Bolt cycling problems

shotguntom

Well-Known Member
I'm having a bit of trouble with the bolt on my Styer manlicher M2 .270.

The rifle has become temperamental in the fact that once I have fired a shot the bolt sometimes will not open to extract the cartridge and cycle the next. It requires a forcefull 'tap' with the palm of my hand to get the bolt to open. This is probably happening 50% of the time and has only just started happening.

To to help narrow down the problem, it works fully operationally when loading the rifle and cycling the first cartridge in. Only after a shot does the problem occur.

Any ideas on the issue?

Cheers.
 
I am not a gunsmith, just a blacksmith…sounds like the pressure or heat causing the bolt lugs to bind. I had similar with my Sako 22lr. Cured by rubbing the lug engaging surfaces with a pencil to get a bit of graphite on there…it may help and at the least should not do any harm.

Alan
 
It's factory ammo. Yes, I have wipped it down and used cotton wool buds to clean the gaps etc.

Would the heat from one shot be enough to cause it to bind?
 
I'm having a bit of trouble with the bolt on my Styer manlicher M2 .270.

The rifle has become temperamental in the fact that once I have fired a shot the bolt sometimes will not open to extract the cartridge and cycle the next. It requires a forcefull 'tap' with the palm of my hand to get the bolt to open. This is probably happening 50% of the time and has only just started happening.

To to help narrow down the problem, it works fully operationally when loading the rifle and cycling the first cartridge in. Only after a shot does the problem occur.

Any ideas on the issue?

Cheers.

Clue here, "The rifle has become temperamental", So something has changed, brand of ammunition/headstamp?, any work carried out, such as cleaning with fluids /sprays etc? Is it possible the chamber has become marked in any way?
 
It's factory ammo. Yes, I have wipped it down and used cotton wool buds to clean the gaps etc.

Would the heat from one shot be enough to cause it to bind?

Well I was thinking that if you have a pair of dry/unlubricated surfaces which are binding after the shot, either the pressure of the blast or the pressure caused by the heat differential could expel all the air and you could get microscopic cold welds. A simple rub with a pencil would show whether you have wiped it too clean.

Do the lug surfaces show any galling?

Alan
 
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My money is on a hard crud build up somewhere - chamber or locking lugs, or insufficient lug lubrication.

Thoroughly clean the chamber - be sure it is spotless with no caked on dirt/carbon.
Thoroughly clean the lug recesses in the action, (assuming your bolt has front lugs) a recess cleaning tool that uses dental wads is good for this.
Clean bolt thoroughly - face, lugs & cams. Lightly grease lugs & cams.
Fire a round in rifle, if it extracts properly fine job done.
If it is still hard to extract, try a different make of ammo & see if that jams. If it does take the bullet case you just fired - make sure it's clean & cycle it through the action to see if it remains tight. If it does take your rife to be professionally checked out as there is a potentially serious problem.

Ian
 
get the how to book out or you tube it ! strip the bolt down see if the cam lugs show any sings of undue wear so not letting you draw/ lift the bolt , my scout had a safety fault the roll up was sometimes engaged when showing off so would not let me draw /lift the bolt, i had it replaced and this sorted out the problem in my case , the bolt was the first port of call the smith looked at.
 
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