{ "apiVersion": 1, "kind": "work-order", "purpose": "Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification.", "firearm": { "slug": "browning-x-bolt", "name": "Browning X-Bolt", "manufacturer": { "id": "browning", "name": "Browning Arms Company" }, "category": "rifle", "action": "bolt-action", "calibers": [ ".308 Winchester", ".30-06 Springfield", "6.5 Creedmoor", ".300 Winchester Magnum" ], "alsoKnownAs": [ "X-Bolt Hunter", "X-Bolt Pro" ], "coversAlso": [ "X-Bolt Hunter, Composite Stalker, Pro, and Max variants" ], "page": "firearms/browning-x-bolt.html", "bundle": "api/v1/firearms/browning-x-bolt.json", "lastUpdated": "2026-10-29" }, "notices": [ "Browning Arms Company limits owner disassembly: Bolt removal (and removing the bottom metal to adjust trigger pull weight; comb and length-of-pull spacer adjustments). No bolt or trigger disassembly.", "This work order is written for the Browning X-Bolt. It is reported to cover X-Bolt Hunter, Composite Stalker, Pro, and Max variants — if the firearm on the bench is one of those, check the torque notes: values do not always carry over." ], "disclaimer": { "headline": "Read this before you use anything here.", "points": [ "This is a guide, not an authority. Entries are compiled from manufacturer manuals, technical manuals, published references, and community knowledge. Some of it comes from sources that are not authoritative, and some of it may simply be wrong.", "Always consult the manufacturer's manual for your specific firearm and serial-number range. Manufacturers change designs mid-production without renaming the model. The manual that shipped with your firearm outranks anything on this site.", "Consult a licensed gunsmith for anything beyond routine field stripping and cleaning, for any firearm you are unsure about, and for any procedure marked as gunsmith-recommended here.", "Treat every firearm as loaded. Verify it is unloaded, with the magazine removed and the chamber physically and visually checked, before any procedure in this database. Point it in a safe direction the entire time.", "Disassembly can damage a firearm or injure you. Springs are under tension, parts can launch, and reassembling a firearm incorrectly can make it unsafe to fire in a way that is not obvious from the outside. If a reassembled firearm does not pass a function check, stop and see a gunsmith.", "Torque values are shown in two groups. Values from the manufacturer or the issuing military are shown as such, with the document they came from. Values reported by anyone else — parts makers, gunsmithing publishers, articles, forums — are shown separately with who said them, how reliable that source is, and their exact words. Those are not specifications. Confirm any torque value with the manufacturer or a licensed gunsmith before relying on it.", "Nothing here is legal advice. Firearms law varies by country, state, and city, and some modifications or configurations are regulated or prohibited. You are responsible for knowing and following the law where you are.", "No warranty of any kind. Contributors and maintainers accept no liability for damage, injury, or loss arising from use of this material." ], "page": "disclaimer.html", "legal": { "summary": "Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.", "page": "legal.html", "notice": "https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown/blob/main/LEGAL.md" } }, "sourcing": { "confidence": "high", "verification": "manufacturer-manual-verified" }, "manufacturerDisassembly": { "status": "limited", "limit": "Bolt removal (and removing the bottom metal to adjust trigger pull weight; comb and length-of-pull spacer adjustments). No bolt or trigger disassembly.", "statement": "Browning describes only bolt removal for cleaning (plus trigger-weight and stock adjustments) and says never to take the X-Bolt apart further than the manual explains; further disassembly goes to a qualified gunsmith or Browning's service facility.", "source": { "title": "Browning X-Bolt Rifle Owner's Manual", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/x-bolt-rifle.