View Full Version : How is an AR15 bolt made...
Thought you guys (and gals) might appreciate this. I work for a manufacturer of components for motorcycles, ATV's, snowmobiles, etc. The company is considering the purchase of a new "screw machine" to manufacture small components. In looking over the brand of machining center we're considering buying, I found this cool video! It is a Swistek screw machine machining a AR-15 bolt from bar stock. I found it interesting, both from a AR-15 point of view first and foremost, but also because it is a very trick machine tool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkn3P2Z5m5U
Enjoy!
That was awesome to see thanks for sharing!
SilverBullet432
10-10-14, 21:20
Kick ass! Why no c158?
I'm guessing if it wasn't aluminum, it would be a longer video, and they would have needed TiNi coated tools and carbide or PCD inserts. Would love to see a video of a BCM bolt being made!
Cool vid thanks for posting. I ran a Acme screw lathe (non CNC) for a while making the inner race for bearings, so it was interesting to see CNC process. On side note I'm on list to get certified for MPI testing at current job and got to see how MPI testing is done, on gas compression parts at least. They magnetically charge part, dip them in solution which will show defects under black light- laymans terms. Here's more detailed explanation http://www.nationalboard.org/index.aspx?pageID=164&ID=377
I'm guessing if it wasn't aluminum, it would be a longer video, and they would have needed TiNi coated tools and carbide or PCD inserts. Would love to see a video of a BCM bolt being made!They claim they used 8620, which is also used for bolts sometimes. I've read some positive things about it over C158, so I imagine it's similar to machine.
I imagine all of those were solid carbide...
Very cool - Thanks for that!
Thanks for posting! Wouldn't use a 8620 bolt, but very cool to watch.
I have always been curious as to how they were made, thanks for posting!
Heavy Metal
10-11-14, 00:40
They claim they used 8620, which is also used for bolts sometimes. I've read some positive things about it over C158, so I imagine it's similar to machine.
I imagine all of those were solid carbide...
I think you are confusing 8620 with 9310. 8620 was the original bolt material and was found wanting. It is also the material used in low-end bolts up till recently.
I could sit in front of that machine and watch it run all day long. Sure is amazing what we can do these days.
Very cool. I'm not familiar with cool CNC machines, but in the first part of the video when the overhead cutters are doing their job, I make the T-clamp inserts in the left cutter body. I run 5-axis grinders, so I cut carbide all day long.
I could sit in front of that machine and watch it run all day long. Sure is amazing what we can do these days.
I second that! That video was insanely awesome to watch.
That was cool. I would like to see another video from back before the cnc machines.
4DAIVI PAI2K5
10-11-14, 10:02
That was awesome!
I would be awesome to have a section with videos every AR part being made, or every firearm part for that matter. Would love to see some modern MG weaponry being made as well.
Noah
I could sit in front of that machine and watch it run all day long. Sure is amazing what we can do these days.
LOL... When I bought my HE washer with glass lid, I sat and watched it cycle the first five or so times I used it. I'm easily entertained by mechanical processes.
Sent from my PG41200 using Tapatalk 2
Unfortunately where I work, we're not machining AR15 parts! Still will be cool to see one of these screw machines machining pistons for brake calipers (which is why we're purchasing one). Even though I'm in finance, I still like walking through the shop and watching our Mazaks, Mori Seiki's and Toyoda's machining all manner of castings and bar stock into finished parts.
As someone else said, it would be neat to see all of the machining processes needed to make an AR - gun drilling the barrel, broaching the receiver, drawing GI mags, etc.
Glad everyone liked it!
Mysteryman
10-11-14, 11:31
Anyone have an idea what a CNC like that would cost???
MM
You've asked the right guy. Being the finance person, I put together a payback analysis of making these parts in-house (on the Swistek) vs. purchasing them on the outside. This Swistek is around $175K, plus another $25K or so for delivering it, qualifying it, tooling, etc. So let's call it $200K ready to program and go!
Heavy Metal
10-11-14, 11:40
You've asked the right guy. Being the finance person, I put together a payback analysis of making these parts in-house (on the Swistek) vs. purchasing them on the outside. This Swistek is around $175K, plus another $25K or so for delivering it, qualifying it, tooling, etc. So let's call it $200K ready to program and go!
And you have to train operators, pay operators and pay people to service and maintain it as well.
And you have to train operators, pay operators and pay people to service and maintain it as well.As well as programers.
Yup, operators hourly rate plus the manufacturing overheads give us a fully burdened hourly rate (hourly rate, benefits such as insurance, 401(k), etc., social security, unemployment taxes etc.), plus pulling into the equation the cycle time for each piece to be made, plus the overheads attendant to the machine tool. The programmers who at our facility are the manufacturing engineers fall under SG&A (selling, general and administrative expenses as the accountants would say) to get all "finance'y" with you!! :D
Mysteryman
10-11-14, 17:11
You've asked the right guy. Being the finance person, I put together a payback analysis of making these parts in-house (on the Swistek) vs. purchasing them on the outside. This Swistek is around $175K, plus another $25K or so for delivering it, qualifying it, tooling, etc. So let's call it $200K ready to program and go!
That's a pricey piece of kit. Thanks for the info!!!
MM
Looks to be brass in the video. We get these guys in our shop all the time... They claim a cycle time of 9 minutes, and that's all and well.... now make it do it over and over again, all night long while the lights are out. We could push our machines to 7 minutes if we wanted, but you wouldn't get very far on tooling.
