788 Remington ,bolt handle problems ??

Easy there Hoss, I did'nt imply that you were an idiot. There are plenty of guys, including me, who have been filling there freezer for a lot of years with a 788 and have no complaints about them. Yes they are "cheaply made", But as a rule they are well above average as far as accuracy goes, And can be a very reliable hunting tool when a little common sense is used. So you broke a bolt handle, if you'd broken a model 700 bolt handle would they all be junk to you? And no, I am not an economic genius, but the law of supply and demand is BASIC economics and is what determines the selling price of everything. Sorry guy, didn't mean to get your shorts in a knot. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif If I had your attitude then I might feel you were calling me an idiot because I said I "luv them 788s". But I respect your opinion so I'm OK with that.

BTW I hear the "cult" thing a lot. I am not a member of any "cult". But I "Luv them 788s" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Last edited:
I do believe most everybody does not understand the problem, more a reason than problem.
There is no problem with the bolt handle attachment. There are a few get broken off. The reason is because of the rear locking lugs.
When overpressure rounds are fired the forward part of the bolt compresses(at 75000psi even steel compresses) and allows the brass to expand rearward. This allows the brass to lock up the bolt much more tightly than it could do on a front lug action.
The normal reaction is to beat it open with a 2X4. This eventually will break a silver soldered joint.
There is no weakness in the bolt handle attachment, it is just what will eventually happen when you overload a rear lug action and beat it open with a 2X4 or worse.
Loaded to reasonable pressure levels so you can still open the bolt with your hand you will never have a bolt handle failure.

Jack
 
Okie:

You're busy jumping big gaps that don't exist just to defend what you own. I own a couple too, remember. And who said they're trash?

But... Facts are facts and broken bolt handles is one of the 788 problems along with bolt compression issues that caused Remington to discontinue the 788 years ago. That's what this thread is about. And those are facts and not emotions...

If opening a bolt on a cartridge that chambered fine an hour before, and the handle falls off thereby making me an idiot who pushed the envelope, I can live with that because I know better. When I contacted Remington at the time, they apparently had heard from a lot of abusive idiots who lacked some common sense, because they were well aware even then of a poorly engineered design that failed more often than it should have.

So let's just leave it where it is, Hoss...... You feel a need to defend something you own. I own the same thing but don't have a need to defend it by simply recognizing its not now nor never was the best buy going just because I own a couple.

As for the economics of it, I chuckle every time I read about the good deal someone got on a 788 that is 4X what it sold for originally. I'll put my money into a good solid Sako action for the same dollars and not wonder about the problems I might have bought the first time I pull the trigger. And I've never heard of anyone complaining about bolt handles falling off Sakos in more than extremely small numbers mostly associated with abusive actions, and definitely not because of recognized poor engineering design.

You have a good day and enjoy shooting your 788's...

-BCB
 
I paid 70 dollars for mine ........
It was a Tlingit,s seal and deer skiff rifle , Had see thru mounts on it and a scope with the tube bent and a groove wore in the stock from riding in a Lund skiff slid under the gunwale brace ............ no clip .. A friend cleaned it up and shot it some ..... And bought a clip for it , [ good friend ] I put a scope on it another friend gave me .... I have far less than 100 dollars into it including the 222 rem mag dies I found at the dump that I use for reloading it to produce the 1 5/32x 1" 4 shot group @ 200 yards with range pickup brass .........

The cheapest rifle I know of for a long while .......
 
Quote:
I do believe most everybody does not understand the problem, more a reason than problem.
There is no problem with the bolt handle attachment. There are a few get broken off. The reason is because of the rear locking lugs.
When overpressure rounds are fired the forward part of the bolt compresses(at 75000psi even steel compresses) and allows the brass to expand rearward. This allows the brass to lock up the bolt much more tightly than it could do on a front lug action.
The normal reaction is to beat it open with a 2X4. This eventually will break a silver soldered joint.
There is no weakness in the bolt handle attachment, it is just what will eventually happen when you overload a rear lug action and beat it open with a 2X4 or worse.
Loaded to reasonable pressure levels so you can still open the bolt with your hand you will never have a bolt handle failure.

Jack



Thanks Jack, Nuff said /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Quote:
I do believe most everybody does not understand the problem, more a reason than problem.
There is no problem with the bolt handle attachment. There are a few get broken off. The reason is because of the rear locking lugs.
When overpressure rounds are fired the forward part of the bolt compresses(at 75000psi even steel compresses) and allows the brass to expand rearward. This allows the brass to lock up the bolt much more tightly than it could do on a front lug action.
The normal reaction is to beat it open with a 2X4. This eventually will break a silver soldered joint.
There is no weakness in the bolt handle attachment, it is just what will eventually happen when you overload a rear lug action and beat it open with a 2X4 or worse.
Loaded to reasonable pressure levels so you can still open the bolt with your hand you will never have a bolt handle failure.

Jack



On the other side of the coin... Just for the record.

I was the original owner of the 22-250 which had the handle break off. The load I used in the rifle for several years was far from a max load and cartridges were always easy to chamber and extract both before and after firing. Further, no rifle of mine has ever seen or needed a 2X4 applied because of max loads. It's not how I operate. I have rifles in my gun safes that have been used a lot and for the most part they are like new in both appearance and function, including a couple of 788 Remingtons.

At the time - @ 1976 - Remington apparently recognized they had a problem with the 788 bolt design as they told me it was a problem they would repair at no cost to me. The day mine broke off it was about 35 degrees below zero and the handle broke off with very little pressure applied to it... It just fell off.