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "NOTICE: NEVER ATTEMPT TO TAKE YOUR FIREARM APART FURTHER THAN EXPLAINED IN THIS OWNER’S MANUAL. YOUR FIREARM IS A SPECIALIZED, FINELY FITTED MECHANISM. YOU MAY PERMANENTLY DAMAGE IT BY ATTEMPTING TO DISASSEMBLE THE INNER MECHANISM ASSEMBLIES. IF FURTHER DISASSEMBLY FOR SERVICE OR CLEANING IS REQUIRED, TAKE YOUR FIREARM TO A QUALIFIED GUNSMITH, OR CONTACT OUR ARNOLD, MISSOURI SERVICE FACILITY AS EXPLAINED UNDER THE “SERVICE OR REPAIR” SECTION." } }, "recalls": [], "shopTier": { "tier": 1, "group": "rifle", "rating": "Pew-Takedown editorial rating (1 easy – 3 hardest), not the manufacturer's", "reason": "A modern bolt action: the stock comes off on two screws, the bolt comes out on the release button, and the trigger and rotary magazine stay as units. The one trap is the bolt shroud/striker, which has no hole for a holding pin, so getting it out takes a vise or a shop-made wedge tool.", "confidence": "medium", "partCount": null, "painPoints": [ { "issue": "The striker/shroud assembly cannot be pinned back like a Remington. Getting it out of the bolt means clamping the cocking piece or using a shop-made wedge tool, and Browning's manual does not cover it.", "during": "both", "source": { "title": "How to remove Browning X Bolt striker from bolt", "publisher": "AccurateReloading.com Gunsmithing forum", "reliability": "anecdotal", "url": "https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/6821078912", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Unlike most bolt guns, I can't find a place to insert a pin to hold it back when unscrewing it from the bolt." } }, { "issue": "Gunsmiths file up a dedicated A-Bolt/X-Bolt firing assembly tool sized by screwing the shroud all the way in.", "during": "both", "source": { "title": "How to remove Browning X Bolt striker from bolt", "publisher": "AccurateReloading.com Gunsmithing forum", "reliability": "anecdotal", "url": "https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/6821078912", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Then you grab the A Bolt / X Bolt fire array disassembly tool out of the top drawer in the brown tool box and jam it in the shroud with the flat toward the pin in the cocking piece and the wedge part forward." } } ], "minutes": { "strip": 25, "rebuild": 35, "basis": "estimated", "note": "Estimate: like the Howa/Bergara plus the striker/shroud with a vise or wedge tool, the bolt release button and the rotary magazine/bottom metal; trigger stays a unit.", "source": null }, "stripScope": [ { "assembly": "Bolt", "removes": [ "bolt shroud/striker assembly (vise or wedge tool)", "extractor", "ejector" ], "tools": [ "A-Bolt/X-Bolt striker tool or vise with soft jaws" ] }, { "assembly": "Receiver", "removes": [ "trigger unit (not stripped)", "bolt unlock button/bolt release" ] }, { "assembly": "Stock and bottom metal", "removes": [ "action screws", "bottom metal and magazine latch", "rotary magazine", "recoil pad, sling studs" ] } ], "hardware": null, "specialTools": [ { "tool": "Shop-made A-Bolt/X-Bolt striker wedge or soft-jaw vise", "usedFor": "Holding the cocking piece while the shroud unscrews" }, { "tool": "Torque driver", "usedFor": "Action screws" } ], "fitOnRebuild": [ { "check": "Action screw torque", "why": "Bedding and zero depend on consistent action screw torque", "source": null }, { "check": "Trigger/safety function", "why": "The Feather trigger stays assembled; check safety and let-off after the striker goes back", "source": null } ], "assessed": "2026-10-29" }, "videos": [ { "title": "X-Bolt - The way it works: Unlock Button and Safety - 3:53 HD", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_PZOvabCYY", "platform": "youtube", "embedUrl": null, "shows": [ "operation", "clear-and-make-safe" ], "appliesTo": "Browning X-Bolt (original, 2008 era)", "published": "2010-09-07", "note": null, "channel": { "id": "UC5noYBCRPbf_2rdQthoCk_Q", "name": "Browning", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@Browningvideos", "owner": "Browning Arms Company (FN group)" }, "accessed": "2026-10-15" } ], "configurations": [], "tools": [ { "name": "Bore guide", "required": true, "usedFor": "Cleaning from the breech without damaging the throat or the crown.", "substitute": "There is no good substitute. A rod run into an unguided chamber scrapes the throat." }, { "name": "Hex key or screwdriver matching the action screws", "required": false, "usedFor": "Removing the barrelled action from the stock. Not needed for routine cleaning." }, { "name": "Torque wrench", "required": false, "usedFor": "Reinstalling action screws to a consistent value, which is an accuracy variable on every bolt rifle." } ], "phases": [ { "id": "clear", "title": "Clear and make safe", "steps": [ { "n": 1, "instruction": "Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger." }, { "n": 2, "instruction": "Place the safety in the on position." }, { "n": 3, "instruction": "Lift the bolt handle and draw the bolt fully rearward, extracting and ejecting any chambered round." }, { "n": 4, "instruction": "Press the magazine latch and remove the detachable rotary magazine.", "partsFreed": [ "Magazine contents" ] }, { "n": 5, "instruction": "Inspect the chamber and magazine well with a light and physically confirm the chamber is empty.", "warning": "Look and feel. Both, every time." }, { "n": 6, "instruction": "Remove