Gunsmithing 700 Custom Extractor Options and Opinions...

[ShooterwithNoName]

So I'm doing some research on custom extractor options for 700 bolts. I know the question has been asked, but there isn't a more recent thread that I could find that provided info on all of them in one place. I did a search and came up with a few things, mostly older posts or related to one certain company, I.e. PTG, etc...

Sako Extractor - Seems to be the original and also one of the more popular extractor upgrades offered by quite a few smiths. I have read that they could possibly be unsafe if a case were to rupture and allow an opening for gas to escape. That's my understanding anyway.

M16/Mini-M16 - Seems to be the popular extractor upgrade more recently. PTG offers both on most of their bolt combos as well as the Sako option. If you dare to take the chance on ordering one and risk machining errors and the poor CS plus long wait times.

I risked it a while back, I ordered a PTG bolt body, SA, .308 BF, 0.062" Firing Pin, M16 Extractor. I have been told, by a very reputable gunsmith, that the PTG M16 extractor work can have issues. I'm curious if any of you have experienced this? I haven't received my PTG bolt yet so I'm just wondering what I should check when I eventually get it.

Basically, my hope is to make this thread a one-stop place to find info and experience from you guys on the different 700 extractor upgrades. Pros and Cons to each style, safety concerns, etc. Thanks in advance...

 

[Gil P.]

I've got a Rem 700 PTG SA bolt with a mini m16 extractor.

It works fine, however the position of the extractor and ejector makes the brass (6.5x47) hit my windage knob. It doesn't cause malfunctions but does mar the knob.

 

[ULTRAEDGE]

LRI makes there own M16 type in house according to their website.

 

[Matches Malone]

I've got a Rem 700 PTG SA bolt with a mini m16 extractor.

It works fine, however the position of the extractor and ejector makes the brass (6.5x47) hit my windage knob. It doesn't cause malfunctions but does mar the knob.

Was the dual ejectors suppose to fix that?

 

[Gil P.]

I'm not sure. Other manufacturers like BAT Machine put the ejector in a different position to address the problem.

My PTG bolt only has one ejector.

 

[ken226]

LRI makes there own M16 type in house according to their website.

@LongRifles Inc.

Mr. Dixon posted pics of his extractor design on here not long after he started making them. Quite possibly the best looking design and attention to detail that I've seen!

A worthwhile upgrade.

 

[LRI]

Was the dual ejectors suppose to fix that?

Yes. One has to appreciate that its a radical departure from the original system. Adding the second ejector restores the ejection angle (the "punt") to a more horizontal trajectory. This gets the case out of the action without bouncing off optics and whatnot.

Aftermarket bolts have divine intervention by being able to reposition where the ejector pin goes. If you look at them and compare to an OEM bolt, the pin's clock position is different.

 

[LRI]

LRI makes there own M16 type in house according to their website.

Yes, that is correct. R/H, L/H, STD/Magnum/Mini. We machine them and have them heat treated in a vacuum furnace along with a nitrogen quench. The first ones I did were too hard (my fault) and we had about a 25% failure rate. That was several years ago. All the stuff since has been trouble-free.

 

[Gil P.]

@LongRifles Inc.
Can the dual ejector plunger be added to a PTG bolt?

 

[Gene Poole]

If you order a PTG with M16 extractor cut, the plunger hole will be in the right place already. A dual plunger on those would make the ejection angle wrong.

 

[Gil P.]

I didn't know that. Even so, my PTG bolt with an M16 extractor stills throws brass into my windage turret.

Is there a way to improve the ejection angle?

 

[Gil P.]

PTG bolt extractor and ejector orientation

 

[LRI]

@LongRifles Inc.
Can the dual ejector plunger be added to a PTG bolt?

Assuming they put it in the "9 o'clock" position (RH gun as you sit behind it) there's no reason to.

 

[Gil P.]

Assuming they put it in the "9 o'clock" position (RH gun as you sit behind it) there's no reason to.

The bolt pictured above is mine and the ejector is in the 9 o'clock position.
Oh well, I found some tube end caps to cover the windage turret to keep it from getting marred.

 

[LRI]

The bolt pictured above is mine and the ejector is in the 9 o'clock position.
Oh well, I found some tube end caps to cover the windage turret to keep it from getting marred.

It's because the extractor is made wrong. Mine wouldn't do that. All comes down to relief angles on the "inboard" side of the claw.

See the difference?


