Gunsmiths! 700 lapua bolt face price.

What is the going rate/ fair price to open a magnum bolt face to a 338 lapua and install a m16 extractor?

It will end up costing about the same as a new PTG bolt.

I know it is done, but I don't recomend opening up a rem 700 to a Lapua case head dia.
because there is not much left for extractor thickness using an M16 extractor.

I recomend a larger action/bolt diameter like the Weatherby MK 5 or a custom action.

This is just "MY" opinion

J E CUSTOM
 
I have to 2nd that. I won't open a 700 bolt face any larger than for a 404 Jeffries size case head for safety reasons. The size of the 338 Lapua should really have a .750" dia. bolt. I do alot of 338 Lapua's on the Stiller TAC 338.
 
So are the factory Rem 700 338 lapua rifles unsafe? Wouldn't they do alot of testing before they put out a production rifle in 338 Lapua?
 
So are the factory Rem 700 338 lapua rifles unsafe? Wouldn't they do alot of testing before they put out a production rifle in 338 Lapua?

It is not because it is unsafe, It is because when you place a M 16 or simular extractor on a
large case head you have to thin the extractor so much it makes it marginally weak. The bolt
lugs on the Remington will take the SAMMI pressures of the Lapua but if you load hard you
may have extractor problems.

Remington makes a 338 Lapua on there 700 but they use the Remington extractor and it fits
in the 700 bolt (Barely).

It is just a better idea in my opinion to go with a larger diameter bolt if the external extractor
is used.

If you have to use the Remington consider the 338 RUM (It is the ballistic equal to the Lapua
with Maximum SAMMI Pressures) and it uses a standard magnum bolt face, and any type of
extractor will work.

I use a lot of Mark 5 actions for the larger case heads,(.579 to .602) and use the standard 378
Weatherby extractor with little or no changes to the extractor.

J E CUSTOM
 
Last edited:
I just did this conversion for my 338 norma magnum I just built. It can be done with factory bolt I put in the ptg mini m16 extractor no need to thin it like they mentioned earlier it works just fine the only thing that gets changed is the nose cut out on the barrel needs enlarged to allow it movement to clip over the case.
 
My Remington 700P 338 LM has the M-16 extractor installed from the factory. It doen't look to be thined. From what the Remington Rep told me the action for this caliber is specially hardened at the factory to make it stronger than the regular Model 700. Don't know that to be a fact but that is what I was told by the Rep. Couple of hundred max reloads through it so far and haven't had a problem of any kind so far.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 13 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top