FFT Ti Bolt Review

[Unobtanium]

I bought one, had to try it out. Well, I think Kip's A2/Ti hybrid will be better. I only shot about 30 rounds of buck, and 15 slugs, and 25 rounds of birdshot. Function was flawless, even with the 2.75 dram 1145fps birdshot fired from the hip, and I was pleased.

 

However.

 

I returned home, removed the bolt, and looked at where it interfaces with the detent. The metal was deformed slightly on the inside surface where the cut-outs are for the detent. Deformed. Not scratched. Not "marred". Bent. It will either be self-limiting, or a structural failure will result that would allow the bolt to be removed from the weapon with less than the designed force.

 

This is damage caused during firing, not little scratches upon insertion/removal. It does not require a jewler's loup to see. I have scanned a picture of it, but being as I have a scanner and not a camera, bare with the quality of the photo.

 

 

Apparently 36RC is NOT! hard enough for this part, or the FFT part is not really 36RC. Since I am not going to talk about things I don't know (I can't measure their bolt's surface hardness,), I am going to take their word that it is 36RC, and that 36RC is not an acceptable hardness in this application.

 

Thankyou Kip for ignoring everyone who whines about your "OCD" and doing your homework and providing us with the A2 hybrid in the near future. Set one aside, I'm going to buy it. Thankyou!

 

Also, I have been a huge fan of the MOD choke coupled with Remington 000 2.75" buck. Well, I tried an IC choke today. The "core" pattern was about the same, but I always got about 4-5 in about a 12" circle at 40 yards, and the other 3 went who knows where. With the Briley IC choke, I was getting 7 or 8 (shell holds 8) all on a piece of 22x28" paper at 45 yards reliably.

Edited May 15, 2010 by Unobtanium

[texas skeeter]

i love all you rocket scientist types!! it takes all the hard work out of which parts are better made and for me to buy!! now UNO, get back to your lincoln logs!!

[KB Fab]

Nice going Uno! Put me in line as well Kip. As a side note..........anyone have experience with one of these?

 

 

http://www.gggaz.com/index.php?id=112&parents=60,63

Edited May 15, 2010 by KB Fab

[xamoel]

they are said to be spinning a lot!

 

@TS: did you get my PM? i sent you one last week i think, but i'm not sure if it worked out alright, i was using my GF's cellphone to write it

[h.bowman]

Very interesting.

 

I've got an FFT knob and I've run about 1500 total rounds through my gun since I installed it. I'm not showing anything like what you have. The surface area around the indentations in my knob are perfect.

 

Weird.

[BM4robbins]

Very interesting.

 

 

 

Weird.

My friend went ahead and bought one too and I asked to look at his... same thing. All dented up and scratched. Every time you use the gun and pull it out the FFT has a new scratch and or dent. What does 36RC mean? Is that the type of titanium? The FFT still looks OK on the outside. He just smoothed it out with some scrungie pad material. Here I thought he was just us being too picky. His is the silver one Unobtanium's looks really nice compared to Mike's. Maybe h.bowman's is newer and improved hybrid A2 version. My friend went back to his factory one but I'm still going to use the FFT one, looks too cool to throw in a drawer, where it will sit until I actually get an M4.

 

Update; Got an M4 late February 2011. Got widgets way ahead of time. Now my FFT bolt knob has a home.

Edited March 18, 2011 by BM4robbins

[h.bowman]

I got a magnifying glass out to take a closer look at mine and with that I see a little wear - small marks and such...but no deformities or warping of any lind like that. So mine isn't perfect as it appeared by the naked eye. Looking at mine I'm confident the little markings are cosmetic and would not compromise function.

[StrangerDanger]

I'll take a look at my design concepts handle when I have a chance. I expect to see some wear on it as well. When it comes to steel and titanium, steel wins.

 

Good post.

[Hookster]

Indeed! Excellent post Unobtanium!

 

Hookster

[BigHat]

Very interesting.

 

I've got an FFT knob and I've run about 1500 total rounds through my gun since I installed it. I'm not showing anything like what you have. The surface area around the indentations in my knob are perfect.

 

Weird.

 

Same. But only about 100 rds.

 

Of course, the non-existent one will be better. Yea right.

Edited May 16, 2010 by BigHat

[cody6.0]

Thats what you guys get for using door knobs as bolt handles.

[Unobtanium]

Thats what you guys get for using door knobs as bolt handles.

 

I too think that the larger mass towards the outside end of the bolt is causing the problem. It is caused during the point in the cycle where the carrier stops, and inertia causes the bolt to try to keep going, peening that edge against the detent. The less mass towards the end, the less leverage/inertia. I would not be suprised if the design-concepts version did not show this as it is a 1/2" diameter and is 8.5g vs. 15.99g. Since the shank is the same, we can only conclude that that extra mass is in the outer end that comprises the handle.

[StrangerDanger]

Only finish wear on my DC handle. No deformation like shown in the initial post. I have about 2000 round on it now.