IOF 30.06 receiver

[Kittu]

Hi all fellow members. while assembling my rifle i cracked its receiver.its very cheap aluminum zinc alloy doesn't takes welding at all.
as soon flame is put to it it develops a hole.can some fellow member guide from where i can get new receiver or a gunsmith that can make it from steel or aircraft grade aluminium.
regards

[Vikram]

If anyone can do that, Bobby Sidhu's name comes to my mind. But I think his price could be well above that of a new IOF rifle.

[The Doc]

Hi all fellow members. while assembling my rifle i cracked its receiver.its very cheap aluminum zinc alloy doesn't takes welding at all.
as soon flame is put to it it develops a hole.can some fellow member guide from where i can get new receiver or a gunsmith that can make it from steel or aircraft grade aluminium.
regards

Hi Kittu,
Sorry to hear about the cracked receiver, will it be possible to post some pictures of the same ?
I hope that you find a way to rectify the issue quickly.

Best,
Rp.

[Vineet]

Contact IOF factory and see that if they can provide you with new one. That will be your best bet and low price.

You may get second hand rifle for the price Bobby Sidhu will charge for the receiver.

[shooter50]

Sad to hear that.
From where did it crack? and what welding process did you try?
Aluminum can be easily welded with TIG process but not many can do it here. The receiver in an IOF 3006 provides a channel for the bolt to move and the fit for the trigger mechanism. The bolt lugs lock on to the barrel. If it is a small crack and not interfering with the movement of the bolt or the operation of the trigger you could weld/join it with steel epoxy and the safety of the weapon shall not be compromised.
It can be CNC Milled from a block of steel or Aluminium but writing the programme for the Job shall really cost you and again not many can do it. There are legal issues also here.
If the receiver is damaged beyond simple repair then it would be best for you to get in touch with IOF through an arms dealer and ask them for a replacement.
Pictures would help in giving pinpoint advice.

[Kittu]

Thanks all for your valuble advise.Most funny thing is no body is ready to believe it is a firearm part when i shows it to welders.who will use a cheap aluminum in a firearm.it was welded using common gas welding acytlyne torch.i have a talented welder.it gets welded nicely but when i sands it to size weld metal is removed and crack opens again.so welder have cut 2 grooves in receiver and have put metal in grooves and welded it.its not going anywhere now except it is looking ugly will get those uneven surface filled with aluminium and sand it to round shape without removing much of metal.i have ordered a aircraft grade aluminium block and have access to CNC machine but needs g code to make a receiver on CNC.This reciever will work but i wants to make a receiver from aircraft grade aluminum or steel.will let you know guys how it goes.if anyone here can write a g code that will be of great help and if same thing happens with anyone else we will have solution at hand without paying arm and leg for it.my friend owns a gun shop and license to repair firearms Vineet also have gun shop license.normally shop owner writes on his latter pad and hands over weapon to gunsmith for repairing it.everything can be done without breaking any rule.Here is pic of crack opening up again.

[shooter50]

You can't weld aluminium properly with an oxy acetylene torch. You get a layer of Aluminium oxide which prevents flow of metal. Use TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) with an aluminium filler rod.
That crack appears to be because of over tightening of Allen studs. Never overtighten on an aluminium alloy.
You need a new welder. Imagine welding an aluminium receiver on a rifle with an acetylene torch.
Gunsmithing is a precision job, please seek advise before tinkering with your rifle.

[Risala]

Thanks all for your valuble advise.Most funny thing is no body is ready to believe it is a firearm part when i shows it to welders.who will use a cheap aluminum in a firearm.it was welded using common gas welding acytlyne torch.i have a talented welder.it gets welded nicely but when i sands it to size weld metal is removed and crack opens again.so welder have cut 2 grooves in receiver and have put metal in grooves and welded it.its not going anywhere now except it is looking ugly will get those uneven surface filled with aluminium and sand it to round shape without removing much of metal.i have ordered a aircraft grade aluminium block and have access to CNC machine but needs g code to make a receiver on CNC.This reciever will work but i wants to make a receiver from aircraft grade aluminum or steel.will let you know guys how it goes.if anyone here can write a g code that will be of great help and if same thing happens with anyone else we will have solution at hand without paying arm and leg for it.my friend owns a gun shop and license to repair firearms Vineet also have gun shop license.normally shop owner writes on his latter pad and hands over weapon to gunsmith for repairing it.everything can be done without breaking any rule.Here is pic of crack opening up again.

