One Piece Bolts

[blacktails]

Is there an advantage to using a one piece bolt vs. a two piece bolt? I'm going to be ordering a custom SA for a hunting/target rifle (repeater), and am looking at the Stiller Predator, Lawton 7000, or either the Borden Rimrock SSR or Alpine action. I'm also waiting to hear back from Borden for some clarification as to what the differences actually are between their two models, but they state on their website that the cost difference between the two is because the Rimrock SSR has a one piece bolt and the Alpine doesn't. The SSR action is $1550 vs. $925 for the Alpine, a difference of $625. If both actions are the same except for the bolt, is it worth it, if I decide on using a Borden? Or should I save the extra money and use it for my barrel purchase & chambering costs?

[James Jones]

It depends on what pieces they are talking about , some bolts are made from Stainless Steel and have a CM bolt head brazed into it cause the CM is stronger , othe rcompanies use a realy storng Stainless Stell alloy like 17-4 which is actualy stronger than CM so the whole bolt and head are the same thing.
A two piece bolt can also refer to the bolt and head being one piece with a seperat handel being either welded or brazed on , like the remington. Typicaly one piece bolt are made from a solid one piece ofr forged steel then machined to fit.

I persoanly can't see just the bolt making that big of a differance in price , their has to be more to it than that.

In my oppinion if I were gonna pay more than $1000 for an action I'd get either a Bat or Nesika

[vonb]

If you look at the specs of the Borden Alpine vs. the Rimrock, you will notice that the Rimrock actually has a tighter bolt/receiver fit.

Rimrock Action:
"The (Rimrock) actions feature the patented “Borden Bumps” that result in a very close bolt body to action bore fit when the bolt is closed ( <.001" diametral clearance) "

Alpine Action:
"Bolt Body to Action Body clearance <.002 inch"

If you are going to hunt with it and are worried about dust/grit, I would go Alpine. If looking for a target grade action, go with a Rimrock. I was up against the exact same choice as you and went with the Alpine for a .223AI build.

[ackleyfan]

The difference is the Alpine and Timberline have bolt handles which are silver soldered on making them a 2 piece bolt,the Rimrock bolts are cut form a solid block of CM making the bolt and handle 1 piece,which equates to more cnc machine time which is one of the reasons the Rimrocks cost is higher,another reason is the Borden Bumps which lets the bolt cycle very smoothly but locks up very tight when bolt is closed,.001 diametral clearance,I'm pretty sure the action bodies are finish ground on the Rimrocks and a turned finish on the Alpine and Timberline! I have an Alpine mag and a Timberline,and they are truly a work of art the fit and finish are Incredible,I personally would use the money you save on a barrel and smith work,from my experience it would be hard to find an accuracy advantage between the Rimrock and the Alpine and Timberline,as all of these actions are very precise!