Smith & Wesson i-bolt

“I-Want an i-Bolt!”

The Editor shoots the new i-Bolt™ Weather Shield™ from Smith & Wesson® in 30.06 calibre…

Introduction

The first appearance upon opening the Smith & Wesson® semi-hard case (that you get with the rifle) was a very smart looking rifle with a synthetic stock and in a brushed stainless finish. However, that’s not right. The finish is said to be 50 times more rust resistant than stainless steel! It’s called Weather Shield™ and S&W have discontinued the stainless steel version and now use this unique process on i-Bolts™. This corrosion protection system is claimed to make the metal almost completely impervious to rust.

The Company

The S&W name is synonymous with handguns. They are one of America’s premier handgun manufacturers, having been making pistols and revolvers since the mid 1800’s. Actually, they’ve also made shotguns, although it was over 100 years ago, but the company specialised in handguns and that’s what they built their fine reputation on.

Now into the rifle market, they have really come up with a beauty!

This rifle has been built from scratch, and with hardly any new innovations in rifle bolts in particular since the Mauser 89 action, it’s great to see something new crop up!

S&W are also currently making large numbers of M16s for the military.

The Features

Weighing just 6.75lbs in 30.06 calibre this beauty has a striking look to it with the deeply stamped logos on the flat-finished metal work, neatly grooved uni-directional chequering and a thick, soft recoil pad. The sling swivel attachments are cleverly recessed and the one-piece scope rail has a nice symmetrical curve to it.

There were many more features hidden beneath the surface such as the recoil-reducing chamber inside the butt with a moving weight on rubber washes. Then there’s the adjustable trigger with its own little adjusting key. You can easily adjust the trigger pull from 3-6 lbs to whatever you prefer and there are no parts to remove! It’s neat and easy.

The bolt is also unique with three evenly spaced lugs and a grooved track with two 90 degree bends on a single machined piece. This track allows the bolt to be easily slipped in and out. You just pull the bolt back and give it another short turn to the left and simply pull it out –no levers or clips!

The unique design reduces the bolt lift to only 60 degrees and an extractor clip similar to the Sako allows the bolt to smoothly shut and grip on a round without it having to slide directly onto the bolt.

For even more strength, the bolt handle is not welded on. Instead, the bolt section is made from another single machined piece. This piece is then threaded onto the main bolt and the shroud is threaded onto it at the rear. That’s one tough bolt!

The trigger-guard is over-sized which would be good for gloved hands and is made of the same Weather Shield™ treated metal as the barrel, as is the magazine floor plate. Where the stock touches the barrel a type of “criss-cross” structure that S&W call the X-Bed™ is intended to centre pressure-points and improve accuracy. It adds strength and lifts off gradually to be free-floating at the end of the stock.

There is also a Realtree® camouflage stock option coming! That will be an impressive looking rifle.

The shooting

With the barrels being made in the Tompson Centre factory (that S&W now owns!) only a few miles away from the S&W factory, and with the reputation they have for top-of-the-line barrels it is no surprise that the i-Bolt shoots very accurately – straight out of the box. Actually, from being bore-sighted from the good guys at Welling Sporting Arms in Petone, the i-Bolt™ only took a record (for me anyway) four shoots to sight it in! I was using Highland 150gr factory ammo and at 50 metres most shots were touching! The average 3-shot group at 100 metres was 40mm which is under 2 inches.

With a change to Winchester 150gr Silver Tips the point of impact out to 100 metres was practically the same as the Highland ammo. A bit of a gusty cross wind began to test my shooting more than the ammo but with groups still inside 45mm one would have to be pretty pleased.
The recoil was not as heavy as I expected from a short-barrelled 30.06. I assume the recoil reducing chamber was working, it’s hard to say, but recoil was no more than my .308 calibre rifle. When feeding the four rounds in, there is a little bit of a knack in not pinning them too far back. They loaded smoothly and ejected cleanly.