This looks beyond any repair…..suggest reach out to IOF by sending the rifle there,that could be a painful process but worth it..else ask a competent gun smith to make another one for you in steel…the only one I can think of who is capable of making one is Bobby Sidhu…will still cost a lot less than a new rifle.

[winnie_the_pooh]

Even if it is just aluminum the receiver does not crack like that unless you do something drastic. Aluminum can be welded, Since the receiver is a non stressed part,if it had been done properly there would have been no cause for concern. But not now. The receiver is not going to be cheap to duplicate. Also, you just might crack it again. Let's not blame the metal used.

[timmy]

The IOF is a Blaser design, but what has changed in the manufacture of the IOF from the Blaser?

For instance, Blaser barrels are renowned for their quality and the accuracy they produce. Is the IOF barrel made with the same care and quality control?

The point of this question has to do with the aluminum receiver. Is it made of the same kind of aluminum as the Blazer? The kind of aluminum used and its heat treatment is very important because it affects the properties of the metal.

I would say:

Even if it is just aluminum the receiver does not crack like that unless you do something drastic.

That's right. Either there was a flaw in the making of your receiver, or you torqued it down too much. Now that you've tried to repair it, you won't be able to claim a flaw in manufacture. If you tightened it down too much (which, frankly, I suspect) then you should be using a torque sensing tool to do this in the future to prevent another failure.

Welding: you should pay attention to shooter50's comments:

You can't weld aluminium properly with an oxy acetylene torch. You get a layer of Aluminium oxide which prevents flow of metal. Use TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) with an aluminium filler rod.

You are not working on some old hay rake or farm implement. Bush league techniques should be avoided.

Consider, however, however you may try to weld the receiver, you will put heat to it, and this heat, if not carefully controlled, will warp the piece. This means you have to know the composition and original heat treat so that you know how hot you can and cannot get the piece in repairing it.

It is true that the receiver isn't a stressed part in the sense that it is not subject to the pressures of firing the cartridge, but it is very much a stressed part in that it provides the bedding for the barrel. If the properties are changed by some sort of welding, then you will have accuracy problems.

Likewise, the receiver does guide the bolt to engage the barrel, and thus the way the bolt and barrel lock may be affected if the piece is warped.

In any case, a crack is going to affect the way the barrel and bolt interact upon firing, the bedding and thus vibration of the barrel when fired, and any kind of welding, even if it seems successful, will have different properties in the area of the crack.

For these reasons, I would recommend getting a new receiver. I doubt that the rifle would be dangerous if the receiver is successfully welded, but I also doubt that the rifle will perform the same way -- an in this, I seriously doubt the performance will be improved in any way.

You may well find that getting a new receiver does cost almost as much as a new rifle, especially if you have to send the rifle in to have it repaired. Whether this means that buying a new rifle is more cost effective or not is something you have to judge, although you already have the license for the gun, so there may be more to consider than just the ₹ involved.

Unpleasant as this all may be, I fear that you will have to accept part of your situation as the cost of learning.

[Kittu]

[/quote]

This looks beyond any repair…..suggest reach out to IOF by sending the rifle there,that could be a painful process but worth it..else ask a competent gun smith to make another one for you in steel…the only one I can think of who is capable of making one is Bobby Sidhu…will still cost a lot less than a new rifle.
[/quote]
Thanks a lot.I also thought same.I think it will be lot better to get it made of steel then buying same aluminum receiver from IOF even though it will cost more.have you any idea how much it will cost?
regards

[Kittu]

Even if it is just aluminum the receiver does not crack like that unless you do something drastic. Aluminum can be welded, Since the receiver is a non stressed part,if it had been done properly there would have been no cause for concern. But not now. The receiver is not going to be cheap to duplicate. Also, you just might crack it again. Let's not blame the metal used.

