Today I made the Bolt, except to fit the handle, and cut the O-ring groove in the Loading Tray / Thimble behind the transfer port.... The Bolt still has to be cut off about where the line is drawn, which will be flush with the back of the Breechblock when fully open....



The Bolt has a very long travel, when it is fully forward the shoulder on the Bolt is up against the Loading Tray.... This is necessary because of the long bullet, necessitating a long loading port, plus the nose of the bolt has to go past the transfer port, which had to be far enough from the front of the loading port to allow for the O-ring to seal when retracted so that the nose of the bolt clears the back of the transfer port, without the O-ring dropping into the port when fully forward.... It will retract about 3/8" from the full forward, loading position to the firing position....

It's time to do some more thinking to make sure I don't forget anything before I continue machining the tubes.... The Monocoque tube and Breechblock both need the slot machined for the bolt handle.... and the Reservoir tube has yet to have any machining done.... although all the internal parts are now complete....

Bob