The .460 S&W Magnum Bolt Action Rifle Project: Part 6: New Bolt Face

I got the barrel ordered and just got the new bolt face and headspace gauges in the mail. You’ll note that this rifle came stock as a .308 Winchester. The bolt face will not fit the .520” rim diameter of the .460 S&W Mag, so it needs to be replaced or opened up. I chose to replace it with a Magnum Bolt Face from PTG which is sized at .540”. I have to say, the machining quality of this new PTG bolt face is pretty impressive. Once I got it I couldn’t wait, so it is time to put the new bolt face on and I’ll do it before they warm up from being outside in our cold mailbox. It should be a pretty easy swap, disassemble the bolt, take the old ejector and extractor off the old bolt face and put them in the new bolt face.

The first step of disassembling the Savage bolt is to remove the assembly screw, ¼” hex drive, that holds everything on. Typically when you remove that screw the first time it is difficult and takes a little bit of extra torque. This one is apparently welded into place…extra torque wouldn’t work, and heat didn’t work. While torqueing on it I heard the bolt body crack and give way…the bolt body cracked right at the weakest point. I said “fuck it, this is nothing money can’t fix” and got my dremel and continued cutting along the crack until I got the bolt body split in half. Then I disassembled the bolt. I promptly got on Numrich gun parts and ordered a new bolt body and bolt assembly screw by selecting a model that I think is closely related to my modern Savage 10P, because they don’t list a parts page for the 10P. Remember that money I saved by buying the .540 bolt face instead of ordering a custom .520 bolt face? It went into a new bolt body and bolt assembly screw, so we’re at a wash. Luckily I have a spare bolt handle from when I replaced it from my Savage HOGHUNTER. I can buy the new body, use the spare bolt handle because I couldn’t get the original screw off, and then use the new screw.

Here’s a picture of the final result

So, that was my first fuck up. I hope it is my last. All for a wash if you consider I saved the same amount by buying a Magnum bolt face….about that…we have the icing on the cake: The extractor claw mounting hole is too far away to allow the extractor to properly get a grip on .454 Casull and .45 Colt and their .514 rim diameter, the .460’s .520 rim hardly holds on. I'm sure this is in spec for the extractor claw on a magnum cartridge, but the 460 S&W/.454 Casull/45 Colt family is just slightly smaller, 0.020" to be exact, than the magnum rim diameter. I figured 2 hundredths wouldn't cause a problem, but it appears that it does. Looks like I have a great opportunity to get the Sharp Shooter Supply improved extractor/ejection kit and hope that fixes things for $24 instead of having to have the original bolt face opened up by a machinist. So, since I might have to do that anyway some of you might ask: If I had to do it all over again would I have a local gunsmith open up the face on my .308Win bolt face and call it a day? :( Well, at the very least I’d hold the bolt body differently in the vice so that all the torque wasn’t into the bolt body.

Big Bore Savage Parts	Price Estimate	Real Cost
Savage Base Rifle	$500.00 new	Traded a Basic M4Forgery with TN Arms Lower ~$500 for a used 10P
Bolt Face	$150.00	$78.25
Slotted Barrel Nut	$15.00	$-
Bolt Body and Screw Fuck Up	$-	$40.40
Sharp Shooter Supply Extractor Kit	$-	$24
460 S&W McGowen Barrel	$450.00	$511.81
GO/NoGO Gauges	$95.00	$83.32
Barrel Wrench, Rosin, Misc	$75.00
Total	$ 1285	$737.78 and an AR15 I had built from leftover parts.

Next up, I’ll get the Sharp Shooter Extractor kit and see how well that works while I wait for the McGowen barrel to be made and wait for my new bolt body and screw as well.

Part 1: The Beginning

Part 2: Proving the concept and making the parts list

Part 3: Rifle Acquisition

Part 4: Modify Magazine for rimmed cartridges

Part 5: Ordering the custom 460 S&W Chambered barrel

Part 6: New Bolt Face

Part 7: More Fuckups and a Completed Bolt

Part 8: Fine tuning

Part 9: New Magazine

Part 10: Barrel Installation

Part 11: Test Fire

Part 12: Iron Sight selection and installation

Part 13: Optics or not?