Thats what i am afraid of.I had removed barrel to widen holes and cut new threads to mount a scope.I did nothing drastic to crack it just pushed barrel back and crack appeared,there were no screws in receiver which tightens barrel in its place and there was no excess force applied when barrel was pushed in receiver.It means there was some stress in alloy or alloy became stiff by time its 14 years old rifle.when i took it to welder he told me it is alloy of aluminum and zinc and can be welded.same zinc and aluminum alloy was used in frames of erma revolver which got stiffer in time and used to crack if fallen on hard surface.I knew a gunsmith who used to make steel frames for erma revolvers but passed away last year.
.I will let you know how it goes surely i will go with a steel frame or strong aluminum alloy like 8000 or 7000 series.
regards

[Kittu]

The IOF is a Blaser design, but what has changed in the manufacture of the IOF from the Blaser?

For instance, Blaser barrels are renowned for their quality and the accuracy they produce. Is the IOF barrel made with the same care and quality control?

The point of this question has to do with the aluminum receiver. Is it made of the same kind of aluminum as the Blazer? The kind of aluminum used and its heat treatment is very important because it affects the properties of the metal.

I would say:

Even if it is just aluminum the receiver does not crack like that unless you do something drastic.

That's right. Either there was a flaw in the making of your receiver, or you torqued it down too much. Now that you've tried to repair it, you won't be able to claim a flaw in manufacture. If you tightened it down too much (which, frankly, I suspect) then you should be using a torque sensing tool to do this in the future to prevent another failure.

Welding: you should pay attention to shooter50's comments:

You can't weld aluminium properly with an oxy acetylene torch. You get a layer of Aluminium oxide which prevents flow of metal. Use TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) with an aluminium filler rod.

You are not working on some old hay rake or farm implement. Bush league techniques should be avoided.

Consider, however, however you may try to weld the receiver, you will put heat to it, and this heat, if not carefully controlled, will warp the piece. This means you have to know the composition and original heat treat so that you know how hot you can and cannot get the piece in repairing it.

It is true that the receiver isn't a stressed part in the sense that it is not subject to the pressures of firing the cartridge, but it is very much a stressed part in that it provides the bedding for the barrel. If the properties are changed by some sort of welding, then you will have accuracy problems.

Likewise, the receiver does guide the bolt to engage the barrel, and thus the way the bolt and barrel lock may be affected if the piece is warped.

In any case, a crack is going to affect the way the barrel and bolt interact upon firing, the bedding and thus vibration of the barrel when fired, and any kind of welding, even if it seems successful, will have different properties in the area of the crack.

For these reasons, I would recommend getting a new receiver. I doubt that the rifle would be dangerous if the receiver is successfully welded, but I also doubt that the rifle will perform the same way -- an in this, I seriously doubt the performance will be improved in any way.

You may well find that getting a new receiver does cost almost as much as a new rifle, especially if you have to send the rifle in to have it repaired. Whether this means that buying a new rifle is more cost effective or not is something you have to judge, although you already have the license for the gun, so there may be more to consider than just the ₹ involved.

Unpleasant as this all may be, I fear that you will have to accept part of your situation as the cost of learning.

