A match-grade crown that is recessed .030 inch from the muzzle is machined perpendicular to the lands and grooves and then slopes at 45 degrees to the edge of the barrel. The crown is double checked for burrs after the process.

The stock features unidirectional checkering that provides a good grip in wet conditions. The grip cap is adorned with the Smith & Wesson logo.

Shooting The i-Bolt
Inevitably, prototype rifles are shuttled around from writer to writer, giving each just a few days for testing. We were first in line, so our i-Bolt was put through the wringer in a marathon, 6-hour range session. Six different factory loads were tested, and the total round count approached 200. With ambient temperatures hovering in the high 80s, the barrel was seldom cool enough to touch. No time was taken to allow the barrel to cool between shots, though the barrel was cleaned between loads.

Across the board, the average five-shot group measured 2.105 inches. The best group was always the first fired of a given ammo type, and it was a direct result of cooler barrel temperatures. The light barrel profile is meant for a lot of walking rather than a lot of shooting, though it performed reasonably well under the extreme conditions.

The rifle did not have any problem feeding, extracting, or ejecting cartridges, though three different brands experienced misfires, a problem experienced by other writers using this test rifle at a recent seminar. Two Hornady, two Winchester, and three Remington cartridges failed to fire despite indentations on the primers. The rounds were rechambered, and two fired on the second strike. Since S&W engineers have been alerted to this issue, it's highly unlikely that production rifles will exhibit this problem.

Produced by Thompson/Center Arms, the rifle’s light-profile barrel has a target crown.

Occasionally, when chambering a round, too much downward pressure was applied to the bolt handle at its rearmost position, and it would rotate down as if being removed from the receiver. Sometimes a slight bump was felt as the change in track direction slid over the sear--other times it caught just right, dumped the bolt down, and stopped the process in mid stroke. This hiccup seldom occurred on the bench, happening mostly from field positions.

A roll pin in the trigger group drifted out of place and locked the safety in the forward position towards the end of the range session. A quick tap with a punch corrected the problem. But overall, from the rough treatment it saw during this and previous tests, the i-Bolt gets good marks for durability and performance under tough conditions.

Even with a heavy scope, the i-Bolt was lively in the hands and handled well. The stock fit most everyone who shouldered the rifle, and the simple, familiar controls were much appreciated. The i-Bolt would be right at home on any big-game hunt and most any continent--exactly what the design team at Smith & Wesson intended.

Production i-Bolts will soon appear in gunshops across the country. With a ton of innovative new features, it will be interesting to see how the shooting public responds to a bolt-action rifle stamped "Smith & Wesson."