Recommendations for a 458 SOCOM bolt assembly?

Squeeze

Squeeze

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I purchased a 458 SOCOM upper from Joe Bobs last year, and it has never really fed well. I have tired a few different mags, and finally settled on Lancer mags, per some recommendations. They do seem to feed the best, but on the last range visit, the upper now refuses to chamber a round, and get the bolt to battery. I can drop a round into the chamber, on a bolt locked back, and it slams home, and it easily goes to battery. But releasing the bolt to strip the first round out of a magazine is always a partially loaded round, with the bolt out of battery. It is almost like the round is being jammed into the chamber, not well centered, and something is binding up tight. I have to mortar the action open every time.
ohmy.gif
If I hand place a loaded round in the chamber, and slam the open bolt home, it goes to battery, and extracts easily. If I fire a round, then I end up with a round wedged into the chamber, and the bolt out of battery. I have more than a few AR-15 builds(reads more than 20), in just about every common cartridge, and a few wild cats, under my belt, and I have never had an issue like this, but this is my first 458 project.

The feeding issue is annoying, but the fired case was ejecting(I was sighting in for a possible deer season usage, since it is nicely accurate). Then to add insult to injury, now the extractor/ejector isn't flinging the empty case clear of the ejection port. I have to physically pull the case free of the extractor, and the empty case mouth has some nice divots, where the case was slammed into the ejection port. This is a new development. Upon inspection the extractor is loose in the bolt head, so I have decided to try a new bolt head, and even if it doesn't help, I will re-build the current bolt head, and use it as a spare, if I can get it functioning correctly. So does anyone have a recommendation for a replacement bolt head assembly, for the 458 SOCOM?

Also if anyone has encountered a problem like this in the 458 SOCOM, I am all ears. I haven't tried tuning the Lancer magazine feed lips, or polishing the feed ramps, on the barrel, but those may be an option, if the new bolt head doesn't resolve the issue.

Squeeze
 
After posting this, I pulled the bolt head, and tried manually seating a case head in the bolt. It is an extremely tight, and simulating extraction, it takes force, to pop it loose from the extractor. I compared this to a 6.8 SPC bolt head and case, and there was plenty of clearance, and it pops free from the extractor...I definitely need a new bolt head! It looks like the metal between the lugs is deforming! Maybe to make it fit the .472" case head, too much metal was removed, and now the head is changing dimensions. I really need to find a bolt head with higher quality. This Toolcraft appears to be a poor quality, for the pressures this cartridge generates.

Squeeze
 
Order one from TROMIX out of Oklahoma. The SOCOM only runs at 36,000 or so. Tool Craft is pretty well accepted d in the industry. You might give them a call/e-mail.

Greg
 
I have other Toolcraft bolts, and have never had an issue, so it never occurred to me to check their website. The site says, "Life Time warranty", so I sent them an e-mail. We shall see what they have to say. To be frank, I am not sure I want a replacement. I can see a bolt lug breaking off, given how much is machined away on a 458 bolt, but a bolt that slowly changes dimensions, to the point it won't go to battery, if it has to strip a round out of a mag, doesn't sound like a bolt I want in my rifle. Now I can see why Wilson Combat invented the 458 HAM'R, with a rebated case rim, to get a beefier bolt. If my life depended on this rifle, I would be paying Wilson Combat's price. Mine is just a deer dead right now rifle, but it sure would be nice to have reliable cycling/feeding, in case the first shot doesn't BANG FLOP a deer.

Squeeze
 
Greg, You are not mistaken. I had it in my head that WC had rebated the 458 SOCOM rim, to run with a 6.8 bolt, but re-reading, they kept the .473" rim diameter, but re-engineered the bolt, carrier, and barrel extension, to use an AR-10 bolt.

Sometimes I need to read for comprehension, rather than speed!

I believe a Tromix bolt is in my future. A quote from the Tromix FAQ:
"If you are having feeding trouble, it's an issue with your bolt, and you most likely didn't buy the bolt from Tromix."

I believe I have learned a number of things today! And re-learned a couple more.
grin.gif


Squeeze
 
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