Sir iof 3006 is copy of sauer 202 not blaser.it has a hammer forged and chrome flashed barrel.First they used to import tungsten carbide blanks for making barrel this was most expensive thing used in manufacturing of iof 3006 rifle later they started to make tungsten blanks themselves and they were were able to cut manufacturing price by not importing barrel guide rods or blanks.
receiver is made of some very cheap aluminum zinc alloy and seems CNC cut.stock is made of some cheap wood.I needed a stock for a friend rifle and stock makers were asking too much money for stock and wood was not walnut. i don't think gunsmiths in my area have access to walnut no one makes stocks from walnut here.IOF gives contracts for making parts.i was able to get contact number of contractor who was making stock for iof 3006 rifle.i called him and asked me to send a mail to him for what i needed.He quoted 500rs for butt and forehand.if he was asking 500rs from me a retail customer then he might be providing stocks to iof at much lower price and you can imagine quality of wood he was using plus he does not supplies stocks but rifles are sent to him and he fits butt and forehand to rifles and returns to iof factories so labor of fitting stocks to rifles is also included in those 500rs
apart from all this iof 3006 is very accurate rifle and have got some very decent score in Nationals 300 meter shooting championship.
bolt is very hard because of tight tolerance in bolt and chamber. lapping is needed for smoother bolt operations.
yes sir surely i will go with a new receiver cant relay upon this receiver now and it was some stress or flaw in metal that caused the crack.
screws can not be over tighten they are made of soft steel their heads will flatten if force is applied i think they are made from soft steel so one doesn't cracks receiver by tightening screws.
ok tell me one thing if i uses same receiver for some reasons will this damn thing will not blow on my face?
no receiver will not cost as much a new rifle or even half of it.If i go trough a dealer route it will cost me.i will not waste money on iof receiver i will get it made by a gun smith from steel.i know couple of gunsmiths who does decent job at fair price.

[timmy]

The IOF is a Blaser design, but what has changed in the manufacture of the IOF from the Blaser?

Sir iof 3006 is copy of sauer 202 not blaser.it has a hammer forged and chrome flashed barrel.First they used to import tungsten carbide blanks for making barrel this was most expensive thing used in manufacturing of iof 3006 rifle later they started to make tungsten blanks themselves and they were were able to cut manufacturing price by not importing barrel guide rods or blanks.
receiver is made of some very cheap aluminum zinc alloy and seems CNC cut.stock is made of some cheap wood.I needed a stock for a friend rifle and stock makers were asking too much money for stock and wood was not walnut. i don't think gunsmiths in my area have access to walnut no one makes stocks from walnut here.IOF gives contracts for making parts.i was able to get contact number of contractor who was making stock for iof 3006 rifle.i called him and asked me to send a mail to him for what i needed.He quoted 500rs for butt and forehand.if he was asking 500rs from me a retail customer then he might be providing stocks to iof at much lower price and you can imagine quality of wood he was using plus he does not supplies stocks but rifles are sent to him and he fits butt and forehand to rifles and returns to iof factories so labor of fitting stocks to rifles is also included in those 500rs
apart from all this iof 3006 is very accurate rifle and have got some very decent score in Nationals 300 meter shooting championship.
bolt is very hard because of tight tolerance in bolt and chamber. lapping is needed for smoother bolt operations.
yes sir surely i will go with a new receiver cant relay upon this receiver now and it was some stress or flaw in metal that caused the crack.
screws can not be over tighten they are made of soft steel their heads will flatten if force is applied i think they are made from soft steel so one doesn't cracks receiver by tightening screws.
ok tell me one thing if i uses same receiver for some reasons will this damn thing will not blow on my face?
no receiver will not cost as much a new rifle or even half of it.If i go trough a dealer route it will cost me.i will not waste money on iof receiver i will get it made by a gun smith from steel.i know couple of gunsmiths who does decent job at fair price.

First of all Kittu, you are right, and I am in error: The rifle certainly appears to be based on or similar to the Sauer 202, and is not like the Blaser.

I would like to study this some more, as I'm familiar with the old Colt Sauer bolt action rifle, which does seem to have some similarities with the Sauer 202 (but also some great differences. I also see that the Sauer 202 was available with both steel and aluminum receivers.

I'll reserve any more comments until I've had a chance to look this over some more, but until then, I apologize for my misunderstanding of the IOF's design.

[Kittu]

Pls kindly do.your valuable suggestions will be great help.Kindly do one more research on single stake magazines used in these sauer 202 rifles.why they are using single stake magazines only and they are harder to load and is very slow to load.Can we use double stake magazines in sauer 202 if i recall correctly sauer 110 have a double stake magazine and have same design of direct lug locking to barrel.
regards