What causes the bolt on a factory rifle to be so much harder to cock than the bolt on a full-blown BR rifle? Even without a fired case in the chamber, the bolt on every factory rifle I've handled is much harder to cock than the bolt on the few full-blown BR rifles I've handled. Can anyone help me understand why that is? Is there anything easy that can be done to lighten the cocking effort on a factory rifle?
Yes. it's a function if fit, finish and leverage.
The single biggest stepup IMO is to dress the camming surfaces, making them as clean and smooth as a custom. This does not just mean polish, they must be re-shaped for full contact. I've also had to re-harden some of them.
Second is to extend the bolt handle, most custom actions have a subtly longer throw, a longer lifting lever and,
third is the spring..... not to lighten it but to fix it, replace it or at least clean and lube it for drag.......
And then it often helps to CAREFULLY smooth the inside top of the rear action raceway altho this is a two-edged sword as more play can increase bolt slap.
And lastly is to polish and time the innards and outards of the bolt. At the very least one must hand polish the firing pin itself, longitudinally to lessen drag, and the sides of the cocking piece and shroud.
For more positive modifications you must step up to having Borden Bumps installed or an aftermarket bolt.
hth
al
