[mizzouri1]

i have been looking for a xs7y 243 for my grandson. well i got to hold one today at a local gun shop. i liked the feel and the looks of the gun. but when i pulled the bolt back it was very very loose and sloppy. i mean a lot of play in it. so is this normal for these guns or what. i have bolts that have some play in them but this gun was so loose it kinda scared me.lol. so i thought i would see what you guys had to say about this.

 

[mizzouri1]

wow, 11 views and no comments or opinions, i know this is not a high dollar gun and i dont expect it but i just wanted to know if this was normal to have so much play or not.

 

[MarlinXL7]

Yes, it's normal. It's one of the things I really like about the X7--all that slop means a really smooth bolt.

 

[raygunter]

When the bolt goes into battery all of the lockup is up front where the lugs are. With the bolt out of battery and pulled to the rear slop does not bother me. Slop while in battery sure does.

I have never heard of an instance where slop in the bolt when locked up caused any problems.

 

[MarlinXL7]

BTW, a way to tell whether or not a gun has a really smooth bolt is to hold it with the barrel pointing upwards and push the bolt handle open. If the bolt slams all the way open without you helping it, it's pretty darn smooth. The only guns I've personally experienced that do this are X7s, Weatherby/Howas, and Tikkas. (I've never handled a Sako or Steyr, so can't comment on those). Remingtons and Savages slide about halfway and then stick. It may just be me, but I really like a smooth bolt...

 

[mizzouri1]

thanks for your input, that makes since to me. i am going back tommorrow to check it out again. i will probably be bringing home with me. ;D i have raised 2 daughters that fished but never hunted, now i have 3 grandsons to take hunting. i am probably more excited about getting him a deer rifle than he is. ;D thanks again. love this sight.

 

[luvalever]

its because the bolt head floats and the bolt just dangles out there wabblin all over. scares everyone but the truth is that dont even mean the bolt is sloppy. push the bolt in halfway or more and see how sloppy it is. its not sloppy anymore is it? now pull it back and its sloppy jiggly and ugly but thats a feature that keeps the bolt lugs square in the action at all times while locked up. the bolt itself is not actually sloppy but the bolt face is pinned to the bolt and there is play there for a reason. whene the bolt is retracted its the bolt head alone that is left in the action as the rest of the bolt flops ridiculously scaring people into buying solid bolt remingtons and paying a gunsmith to true the lugs. just another fancy feature on the marlins...