Me: You:

 

[Gil P.]

It's because the extractor is made wrong. Mine wouldn't do that. All comes down to relief angles on the "inboard" side of the claw.

See the difference?


Me: You:

View attachment 7312578View attachment 7312579

That's a big difference. Will your extractors fit the PTG bolt?

 

[LRI]

To add to this:

Look at your bolt. Now imagine your back to the bolt face looking down the muzzle. The bolt comes out of battery, lugs are horizontal. Now the plunger is digging into your left ass cheek and pushing you forward. Your forehead is captured by the claw of the extractor. You "want" to rotate at about the 2:45 clock position to "flip" out of the port. Only you can't. The corner of the extractor that is "highest" has a death grip purchase on your forehead. So, you get punted upward and basically do a backflip at about the 11 o'clock position.

That's why your brass is beating your shit up. If the upper corner was clearanced, it wouldn't do this.

 

[LRI]

That's a big difference. Will your extractors fit the PTG bolt?

I don't know. We've never tried to fit one. It would either be a pass or fail exercise most likely. Attempting to "forensically" machine someone else's bolt (already fitted) has historically ended poorly. It's not a simple thing to get in there and set the job up precisely. Probe stylus's are typically 5mm in diameter. The XTR is around .250 wide. Not much extra room and that doesn't account for dialing in the rotation to ensure your indeed perpendicular/parallel to the features. Smaller probes are an option, but they aren't cheap and the time it takes to swap one out, qualify it, and set back up would exceed what it'd take to just get a different bolt.

Probe head: Around $3,000.00

Stylus: Anywhere from $100 to $500 (maybe even higher with some of the other options available)

Calibration: Figure an hour, so another $150.00. Now, you wouldn't need to buy a probe head, I just threw that in here to illustrate what it takes to do this work at the level very few have committed to.

 

[Gil P.]

I don't know. We've never tried to fit one. It would either be a pass or fail exercise most likely. Attempting to "forensically" machine someone else's bolt (already fitted) has historically ended poorly. It's not a simple thing to get in there and set the job up precisely. Probe stylus's are typically 5mm in diameter. The XTR is around .250 wide. Not much extra room and that doesn't account for dialing in the rotation to ensure your indeed perpendicular/parallel to the features. Smaller probes are an option, but they aren't cheap and the time it takes to swap one out, qualify it, and set back up would exceed what it'd take to just get a different bolt.

Probe head: Around $3,000.00

Stylus: Anywhere from $100 to $500 (maybe even higher with some of the other options available)

Calibration: Figure an hour, so another $150.00. Now, you wouldn't need to buy a probe head, I just threw that in here to illustrate what it takes to do this work at the level very few have committed to.

View attachment 7312590

Thank you for the explanation. It was helpful. The best option then would be to order a bolt from PTG without an extractor or ejector cuts and have you do it, correct? .

 

[LRI]

Thank you for the explanation. It was helpful. The best option then would be to order a bolt from PTG without an extractor or ejector cuts and have you do it, correct? .

There's that or I could just set you up with a fitted OEM bolt and headspace it to your barreled action. It's "mater" or "toe mater" at this point.

 

[Mordamer]

There's that or I could just set you up with a fitted OEM bolt and headspace it to your barreled action. It's "mater" or "toe mater" at this point.

He could always yank out his dremmel and make his PT&G extractor look like yours. It is a cheap part to replace after all.

 

[Gil P.]

He could always yank out his dremmel and make his PT&G extractor look like yours. It is a cheap part to replace after all.

I had the same idea. Heck, it might work.

I'll probably keep an extra extractor with me all the time though

 

[Gil P.]

Well, I tried it. Brass hits the turret only when I cycle it slowly now.
Ejection still sucks though, the brass always flips back and hits the side of my action

 

[Edds]

Watch this video.

Home

 

[Gil P.]

I wonder if the standard Remington extractor would be better. It can be positioned right behind the lug.

 

[jakelly]

Those little Rem extractors are pretty sweet.

 

[357Max]

I'd be very curious what @LongRifles Inc. thoughts are with regards to fitting a mack brothers 700 bolt.
Are these worth it vs just sending you a stock 700 bolt for full blueprint?

I was going to hold out and try one of the Stainless EVO actions, but Area 419 had a sale on a DLC ARC M7 Mausingfield & I bought it. It will be going to LRI once I figure out what caliber?

