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Tech index -> Custom Work -> Shocker bolt guide milling

This is something that I had wanted to do for a while, but just never got around to it. SOmetime in 2007 I finally decided it was time to try, and I was pleased with the results.

Basically, the premise is to bore out the back of the stock bolt guide, cutting a small amount of weight from the part, and creating a new look at the same time. I have this one on a Shocker of mine.

This modified bolt guide is removed using a special tool I made, which is inserted into the pair of holes drilled in the back. Needle-nose pliers could also be used if needed.

This is how it was made...

Here's a slight variation, a toned-down version that I used on a custom project...

I've been asked what could be done in terms of milling that would preserve the allen wrench hex on the back. The answer is not much, since reserving the allen wrench section limits the metal removal, due to the straight shape of the cutting tools. The only way to avoid it would be to produce a custom tool just for this, but that would be expensive. If done using regular tools, it would probably look like this:

If the design were CNC milled instead of produced on a lathe like I did above, I could do something like this...

It preserves the allen hex and gives it something of a "car rim" shape, although there's still quite a bit of material left over. oh well.

Somebody else brought up the question of this modification on a Hybrid bolt guide. It would look something like this:

It's hard to get much out of that rendering. Suffice it to say it would take a while and be pretty sliced up in the end. It'd only be worth it if the bolt guide were reanodized.

Some people have asked for the dimensions, so here are a few quick things.

The exact dimensions don't matter since it's just a cosmetic mod; there are many possible cuts that would look similar and suffice just the same.

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Tech index -> Custom Work -> Shocker bolt guide milling