AR Bolt Face options

c_bass16

c_bass16

Member
The AR15 has seen ...
The .378 bolt face in the 223/556
The .422 of the 6.8 SPC
We have the .445 with the Grendel and ARC
(no .473 options?)
And we've even seen the .532 with the WSSM.
Why didn't anyone rock a standard .473 bolt face modified for something like the Dasher, PPC etc.
In order to do it, you'd essentially need to utilize the WSSM bolt, but you'd have a stronger lug with less material removed.

It seems like people are still looking for MORE than the ARC can provide, but the WSSM was TOO MUCH to be reliable for long term use.
 
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hm1996 said:
Please elaborate; had not heard of bolt failures of the WSSM.
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Many, including myself experience bolt lug failures on the WSSM systems. Not everyone, not always...but when there was only 3 (or maybe a couple others) that were supporting the platform, the system didn't really get the chance to get perfected.
What's common is for a bolt lug to sheer off and either get stuck in the barrel extension or end up down in your trigger group somewhere.
 
Don't forget the 6.8 SPC case with it's .422" case head.

I have the 22 & 6mm versions, and have zero reasons to look any further.
 
Thanks. Guess I was just lucky, shot a 243 for probably 10 years which performed perfectly. Didn't they have bolt lug issues even w/the .223 as well, though. Seems I've seen or heard of a broken lug or two? Heck, I had a bolt lug break off of a wimpy M1 carbine back in the '50's. :)
 
hm1996 said:
Thanks. Guess I was just lucky, shot a 243 for probably 10 years which performed perfectly. Didn't they have bolt lug issues even w/the .223 as well, though. Seems I've seen or heard of a broken lug or two? Heck, I had a bolt lug break off of a wimpy M1 carbine back in the '50's. :)
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I think most of the 223/556 issues were poor quality bolts being mass produced. there's gotta be HUNDREDS of different places making bolt heads from really really good to MilSpec to sub par
 
hm1996 said:
Thanks. Guess I was just lucky, shot a 243 for probably 10 years which performed perfectly. Didn't they have bolt lug issues even w/the .223 as well, though. Seems I've seen or heard of a broken lug or two? Heck, I had a bolt lug break off of a wimpy M1 carbine back in the '50's. :)
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Ive had to talk myself out of building another one so many times. I just don't need it anymore, but man...it was fun while I had it
 
Agree; mine was a Dtech and was among the most accurate and dependable rifles I've ever owned and I've had a number of match Garands and bolt guns over the years that were super accurate. I suspect what killed the WSSM's was the difficulties w/feeding that short fat round in some bolt guns.
c_bass16 said:
I think most of the 223/556 issues were poor quality bolts being mass produced. there's gotta be HUNDREDS of different places making bolt heads from really really good to MilSpec to sub par
Click to expand...
That's probably true, I think Mike got all his WSSM bolts from Olympic Arms and I suspect that they were the only ones making them.
 
hm1996 said:
Agree; mine was a Dtech and was among the most accurate and dependable rifles I've ever owned and I've had a number of match Garands and bolt guns over the years that were super accurate. I suspect what killed the WSSM's was the difficulties w/feeding that short fat round in some bolt guns.

That's probably true, I think Mike got all his WSSM bolts from Olympic Arms and I suspect that they were the only ones making them.
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That's been my understanding as well...Oly was the only one making them and I would assume that ship has sailed. Not sure if Mike bought the remaining and/or tooling to keep building them after he hung it up and passed it on. Hard to say.
Still makes me want a 6 Dasher with the .473 bolt. Sort of a Mini-Mag persay
 
A couple years ago I called Dtech and asked and found out they use Jard parts now for the wssm's, or at least did then.

ARP had a .473 bolt face and extension that was high pressure rated that he used for his 270 ar and I think at one time made 6br or brx maybe?

And don't forget about the .492 bolt face of the 30RAR. I have 2 of them and they're definitely beefy enough for anything you're going to wedge into an ar15. I really really wish that round would have taken off and had some offspring like a 6.5 or 6mm version. I've tossed around turning one into a wildcat but it would just be too expensive by the time you had the reamer built and custom dies. You would have to sacrifice an existing barrel to get the barrel extension.
 
You still have the Saum Cbass? I still have my dpms factory 300 saum. I don't shoot it much but those are about impossible to find now.
 
It seems like the SOCOM uses a 473 bolt. At least mine does. The WSSM requires a different sized barrel extension so the uppers are different.
 
c_bass16 said:
The AR15 has seen ...
The .378 bolt face in the 223/556
The .422 of the 6.8 SPC
We have the .445 with the Grendel and ARC
(no .473 options?)
And we've even seen the .532 with the WSSM.
Why didn't anyone rock a standard .473 bolt face modified for something like the Dasher, PPC etc.
In order to do it, you'd essentially need to utilize the WSSM bolt, but you'd have a stronger lug with less material removed.

It seems like people are still looking for MORE than the ARC can provide, but the WSSM was TOO MUCH to be reliable for long term use.
Click to expand...

The 458 SOCOM uses a 473 bolt. The PPC is the .445 the same as the Grendel7.62X39 although the original Grendel uses a deeper bolt depth of .136. The 7.62/LBC variants have depth of .125. The 6 ARC and 22 ARC use the Grendel depth of .136 also. The Grendel Ruger bolt guns run a bolt face depth of .125.
 
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