The Sights

The Nikko Stirling Diamond Grade1.5-6 x 42 scope was super easy to adjust with the fingers (no tools required) and although this test is not about the scope, I must add that the Nikko was superbly sharp to look through, right up to the edges. Cranked up on 6 x power you could see most bullet holes at 50 metres no problem at all.

Mounting is on a full length rail, machined from 6061 alloy which is great for extra strength and stability, and with scopes, you can’t have too much stability. The rail (a modified Picatinny for those technos) also fits long and short scopes alike with weaver or military fittings –a good feature.

There are no fixed sights, which from a bush-hunter’s point of view is great. Scopes like the Nikko are reliable these days and a smooth, clean barrel end doesn’t hook up on anything.

The Drawbacks

Like most American made rifles there is no absolutely safe half-cock bolt setting, however if you shut the bolt and lift back up it will lift into the half-cock position. Kiwis often hunt with a half-closed bolt when expecting to see game “at any moment”. To the Americans, it’s either loaded or it’s not, and if you pull the trigger on this setting, the bolt will shut and most likely it will fire. However, S&W have come up with a visual aid when the bolt is closed and the rifle cocked. There is a cocking indicator pin protruding from the rear of the bolt to let you know when the bolt is hot-to-trot. If you must have a safer half-cock, talk to your local gunsmith about modification.

One small negative is the safety catch. Now, S&W have probably spent countless dollars on this feature making it safe, easy to use and giving you the safe options of locking just the trigger OR both the bolt and trigger, OK, that’s very nice. They have also made it a straight slide so it’s easier to use. But this is a hunting magazine more than a shooting magazine and when you flick the safety off it make an audible “click” sound that, if you’re a bush hunter, will cost you a deer sooner or later. Maybe a bit more wearing it in will quieten it down?

The synthetic stock was a bit “clunky” when you knock it travelling through thick bush, as they all are to one degree or another. The trade-off for a weather-proof low maintenance stock probably makes the stock more of a positive feature. I’d like a bit more “glass” in it, but then I’d probably write that it was a bit too heavy!

Some might think that the calibres are a bit limited. S&W is making the i-Bolt in the most popular American choices being .270Win, 25-06Rem. and this one; the 30.06 Springfield. These tried and tested cartridges will take any NZ big game animal.

The only other thing was a tiny space between the magazine floor plate and the stock that “tapped” shut when the rifle was picked up each time. Again – noise is a big thing when bush hunting! This can easily be fixed with a dot of silicon or piece of insulation tape to quieten the plate.

Summary

The i-Bolt™ had a nice “feel” to it and came up nicely and was well balanced when carried. The rear grip was a little slimmer than usual, but I liked that. When changes to the norm are made, it’s always easy to criticise, but this splendid firearm is very solidly built, with most of the changes being good improvements, while others are excellent and innovative. That’s what the “I” in i-Bolt™ stands for: Innovation.

I believe there will be more calibres next year including the .300 Win. Mag. and the 7mm Rem. Mag. The retail price will be about $1495 and in Realtree® camouflage $1595. For all these features, I expected it to retail at almost twice that amount! So if you want one you’d better contact the distributor of your local gun store pretty quickly.

Imported and distributed by Wellington Sporting Arms Co. Ltd. Tel (04)5685317 or email wsac.nzl@xtra.co.nz

Stop press: This update is just to hand. There is a real shortage of the new i-Bolts™ with the local US market taking all the current stocks! At the time of writing there were some in .270cal only. Just when more stock comes in is unknown at this stage.

Specifications:
Manufacturer Smith & Wesson®
Country of Origin USA
Model i-Bolt™
Capacity 4 Rounds
Barrel length 23 Inches
Barrel Twist RH 1 in 10
Overall Length 43 Inches
Length of Pull 13.6 Inches
Safety 3 Position
Bolt Lift 60 Degrees
Stock Synthetic
Finish Weather Shield™
Scope bases One piece Weaver
Sights None
Weight 6.75lbs + scope
RRP NZ$1590.00