted to. That is a simple job for a competent engineering minder person to do. If they'e not bearing evenly, then it's a slightly more difficult job to stone the locking surfaces until they DO bear evenly - to spread the rearward loading of the bolt evenly. But in doing so, ensure that you keep the headspace within the limits.

Then number the bolt to suit. That's what real Armourers have been doing for the last 100+ years. I have simplified it a tad but that's what we do with Enfields, L1A1's Brens, Vickers and............. and............

Disadvantage? Not to me it wouldn't be! I'd just accurately fit the new or used bolt and number to suit

[Ovidio]

Only for collectors the matching is a necessary (or almost) plus.
I love to have my rifles with matching bolts just because of it, but one of my preferred rifles, a Soviet 91/30 MN is all matching BUT the bolt.
Trigger is wonderful and the rifle is as accurate as any other fully matching I have.
Another one I have that is a kind of Frankenstein, with different numbers on several pieces, also of the bolt, is a WWI Gew. 98. Still smooth as silk and very accurate. And stable in my top 3 of all times.
It's up to you. See what you like and be prepared for a higher price if everything matches, but if it doesn't, don't bother too much.
As Aragorn most correctly wrote above, many countries never even numbered the bolts, considering them interchangeable parts.

[Sunray]

More about your being able to find a bolt for a reasonable price. Lots of milsurps have been assembled out of parts bins with zero QC, but installing another bolt isn't terribly difficult. Depending on what rifle it is, of course. It can get expensive though. A bolt head for a No. 1 Lee-Enfield runs about $30 and it takes a handful to check with headspace gauges(that run about $30 each too). More expensive with bolt that don't have separate bolt heads.
"...Most of all matching number firearms are collector grade..." No, they aren't. Not all 'matching' rifles are in decent enough condition and condition comes first when determining collectability.

[Eaglelord17]

"...Most of all matching number firearms are collector grade..." No, they aren't. Not all 'matching' rifles are in decent enough condition and condition comes first when determining collectability.

Condition doesn't come first. Desire comes first. Collectability is subjective, and it is all based on the desire of the person wanting the rifle. What someone considers collectable changes from person to person. I personally prefer rifles with character and usage (i.e. not best condition) over many pristine rifles for the simple reason that pristine rifle sat in a armoury somewhere and never did anything. If it is to marvel at the craftsmenship (think mint South American Mausers) that is one thing, but if I want to collect used examples it is another thing all together.