all live ammunition from the work area." } ], "videos": [ { "title": "X-Bolt - The way it works: Unlock Button and Safety - 3:53 HD", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_PZOvabCYY", "platform": "youtube", "embedUrl": null, "shows": [ "operation", "clear-and-make-safe" ], "appliesTo": "Browning X-Bolt (original, 2008 era)", "published": "2010-09-07", "note": null, "channel": { "id": "UC5noYBCRPbf_2rdQthoCk_Q", "name": "Browning", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@Browningvideos", "owner": "Browning Arms Company (FN group)" }, "accessed": "2026-10-15" } ] }, { "id": "disassemble", "title": "Disassemble", "videos": [], "procedures": [ { "procedure": "field-strip", "title": "Field Strip", "level": "field-strip", "configuration": false, "steps": [ { "n": 1, "instruction": "Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure." }, { "n": 2, "instruction": "Leave the safety in the ON SAFE position. The X-Bolt's bolt comes out with the safety on, which is the point of the bolt unlock button.", "tip": "This is unusual and worth knowing: most bolt rifles need the safety off. This one does not." }, { "n": 3, "instruction": "Press the bolt unlock button and rotate the bolt handle upward." }, { "n": 4, "instruction": "Press inward on the rear end of the bolt stop — the horizontal bar on the left side of the receiver — and carefully draw the bolt to the rear and out of the receiver.", "tip": "Take care that the cocking indicator does not strike and damage the comb of the stock on its way out. Browning calls this out specifically.", "partsFreed": [ "Bolt" ] }, { "n": 5, "instruction": "Clean the bore from the breech using a bore guide, and clean the bolt face, lugs, and chamber." } ] }, { "procedure": "stock-removal", "title": "Remove the Barrelled Action from the Stock", "level": "detail-strip", "configuration": false, "steps": [ { "n": 1, "instruction": "Verify the rifle is unloaded and remove the bolt and magazine." }, { "n": 2, "instruction": "Remove the action screws from the bottom of the stock, noting which screw came from which hole.", "tip": "They are often different lengths.", "partsFreed": [ "Action screws", "Floorplate or magazine assembly" ] }, { "n": 3, "instruction": "Lift the barrelled action out of the stock.", "partsFreed": [ "Stock" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "refinish", "title": "Refinish", "components": [ { "name": "Bolt", "procedure": "field-strip", "level": "field-strip", "step": 4 }, { "name": "Action screws", "procedure": "stock-removal", "level": "detail-strip", "step": 2 }, { "name": "Floorplate or magazine assembly", "procedure": "stock-removal", "level": "detail-strip", "step": 2 }, { "name": "Stock", "procedure": "stock-removal", "level": "detail-strip", "step": 3 } ], "manufacturerPartsList": null, "partsDiagrams": [], "materials": [ { "component": "Receiver", "material": "Steel", "finish": "Matte Blued", "appliesTo": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter, item 036001211 (243 Win, 22\")", "note": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Receiver Material Steel … Receiver Finish Matte Blued" } }, { "component": "Barrel", "material": "Steel", "finish": "Matte Blued", "appliesTo": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter, item 036001211", "note": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Barrel Material Steel … Barrel Finish Matte Blued" } }, { "component": "Stock", "material": "Black Walnut", "finish": "Satin", "appliesTo": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter, item 036001211", "note": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Stock Material Black Walnut … Stock Finish Satin" } }, { "component": "Trigger guard", "material": "Alloy", "finish": null, "appliesTo": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter, item 036001211", "note": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Trigger Guard Material Alloy" } }, { "component": "Trigger", "material": "Alloy", "finish": "Gold Plated", "appliesTo": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter, item 036001211", "note": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Trigger Material Alloy … Trigger Finish Gold Plated" } }, { "component": "Floor plate", "material": "Composite", "finish": null, "appliesTo": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter, item 036001211", "note": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Floor Plate Material Composite" } } ], "note": "The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks \"factory fit\" should not be swapped or reworked." }, { "id": "reassemble", "title": "Reassemble", "videos": [], "procedures": [ { "procedure": "stock-removal", "title": "Remove the Barrelled Action from the