Our choice of machine for our bolts, carriers, and titanium comps are Nakamura WT-150's. It's a cool video, but that machine would get hammered to death trying to run bolts day in and day out for a year making bolts.
That's just my opinion on it though!
Thank you for sharing, I love anything that deals with machining and have zero trouble staying up half the night watching it on youtube. I had too make a career change a few years ago due to the economic dead zone called north west florida, so other than my modest little home shop set up its the only way too feed my addiction. Im going to have to go with the other posters that said it didnt look like steel though.
Many years ago I used to watch one of these types of machine mill an entire wheel strut for helicopters out of a large block of steel.
They are amazing
notorious_ar15
10-15-14, 17:34
My uncle was a machinist, and it was always interesting to watch him set things up & work. Wanted to say thanks for posting this. It is very intriguing - would love to see more!
Looks to be brass in the video. We get these guys in our shop all the time... They claim a cycle time of 9 minutes, and that's all and well.... now make it do it over and over again, all night long while the lights are out. We could push our machines to 7 minutes if we wanted, but you wouldn't get very far on tooling.
Our choice of machine for our bolts, carriers, and titanium comps are Nakamura WT-150's. It's a cool video, but that machine would get hammered to death trying to run bolts day in and day out for a year making bolts.
That's just my opinion on it though!
Please don't consider this a personal attack but... First you state that you cannot sell a bolt for $70.00 because you bill more than that for machine time... Now you state that you cannot machine a bolt in 9 minutes because it would be too hard on the tooling and the machine... I understand that this is your business and you can make what you want, how you want to make it and sell it for the price you want but you lost my respect when you said the stock looked like brass to you. That punch was below the belt.
Please don't consider this a personal attack but... First you state that you cannot sell a bolt for $70.00 because you bill more than that for machine time... Now you state that you cannot machine a bolt in 9 minutes because it would be too hard on the tooling and the machine... I understand that this is your business and you can make what you want, how you want to make it and sell it for the price you want but you lost my respect when you said the stock looked like brass to you. That punch was below the belt.
No, I stated we can't make a fully assembled carrier and bolt coated and ready to sell for $69 as described in the other thread. And the video does look like brass to me, the tiny fine chips are consistent with how brass cuts. If I offended you in any way, I apologize, It was not my intention to be an attack, simply my opinion.
It does kinda look like brass the way the chips curls and breaks like confetti flake (I always hated turning brass, hot chip peppered Ya), even has a goldenish sheen to. But I believe it's probably the lighting. But neither here nor there, nor of great importance to thread.
Demo parts for video purposes are often run with brass without coolant. It's hard to get clear video when the part is flooded with coolant/oil. I doubt they could run alloy steel without coolant.
At the end of the video I thought the bolts could be brass, but I only watched it once and wasn't specifically looking for the material at the time.
I want to apologize to ilmonster, It looks like I derailed the thread. The video is awesome, and is exactly how bolts are made in many shops, Just with different machines. Same concept though.
Ryan
No need to apologize Redmist. This is an interesting discussion. Good to see that a lot of folks around here work or have experience in manufacturing. And to your point, there are lots of ways to skin a cat, or in this case turn a bolt! Brake master cylinder pistons we make where I work are turned on a Nakamura TW-10 (I think that's the model based on my addled memory) and take 2 or 3 minutes, but they're all aluminum (vs. steel) and flooded with coolant/oil, and almost every process is a turning process. We also will prototype an aluminum brake caliper in our prototype area periodically, and those can take 5-8 hours to machine from billet.
Glad everyone is enjoying the video!
Thanks for sharing, that was awesome! I love learning how things are made.
Great video. Thanks for posting. Love watching stuff like that.
SilverBullet432
10-18-14, 16:59
You've asked the right guy. Being the finance person, I put together a payback analysis of making these parts in-house (on the Swistek) vs. purchasing them on the outside. This Swistek is around $175K, plus another $25K or so for delivering it, qualifying it, tooling, etc. So let's call it $200K ready to program and go!
And you have to train operators, pay operators and pay people to service and maintain it as well.
As well as programers.
@ $70 a bolt you'd earn your money back for the machine in just 3,000 bolts, but there are many factors.
Honorthecall81
10-18-14, 17:04
It's almost hypnotic watching that. Like watching snow fall. You just sit and
stare and stare and watch it over and over.
Cool vid. Thanks for sharing.
When I see stuff like this, and I remember that ArmaLite designed the rifle in the late 1950s before selling it to Colt in the early 1960s, I wonder how they managed to make some fairly complicated parts, such as bolts and receivers, from single pieces of metal without modern CNC machines. That must have been some intensive work.
Ned Christiansen
10-19-14, 16:18
I've seen this live a few times but still thoroughly enjoyed the vid-- simply amazing!
Wish I had one in my garage...
Cool vid. Thanks for sharing.
When I see stuff like this, and I remember that ArmaLite designed the rifle in the late 1950s before selling it to Colt in the early 1960s, I wonder how they managed to make some fairly complicated parts, such as bolts and receivers, from single pieces of metal without modern CNC machines. That must have been some intensive work.They prob used NC (numerical code) machines, they used punch tape vs CNC (computerized numerical code). I don't know one way or another, I guess they could have manual tooled them.
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