AI AXMC Bolt Knob

[Stevo3556]

When cycling my bolt the ball knob on the bolt handle split perfectly in half where the threads stop in the ball. I have never dropped my rifle or bolt, never loaned it, can't imagine that I could have done anything to break it.

Has anyone had this happen?
What did you do?

Are there better knobs that will still allow the stock to fold?
If so, source?

Thank you
Steve

 

[MACHTECH]

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Stevo3556]

Thank you.

Do you know what thread it is?

 

[MACHTECH]

PM sent

 

[Stevo3556]

Sorta hoped maybe a kewl upgrade since it broke.....

I just superglued it. Will see if that works.

Would not mind still replacing it with something different if it isn't some thing specially made for me, thinking that would be costly.

 

[Stevo3556]

Well it is a 1/4" 28 thread. Shocked, thought it would be a metric thread....

 

[Huskydriver]

Did you pick yours up used it brand new?

Regardless I would be hitting up ai for a replacement

 

[Stevo3556]

Bought it new from Mile High...... JUST before the big sale....... I might try them. Have been thinking of that, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Huskydriver]

I can see an American infantryman doing the same but with a 2nd time recycled 3 finger pinch of Copenhagen long cut balled up on the end lol

 

[Steel head]

WTH!!!!!
AI broken part?

 

[tomcfc11]

AINA is great about making things right. Just a call will have this fixed for no charge to you.

 

[The Durk]

That is the first time I've EVER seen that. I'm not even mad, I'm impressed!

 

[whatsupdoc]

I knew this forum had lots of ball breakers.

 

[Viper1973]

I had this exact same thing happen to a new AXMC 308 bolt the first time I used it. Mile High didn't have the part even though they sold me the bolt. It was the last one they had and couldn't exchange.

Adam got me in contact with Lance at Accuracy International US and they got me a replacement overnighted the next day at no charge.

I'd recommend emailing AI: [email protected]

 

[Stevo3556]

Thank you Viper.

I'll do that..

Steve

 

[Viper1973]

Thank you Viper.

I'll do that..

Steve

Based on your pictures, yours broke in exactly the same place mine did. I was actually surprised that it's more of a billiard ball material rather than plastic or metal.

My guess is when they thread them sometimes they stress crack or when they're installed they get overtightened.

When I reinstalled the new one they recommended loctite. However, after doing some research and loctite's ability to weaken plastic I decided to just thread it on normally and snuggly. Worked perfectly and doesn't work it's way loose and is still going strong.

When mine broke though it cut the hell out of my hand so hopefully you didn't have to go through that.

 

[Stevo3556]

Sent the email to the address you gave a few mins after responding to your post. Will see what happens. I would think they would replace it without hesitation.

I was going to remove the knob from my other bolt, bet it's locktited.

I assumed the same on why it broke. Bet if you over tighten it bottoms out and cracks. I never messed with it, so must be a defect or had been over tightened when installed as you said.

No injuries here, opened the bolt when I set it on the table or to cycle first round, don't remember, and it just broke in my hand. I took the end with the threads and put it back on to shoot.

 

[Viper1973]

Sent the email to the address you gave a few mins after responding to your post. Will see what happens. I would think they would replace it without hesitation.

I was going to remove the knob from my other bolt, bet it's locktited.

I assumed the same on why it broke. Bet if you over tighten it bottoms out and cracks. I never messed with it, so must be a defect or had been over tightened when installed as you said.

No injuries here, opened the bolt when I set it on the table or to cycle first round, don't remember, and it just broke in my hand. I took the end with the threads and put it back on to shoot.

Steve,

If you don't hear from them quickly PM me. I think I still have Lance's direct contact info and I'm sure they'll get you taken care of.

Mine was attached to the stem with some weird adhesive. The stuff acted like a clear version of red loctite. I had to heat the sucker to like 400 degrees with my heat gun to get the broken part to unscrew.

When mine broke it was right in the middle of cycling the bolt and lets just say blood went everywhere - the edges of those suckers are sharp as hell.

 

[Stevo3556]

Thanks Viper.

Will do!

Steve

 

[rangerlong]

I don’t own an AI, but I have it on good authority that a sega genesis joystick ball has a molded in brass insert that’s the same thread pattern.

 

[Huskydriver]

I don’t own an AI, but I have it on good authority that a sega genesis joystick ball has a molded in brass insert that’s the same thread pattern.View attachment 7110822View attachment 7110823View attachment 7110824

Lol that is epic

 

[rangerlong]

Lol that is epic

Yeah my friend is a big retro gamer. He was pleased his two hobbies collided like that.
I actually shot it last week and the bigger joystick knob felt pretty good compared to the stock one.

 

[Waorani]

If it's truly 1/4x28 - $1.50 at McMaster. Or you can say you have brass balls for $7.

 

[trophyhunter]

Purpose built sniper rifles..... Using the same contractor that makes joystick knobs. They probably put in their contract specs, "Joystick-like knob" and the Chinese sub-contractor read it and just shrugged, "I can do better than that. I'll give you an actual joystick knob!".

But, what is even funnier is that the Sega appears to have the better quality knob, lol!

You really dislike AI’s don’t you ?

Seems every post I’ve seen from you is from this breakage

What might I ask is your tough reliable go to action or rifle maker ?

