TargetTalk

Just purchased an Anschutz with 6 Digit Serial number 147XXX. There are some strange but good things about the rifle. A new Lilja 6 groove barrel was installed, action threaded and new 5018 trigger group installed in a Robertson Composite stock. It has a wing safety and the back of the bolt is not conical but the same shape as the 1700 series Sporter Anschutz bolt. The bolt handle is straight and all steel even the knob. There are two extractors on the bolt. The extractors are NOT in a 180 degrees opposed position on the bolt but in an angled position. These extractors are massive compared to the newer Anschutz of today. The bolt does not have a slot in the bottom. The firing pin and firing pin spring are not exposed. The builder (who I cannot reach) removed the 5018 side safety because it would have been redundant. Seller did not know much history on the rifle. About 200 rounds down the pipe and this is proving to be a great rifle grouping good at 100 meters with cheap SK. My questions are:
1. Is this a 1600 series?
2. I am guessing manufacture date of around 1978. Do you think this is correct?
3. If this is a 1600 series, do the new 5018/5022 trigger groups bolt right up to the bottom of the receiver or did the rifle builder have to make modifications to the receiver or the new trigger group?
4. Somewhat more force than I am used to is required to close the bolt. Of course the bolt knob is much smaller than the more recent Anschutz. Is this because of the force required to make these older design extractors go over the rim of the cartridge? If not, then the rifle builder must have set the rifle up with tighter headspace than I am used to?

1) No, it will be a 1400 rifle. 1600 bolts have a conical end cap, and an X at the end of the serial number.

2)No, date of manufacture would be earlier, likely no later than 1976.

3) Yes, a 5018 trigger will fit a 1600 action without modification, but it won't actually work. 1600 rifles use the 5071 or 5075 triggers; these have a different sear angle/position to the 5018. 1600 firing pins are correspondingly different to 1800. A 5018 trigger will not cock with a 1600 bolt, and vice versa. Your 1400 action is also incompatible with the 5018 trigger, unless the firing pin is modified to match the sear. You are more likely to have a 5071 or 5072 trigger, which is compatible with the 1400 firing pin; either this or the 1400 action would need some modification to fit together.

4) Yes, the headspace could be a little tighter than factory. It's also probable that the chamber dimensions are different. If the chamber is shorter/ tighter you would need to apply more force to seat the cartridge as the bullet will engage deeper with the rifling. Tight headspace can make this a little more noticeable. Trigger position can affect bolt closure too; the 5071 and 5018 triggers are designed to allow fore-aft play to line up the sear with the firing pin. If the trigger is placed too far back the firing pin spring is compressed more, so the bolt is harder to close. A quick tip is that the indicator pin at the rear should not move out as the bolt closes.

I will only mention that each of the "1613" and "1607" rifles that I've owned had the later curved bolt handle (like the 1813 and 1913 actions).

Each had the 5071 trigger with a side safety and tapered pins instead of the straight pins in the later 5018 trigger.

The X-rifle bolts also have an open slot on the bottom, unlike the later 1813/1913 bolt.

The dual extractors are at a slight "angle" above horizontal.

Suggest paying close attention to the ammunition used (with regard to difficulty closing the bolt), your chamber may be cut for match ammunition but not as tolerant of some commercial .22LR brands.