Both metal surfaces showed that about 1/3 of the metal contact point had silver solder residue. The rest of the bolt and bolt handle surface had never been contacted by silver solder

So...for every complete "Nuff said" answer there is at least one example where the simple facts don't apply and "Nuff said" is just someone beating their chest to show they're completely right when they really don't have all the facts..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Again, Okie, enjoy your 788's. I do mine....

-BCB
 
Quote:
At the time - @ 1976 - Remington apparently recognized they had a problem with the 788 bolt design as they told me it was a problem they would repair at no cost to me. The day mine broke off it was about 35 degrees below zero and the handle broke off with very little pressure applied to it... It just fell off.

Both metal surfaces showed that about 1/3 of the metal contact point had silver solder residue. The rest of the bolt and bolt handle surface had never been contacted by silver solder

So...for every complete "Nuff said" answer there is at least one example where the simple facts don't apply and "Nuff said" is just someone beating their chest to show they're completely right when they really don't have all the facts.....



Wow, such bitterness /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif No-one is "beating their chest". Jack explained the problem with the 788 action to a T, I was agreeing with him. If your bolt handle just fell off as you say then evidently you got a lemon. Hey, at least it was a cheap gun, right. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif And FWIW, I like my Model 70s, and Ruger M77s much better, But they're too pretty, don't want to scratch'em up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif. That's why I hunt with my old cheap, beat up 788s. Nothing sentimental about it.
 
Last edited:
LOL...!

No bitternenss here, Okie... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Keep trying....

On the contrary, it amuses me that you seem to be one of those who has to defend what he owns at all costs with "Nuff said"'s and such without all the real facts. Not everyone feels as adamant about what they own as you do simply because they own it. Remember I'm a 788 owner also and the 788 is economically far from what its selling for today. As I said earlier in this, I'll put my money where it buys quality.

And for the record again, I agree with Jack totally also. His explanation is why you can't buy new 788's on the shelf. 2/4's and pipe wrenches were applied... It just wasn't new news to everyone involved, and it is not the complete and total answer to the bolt handle design issue...

From the frequency of the handles breaking off that had nothing to do with bolt compression and lug set-back, there must have been a bunch of lemons using your analogy. As I said earlier, it was not news to Remington in 1976 that it was happening.

Again.. enjoy your 788's... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

PS You sound like you need to invest in a couple of custom rifles so you can really understand beautiful rifles and how to take care of them when you use them....

-BCB
 
Quote:
PS You sound like you need to invest in a couple of custom rifles so you can really understand beautiful rifles and how to take care of them when you use them....



Now Now, Lets not get personal, I know how to take care of a rifle, but when I hunt, I hunt. I've crawled through rocks, plum thickets, mesquite flats, CRP fields, cattail swamps, you name it. I truly enjoy the hunt. You should see the bow I hunt with. But by gosh every scratch tells a story Bud.
Custom rifles? I have 6 centerfire rifles that I, myself glass-bedded and installed pillars, hand-lapped the bores, worked the triggers and developed loads for. And all will shoot with the best of'em. And no I'm not talking benchrest accuracy, but all 6 are easily sub moa shooters. I consider them custom rifles. I get much more personal satisfaction out of doing the work myself and seeing the results, than I do from just writing a check.
 
Quote:
Quote:
PS You sound like you need to invest in a couple of custom rifles so you can really understand beautiful rifles and how to take care of them when you use them....



Now Now, Lets not get personal, I know how to take care of a rifle, but when I hunt, I hunt. I've crawled through rocks, plum thickets, mesquite flats, CRP fields, cattail swamps, you name it. I truly enjoy the hunt. You should see the bow I hunt with. But by gosh every scratch tells a story Bud.
Custom rifles? I have 6 centerfire rifles that I, myself glass-bedded and installed pillars, hand-lapped the bores, worked the triggers and developed loads for. And all will shoot with the best of'em. And no I'm not talking benchrest accuracy, but all 6 are easily sub moa shooters. I consider them custom rifles. I get much more personal satisfaction out of doing the work myself and seeing the results, than I do from just writing a check.



LOL...!..again...

Now whose being touchy...?

I'm sure your rifles are great. I've done the same thing numerous times in the past 45 years. I've also written a few checks that produce rifles that far surpass anything you can buy at Gander Mountain and then modify. I like all of them...

Again...enjoy your 788's... If I'm not around tomorrow to continue this love fest, it's because I went hunting for a few days... I hope that's OK...

-BCB
 
BCB, Enough is enough, truce. Guess we're both hardheaded gun-nuts who don't want the other guy to get the last word. huh? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif And, uh, I should probably get off the computer when the purple-sock comes out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Anyhow, To each his own, you do your thing and I'll do mine. Mine works for me and I'm sure yours works for you. Enjoy you're hunt. And try not to break a bolt-handle /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Just kidding (Had to throw that in there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)
 
Last edited:
Quote:
BCB, Enough is enough, truce. Guess we're both hardheaded gun-nuts who don't want the other guy to get the last word. huh? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif And, uh, I should probably get off the computer when the purple-sock comes out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Anyhow, To each his own, you do your thing and I'll do mine. Mine works for me and I'm sure yours works for you. Enjoy you're hunt. And try not to break a bolt-handle /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Just kidding (Had to throw that in there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)



I'm not even worried about it...

I have five rifles cased and ready to go and none of them are known for bolt handles falling off..

-BCB
 
Thats ok you guys just keep arguing .......... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
Last edited:
Back
Top