 

[trophyhunter]

Interesting

 

[trophyhunter]

I dislike customs, everything I’ve seen has to be fitted, trimmed, cut, adjusted or made to work

Seems they all are cut for each other but nothing really fits.

But to each his own.

 

[trophyhunter]

It's kind of a philosophical question but a custom build should be fitted. So when is the fitting that occurs in building a custom rifle part of custom building and when is it trouble shooting a Franken-gun?

The irony is that parts made from so many diseperate companies on no particular standard are almost a drop in fit these days. You could spend a boatload of money at Altus and get an MPA, a TL3, a TT, a prefit barrel, and a self-timing brake and screw everything together in less time than it takes to put together an AR. You MIGHT have to fit the mag catch.

And not to be inflammatory but didn't you spend a considerable amount of time, money, and effort fitting an AI in 223? My TL3 just took a BF swap and a different plug n' play barrel and mag.

Besides having the tools like mill, lathe and files what do you think a 2” piece of 4340 cost ? $20 ? Time is not bad if I’m not payin myself. Other that that a barrel, mag and that’s about it.

If i wanted to swap heads like on a Savage I would’ve bought a $500 Savage, not a TL3.

 

[jwood1284]

Mine broke in May after three years when I overtightened it. I emailed AINA the SN, and had a new one with a few stickers two days later.

The handle has a little point on it, and can create a pressure point if overtightened. The new one they sent has deeper threads so it doesn’t bottom out on the handle.

 

[Steel head]

I don’t own an AI, but I have it on good authority that a sega genesis joystick ball has a molded in brass insert that’s the same thread pattern.View attachment 7110822View attachment 7110823View attachment 7110824

Gamer gun confirmed!

 

[W54/XM-388]

I wonder how it would work if you put a solid brass ball on which had the threads milled into it?
The other question is why even have a bolt knob at all, they could just make the entire piece one solid steel part from the handle through the ball on the bolt back to the attachment points with the rest of the bolt.

 

[trophyhunter]

I wonder how it would work if you put a solid brass ball on which had the threads milled into it?
The other question is why even have a bolt knob at all, they could just make the entire piece one solid steel part from the handle through the ball on the bolt back to the attachment points with the rest of the bolt.

On McMaster Carr they have a stainless ball, brass and all kinds of plastic in various sizes

I’m probably gonna swap the knob on my Vudoo ro a stainless ball cerakoted black.

 

[jwood1284]

Well it is a 1/4" 28 thread. Shocked, thought it would be a metric thread....

The thread is M6x1.0

 

[6brshooter]

I just bought an AI. But yes, I do think there is a hype about them. If I had a go-to action, I guess it would be a TL-3. But in reality I have surgeons, AIs, TL-3's, Origins, and Borden's. They're all pretty reliable. I just like to poke fun at the fan base that claims they are significantly more indestructible than a custom.

Hmm, the tl3 I had would bind easy upon closing bolt, unless you pushed forward close to root of bolt handle. My ae and at are alot smoother. Even my curtis axiom is alot nicer in bolt cycling compared to the tl3 I had. My tl3 was not coated.

 

[Waorani]

The thread is M6x1.0

That makes more sense.

 

[sharpshot50]

I also experienced this failure with a brand new AXMC last year. It seemed like the bolt handle was overtightened either by the factory or somewhere along the way before it made it to me. The knob cracked and was split down the middle like this after the first round was fired.

I contacted AI and they overnighted me a new one. I really hated the look and feel of the shiny plastic ball anyway, so I replaced it with a carbon fiber round knob from here: https://www.boltknobs.com/bolt-knobs-carbon-fiber/

As jwood mentioned, the AXMC thread was M6x1.0, so I bought one of these so I wouldn't have to attempt to drill new threads: https://www.boltknobs.com/m6-thread-adapter/

I hated that I had to do that on a $6000 rifle, but the CF looks and feels much better, IMO.

 

[6brshooter]

My ae takes less effort than my at to cock on dropped fp, both are slick in cycling and at rear most travel. I believe that's due to bolt body being same size or larger than lug diameter. My curtis has bolt lift effort between the 2 ai and maybe not as slick cycling. My tl3 was good on bolt lift and smooth on cycling, but when pushing forward from fully open, it would bind. This was in position behind rifle, not doing anything different then I do with tikkas, ai, or curtis. It was definitely less bindy than a rem or savage, but being my first custom action and being used to my ai's and trued tikka, I was let down. Maybe my bolt head had more play or slightly larger dimensions. Bolt lug and raceway were greased and it was a non-coated action. Also the flutes tended to scrape brass in mag. Overall, I think the finish and machined edges that were radiused of the tl3 is nicer than my axiom. The axiom has some sharp edges that were handled nicer on the tl3, so there is that.

 

[Stevo3556]

Received an email from AI this morning.

Steven,
My apologies for the broken bolt knob. I will get you a replacement out right away.

Thank You,
Accuracy International

Thanks for the help.
Steve

 

[Viper1973]

Thanks for the help.
Steve

No problem... Lance and the folks at AI are really awesome to deal with. Glad they’re getting you taken care of.

 

[Stevo3556]

No problem... Lance and the folks at AI are really awesome to deal with. Glad they’re getting you taken care of.

I expected they would. Was also posting to see if this had happened to others and possibly why as well as should I just "upgrade" to something that's out there that I don't know about and not bother them.