Remove factory coating from bolt

[MTbackwoods]

I have a Rem 700 that I would like to smooth up the bolt some. The entire bolt is coated in whatever cheap paint Remington used and it doesn't slide as smooth as I know it can. Any tips on safely removing it and what I need to do to protect the bolt from rust?

 

[cohunt]

Is it coated? My last rem700 has a bead blasted finish then blued for a "matte blued finish"
Try polishing the rails, raceways, and bolt --- lightly

 

[MTbackwoods]

Is it coated? My last rem700 has a bead blasted finish then blued for a "matte blued finish"
Try polishing the rails, raceways, and bolt --- lightly

It could be bluing. You can kinda see in the picture that it's patchy and the coating feels a little rough and porous. I figured it was something else but maybe it's just a bad bluing job. Is there a video on YouTube you could recommend to walk me through the procedure? I just don't wanna make a mistake

 

[shortgrass]

Is it coated? My last rem700 has a bead blasted finish then blued for a "matte blued finish"
Try polishing the rails, raceways, and bolt --- lightly

I thought they 'blasted' 'um with road gravel before they blued 'um!

 

[jrock]

If its blued, vinegar will strip it. Just make sure you rinse in cold water with baking soda to neutralize anything left. There are also cold bluing kits with remover.
Your picture looks like my 700 SPS which to me, appeared to be coated but I never looked any deeper. I thought it mine was actually pretty smooth. Sand paper or bead blasting to remove a coating. Before removing it, have you dried dry graphite lube on the bolt and race ways? I find that helps but it does wear off after a short while.

 

[MTbackwoods]

If its blued, vinegar will strip it. Just make sure you rinse in cold water with baking soda to neutralize anything left. There are also cold bluing kits with remover.
Your picture looks like my 700 SPS which to me, appeared to be coated but I never looked any deeper. I thought it mine was actually pretty smooth. Sand paper or bead blasting to remove a coating. Before removing it, have you dried dry graphite lube on the bolt and race ways? I find that helps but it does wear off after a short while.

It's from a Long Range. I haven't tried the graphite but that's not a terrible idea. I've thought about taking a polishing compound and smoothing it up that way while removing the bluing. I'm just concerned about the bolt rusting afterward. Or should that not be a concern?

 

[jrock]

The bolt is chromoly and will rust if it doesn't have a fine finish with a light coat of oil. Cerekote makes a product called mico slick that you might be interested in. Or even better, send it out for Nitride or DLC.

 

[MTbackwoods]

I plan on rebarreling as soon as I shoot this one out. And when I do, I'm gonna get the barreled action coated. So I'd rather wait for that and do it all at once. Perhaps I can check out that micro slick and see what it's all aboot

 

[LoneTraveler]

I liked the old 700 Classic bolts with the body jeweled. Looks like it would take some work on that bolt to get it smooth enough to take a jeweled surface.

 

[aushunter1]

Its anodised & its supposed to be there!

Just keep working the action with some light gear/gun oil.

It will smoothen out with a bit of use!

 

[shortgrass]

I liked the old 700 Classic bolts with the body jeweled. Looks like it would take some work on that bolt to get it smooth enough to take a jeweled surface.

By the time you have the "ruff" gone enough to do a decent jewel job, it is very much under sized.

 

[pttp]

Its anodised & its supposed to be there!

Just keep working the action with some light gear/gun oil.

It will smoothen out with a bit of use!

Anodizing is a coating used on aluminum only. Must be something else

 

[Hand Skills]

Anodizing actually works on many NONFERROUS metals and alloys like Mg and Ti.

I'm guessing it's a parkerizing which yields similar results on steel but uses a phosphate chemical process. Similar to anodizing, but not the same

 

[cohunt]

As I said earlier its blued over bead blasted metal unless Remington description is wrong-- on their web page they state "matte blued finish"