Straight handle J5 bolt question

[GMtech485]

Was the straight handle J5 bolt, marked on the bottom of the safety lug ,double heat treated ?

A collector buddy of mine says no straight handle bolts
were double heat treated.

I seem to remember someone telling me that all J5 marked bolts were DHT.
Can anyone direct me to a book or website where I could find this information to show him ?

TIA

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Calif-Steve]

RIA made many NS straight handle bolts. SA did make DHT JS bolts. I think the J5 bolts came on both straight and swept back version.

[GMtech485]

So were all J5s DHT?

TIA

[JimF in CT]

There were three "straight-handle", double heat-treat bolts.

They were:
J5
C8
R10

ALL J5's are double-heat teated. --Jim

[John Beard]

Was the straight handle J5 bolt, marked on the bottom of the safety lug ,double heat treated ?

A collector buddy of mine says no straight handle bolts
were double heat treated.

I seem to remember someone telling me that all J5 marked bolts were DHT.
Can anyone direct me to a book or website where I could find this information to show him ?

TIA

Your collector buddy is misinformed.

All straight handled J 5 bolts I have found to date in original rifles had serial numbers above S/N 800000. I cannot guarantee that all straight-handled J 5 bolts were DHT. But, I have yet to find one that was not.

Here's a website containing bolt steel lot code charts.

http://vishooter.home.att.net/slc6_2008.html

You can click on the boxes above or below the chart and see more charts.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

[JimF in CT]

My Mistake . . .

The three "straight handle", double-heat treated bolts are:

J5

C8

R5

Tough to get old . . .mind is the first to go!! --Jim

[GMtech485]

Thanks all for your input.

[Chuckindenver]

John?
how does one tell the differance on a DHT and SHT other then the codes on the bolt??

[John Beard]

John?
how does one tell the differance on a DHT and SHT other then the codes on the bolt??

Other than steel lot codes, I know of no way to distinguish a DHT from an SHT bolt. It's possible that a Rockwell Hardness test could sort them out.

One must bear in mind that Springfield Armory did NOT change steel lot codes when they changed the heat treating process. Some "C 8" bolts, for example, might be casehardened!

J.B.

[Calif-Steve]

John is very correct. However, it must be pointed out the the bolts were never found to be dangerous. Guys tend to get hot when anything about low number-high number rifles get discussed. So, lets not hijack this thread. But do understand, bolts were not the problem.