Stock", "configuration": false, "steps": [ { "n": 4, "instruction": "To reinstall, seat the action in the stock, start both screws by hand, then tighten the front screw first and the rear second to a consistent torque.", "warning": "Inconsistent action screw torque is one of the most common causes of a rifle that will not hold zero. Consult your stock maker’s specification rather than guessing." } ], "instruction": null }, { "procedure": "reassembly", "title": "Reassembly", "configuration": false, "steps": [ { "n": 1, "instruction": "Align the bolt with the receiver raceway and slide it in.", "tip": "You do not have to depress the bolt stop to insert the bolt, though you may, and it makes it easier." }, { "n": 2, "instruction": "Push the bolt completely forward and rotate the handle down to lock it." }, { "n": 3, "instruction": "Immediately place the safety in the ON SAFE position." }, { "n": 4, "instruction": "Cycle the bolt several times to confirm smooth travel and correct cocking, then perform the function check." } ], "instruction": null } ] }, { "id": "torque", "title": "Torque", "coverage": "sourced", "manufacturer": [ { "fastener": "Bottom metal (action) screws, front and rear", "appliesTo": "X-Bolt Target rifle (AICS-magazine bottom metal), per Browning's X-Bolt Target owner's manual supplement", "qualifier": "exact", "value": 35, "valueMax": null, "unit": "in-lb", "converted": { "value": { "N-m": 4, "in-lb": 35, "ft-lb": 2.9 }, "valueMax": null }, "sequence": "Replace the bottom metal in the stock. Install the rear screw first and tighten until it is snug. Install the front screw and torque it to 35 in. lb. Torque the rear screw to 35 in. lb.", "threadlocker": null, "source": { "title": "X-Bolt Target Rifle Owner's Manual Supplement (21-BFA-371)", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/x-bolt-target-rifle.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Install the front screw and torque it to 35 in. lb." } }, { "fastener": "Optics rail screws (factory-installed rail)", "appliesTo": "X-Bolt Target rifle", "qualifier": "exact", "value": 25, "valueMax": null, "unit": "in-lb", "converted": { "value": { "N-m": 2.8, "in-lb": 25, "ft-lb": 2.1 }, "valueMax": null }, "sequence": null, "threadlocker": "If the mounting screws are loose, remove them and add a drop of removable threadlocker before torquing.", "source": { "title": "X-Bolt Target Rifle Owner's Manual Supplement (21-BFA-371)", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/x-bolt-target-rifle.html", "page": null, "pdfPage": null, "pageUrl": null, "quote": "Using a T15 Torx bit, torque the screws to 25 in. lb. (Figure 8)." } } ], "reported": [], "notes": null }, { "id": "function-check", "title": "Function check", "checks": [ "Verify the rifle is unloaded and the magazine is empty before each check.", "Cycle the bolt and confirm it cocks and closes fully into battery.", "With the action cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The firing pin must not release.", "Disengage the safety without touching the trigger. The firing pin must not release.", "Press the trigger and confirm the firing pin releases cleanly.", "Confirm the bolt release retains the bolt.", "Load dummy rounds and confirm they feed from the magazine and eject cleanly." ], "videos": [] } ], "troubleshooting": [ { "symptom": "The bolt will not come out of the receiver.", "cause": "The safety is off. The X-Bolt releases its bolt with the safety ON.", "fix": "Leave the safety ON SAFE, press the bolt unlock button, rotate the handle up, then press the rear of the bolt stop on the left of the receiver." } ], "sources": [ { "n": 1, "id": "browning-stance-3a0efa", "title": "Browning X-Bolt Rifle Owner's Manual", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/x-bolt-rifle.html", "accessed": "2026-09-14" }, { "n": 2, "id": "browning-d24a2d", "title": "X-Bolt Target Rifle Owner's Manual Supplement (21-BFA-371)", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/x-bolt-target-rifle.html", "accessed": "2026-09-27" }, { "n": 3, "id": "browning-specs-678302", "title": "X-Bolt 2 Hunter — Specifications", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt-2/x-bolt-2-hunter.html", "accessed": "2026-10-03" }, { "n": 4, "id": "pat-browning-debac2", "title": "X-Bolt Rifle Overview", "publisher": "Browning", "reliability": "primary", "url": "https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt/overview.html", "accessed": "2026-10-13" }, { "n": 5, "id": "tier-9356320c", "title": "How to remove Browning X Bolt striker from bolt", "publisher": "AccurateReloading.com Gunsmithing forum", "reliability": "anecdotal", "url": "https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/6821078912", "accessed": "2026-10-29" } ] }