 

[msstate56]

I’d just go with a new bolt and let LRI do the work. I’ve had 3 bolts done with M16 extractor and dual ejectors, they all work great.

 

[ShooterwithNoName]

I'd be very curious what @LongRifles Inc. thoughts are with regards to fitting a mack brothers 700 bolt.
Are these worth it vs just sending you a stock 700 bolt for full blueprint?

I was going to hold out and try one of the Stainless EVO actions, but Area 419 had a sale on a DLC ARC M7 Mausingfield & I bought it. It will be going to LRI once I figure out what caliber?



View attachment 7314314

I have been curious about these bolts also. They appear to be well machined, but looks can be deceiving. I haven't heard much about them from other builders/shooters. Hopefully someone will chime in who has direct experience with one.

I appreciate all the great info, thanks to LongRifles Inc for sharing all the great info and insight. This was just the kind of posts I was hoping for pertaining to aftermarket custom extractors.

Gil P., if you can't get the Rem extractor tuned to where it is not ejecting brass into your turrets or action, you may look into having a bushing installed in your bolt face and redrill the ejector location. Or go ahead and go Mini M16/M16 extractor and/or double ejectors. Have you tried trimming your ejector spring down some?

I've done this before to help tune 700 ejection on a 243. Just make sure to go in small increments and be sure to have a spare, uncut ejector spring in case you cut too much. Just a thought, may be worth a shot since springs are cheap.

 

[Gil P.]

I have been curious about these bolts also. They appear to be well machined, but looks can be deceiving. I haven't heard much about them from other builders/shooters. Hopefully someone will chime in who has direct experience with one.

I appreciate all the great info, thanks to LongRifles Inc for sharing all the great info and insight. This was just the kind of posts I was hoping for pertaining to aftermarket custom extractors.

Gil P., if you can't get the Rem extractor tuned to where it is not ejecting brass into your turrets or action, you may look into having a bushing installed in your bolt face and redrill the ejector location. Or go ahead and go Mini M16/M16 extractor and/or double ejectors. Have you tried trimming your ejector spring down some?

I've done this before to help tune 700 ejection on a 243. Just make sure to go in small increments and be sure to have a spare, uncut ejector spring in case you cut too much. Just a thought, may be worth a shot since springs are cheap.

I may do that and order some spare springs and extractors today.

I was also thinking of buying that Mack Brothers Remington 700 bolt and see if LRI can install it. I haven't heard much about their ejection pattern though.

 

[Gil P.]

It's an ugly job but it works better than before. I still can't work the bolt slowly without it hitting the windage knob. I'll have to remember to run it fast.

 

[LRI]

I'd be very curious what @LongRifles Inc. thoughts are with regards to fitting a mack brothers 700 bolt.
Are these worth it vs just sending you a stock 700 bolt for full blueprint?

I was going to hold out and try one of the Stainless EVO actions, but Area 419 had a sale on a DLC ARC M7 Mausingfield & I bought it. It will be going to LRI once I figure out what caliber?



View attachment 7314314

Alan and Dale Mack are my next-door neighbors here in the industrial park and I consider them both to be good friends. They have helped me out tremendously over the years. They are very rock-solid people committed to doing good work in this industry.

I've seen these bolts and used them. They gave me a couple over two years ago. The 1911 style leave spring extractor is very solid. I bought a bunch of them over a year ago and we've installed a few for people on 700's but for whatever reason, it never gained traction with the shooting community.

Buy with confidence. If you ever have a problem, they'll make sure it gets handled.

C.

 

[Shootnwrench]

 

[Gil P.]

Changed the PTG plunger to their new style and switched the Remington ejector spring to a PTG ejector spring.

The Remington ejector spring was much stronger than the PTG . That was causing a problem as one of you mentioned.

I can cycle the bolt slowly without brass hitting my scope and I haven't had a piece of brass hit my scope yet.

I also experimented with a PTG ejector spring and an unmodified PTG extractor. The ejection angle with the unmodified extractor was a little higher than the one I filed down,but in the few times I cycled brass through the action, it did not hit the scope turret. It looks like the weaker ejector spring made a fair bit of difference.

The new PTG extractor claw looked a little different than the old one, but it could be just my eyes playing tricks on me.

 

[Gil P.]

Last update

The modified extractor is having issues extracting cases now, go figure.

It will sometimes pull a fired case halfway out of the chamber. I didn't realize it and tried to chamber another round. I had to put a nice bend in the unfired cartridge to clear the jam.