Thread: What are some of the smoothest bolt actions you have handled?

I've got a Anschutz 1771, barrel fieldcraft, Cooper M22, 6x47 Rem and 1903 Mannlicher, these four, are a big step in smoothness above my next level rifles, i.e Sako AV, vixen & 85, M700 in H&H, coopers in M22 20 vartarg and M51 in 6x45.
M70's and 700 after that, or clones, ie Kimber.
By far the roughest are My CZ 527 Actions,

Yeah unfortunately the CZ527 actions are quite bad before you work the bolt a few thousand times... In the future I wouldn't get another.

I have owned or own these in order from ruff as guts to slick as heated glass on ice.
Smle....several of
Bsa majestic
Sako 75
Howa
Howa mini
Tikka t3
Tikka 595
Sako 85
Defiance Deviant with deep fluting and fully nitrided.

With the exception of the 303s they were all pretty slick actions but the Defiance with nitriding is a whole new level of slick.

Are we talking slick along the raceways or slick to complete one full cycle?

I like the more solid cocking on the older Sako/ Howa actions. Not as slick as a Tikka but very tactile.

Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick

To me, there are two ways an action becomes ‘slick’;

1. An action that is machined with great alignment, closeish tolerances and excellent surface finish. eg older manufacture and well used
2. One that is designed for low friction (minimal points of bolt contact with receiver) e.g Tikka and newer M700

I would much rather have an action that is slick with loose tolerances vs slick with tight tolerances, Tikka T3/T3x is the gold standard for factory actions but falls into the 'slick but loose' category, good as I have seen them cycle sufficiently well despite having not been cleaned in years or been dropped into a bog. Custom actions may be 'slick and tight' but I doubt that all of them would be as reliable.

Pre-WW2 Mannlicher Schoenauer sporter... action, trigger, rotary mag, smooth as glass. Was truly an old world work of art. One of the few rifles I regret selling.

The true sporter rosses, especially built on 1905 actions are pretty great as well. A lot smoother than the 1910's funnily enough.

Mannlicher Schoenauer.
Probably the smoothest action ever made.
Certainly the smoothest I've ever come across.

My 100+ year old swedish mausers are like greased eel shit. My sakos are nowhere near as nice, even if they cost way more

Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick

My little BSA .222 is about as smooth as they come. Probably wasn’t designed like that, but a secondary effect of having thousands of rounds shucked through it.

To me, there are two ways an action becomes ‘slick’;

1. An action that is machined with great alignment, closeish tolerances and excellent surface finish. eg older manufacture and well used
2. One that is designed for low friction (minimal points of bolt contact with receiver) e.g Tikka and newer M700

I think a lot has to do with the type of steel used. Some steels, no matter how polished, with finer and finer grades of wet & dry over many winters nights of TV watching still have a 'galling' feel. Others in cast steels with likely more carbon content or different alloys are naturally slippery

Over the years I have owned or played with some very smooth actions, so my list from smoothest down are,
Sauer 90 or Carl Gustaf 3000
Schultz and Larsen Victory, Classic DL and Legacy
Mannlicher Schoenauer
Sauer 202
Carl Gustaf 8000/9000 or Husqvarna 1900
Cooper M54 and M52
Original Tikka

I used to have a Voere Titan in 223. The action was like velvet, I can't imagine anything smoother, the whole thing was immaculate, the magazines were bastards though and kept misfeeding and jamming. I always felt guilty using it as it was so nice but the magazines pissed me off at the same time. Sold it for a profit after a few years.

Always liked the A-bolts and Tikkas, quite impressed by the Bergara, probably smoother than my tikka.

70's Tikka LSA55. so slick! Husky 1900, and I have a BSA 270 that is away being rebarreled at present that has had so many shots down the tube its getting its 3rd barrel from the history I've been given. Use to used as a chopper gun in the 70's, and it is definitely very very slick.

Mannlischer schoennaur
Sauer 80 and 90
The 202 is not too bad.
Some Steyr Lexus.
Some older tikkas.

Omark M44

My bergara b14 is very smooth and tight i would rate it above my old tikka, the tikka was flawless but seemed a bit loose and rattly in comparison.