How to Jewel a Rifle Bolt

Gunsmiths have been polishing and jeweling bolts for many years, and in a minute you'll see why. Let's take a look at this fascinating process.

Start by polishing the bolt with a 100-grit abrasive, using a shoeshine motion. We'll work up to 600-grit, alternating lengthwise with crosswise polishing.

The pin on the jeweling fixture is inserted into the firing pin hole and the rear of the bolt is held by the support. Place the fixture under the drill press quill, so the jeweling tool is positioned above the bolt.

Turn the drill press on, lower the quill, and the jeweling tool will form a swirl on the top of the bolt. Now just overlap the first whirl with another and continue to jewel the length of the bolt. Rotate slightly and repeat the process until the entire surface of the bolt is covered with jewels.

It's very straightforward, it just takes a bit of time and patience. So which do you prefer, the one on the left or the one on the right?

-- Larry Potterfield