AJCrowley at the range is a dumbass story

AJCrowley

AJCrowley

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So, took my new SL8 (and key point here - my first semi-auto rifle) to the range yesterday with a case of ammo, eager to try it out.

Loaded up a clip, popped it in, pulled the charging handle, bolt doesn't close and charging handle becomes jammed.

Repeat four of five times.

Strip down the rifle and examine, everything looks fine.

Reassemble.

Go to step 1.

Eventually give up, there's something wrong with the rifle, and if I can't figure it out at home, I'll need to take it to a gunsmith. Move on to shooting 308 for a while.

Still, I'd just spent a significant amount of money on this new toy, and was buggered if I was going home without giving it another try. Repeat of initial situation occurs.

By this time, there was another guy at the range, so he comes over to see if he can help me figure it out. He loads a round into a magazine, and gives it to me, watches me pull the charging handle, and the bolt stick half closed.

"Well, there's your first problem. On a semi, you have to pull the charging handle and let it snap forwards, you can't let it close gently, or that will happen."

Try out his advice, everything works exactly as it should first time.

In my defense, how was I to know?...and on the bright side, at least I learned something.

Still, I felt like a proper dumbass.
 
Don't feel bad, we all have to learn action quirks the hard way! I jammed the pump action shotgun on my firearsm safety course exam because I worked it too slow.

At the range last week there was someone with a lee enfield and ha was having trouble getting the first round the the mag to chamber. Handed it over to be and I just gave the bolt a sharp push forward and all was normal. Handed it back to him and told him to treat it like a battle rifle and not glass. He just laughed and never had a problem after that.
 
Hey the great thing about shooting is that I always found no-one looked down on you for learning. There is generally a lot of camaraderie and friendship on the range.


And yeah we've all learnt in this way at some point....:)
 
I used to work the bolt soft and smooth until I read Jeff Coopers The Art Of The Rifle. Now I rack it like I hate it.(that book is in the Bridgewater library if your close)
 
Been there done that. I have to tell my friends "remember this is a russian rifle, you need to treat it like an old dirty russian to make it work."

I spent one whole range trip with the same problem your describing.
 
Well, I'm glad I'm not alone, and I'm glad there's always people around who are happy to help without looking down on you when you're learning something new :)
 
Don't feel bad. 1 day at the range I frogot to take my rifle home with me & a little latter the RO was calling me to telling me to start the transfer.
 
The first time I learned how to load my Remington 1100 (pull-back the bolt, drop a shell in from the side, depress the bolt-release, load the remainder into the magazine-tube from below)......:yingyang:...learning curve!
 
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I think everyone here has had the same problem at one time or another on the learning curve of a new type of action. The 1st Mauser action I owned as a kid; I did the same thing: Would shoot the 1st round & softly / slowly 3/4 or 1/2 rack the second round. Only to cause a feeding problem! Then I was told to rack it fully & without the gentle, "I don't want to hurt it attitude" & it functioned flawlessly. It beats selling it off at a loss, cause you thought it was a piece of crap.....
 
at least it wasn't a dangerous mistake, like trying to clear a jam during seize fire while people are walking around infront the firing line :eek:
 
I also felt a bit dumb at the range yesterday - I had my new (to me) SL8 and I inserted a mag, racked the charging handle and "click". Repeated a few times under the somewhat concerned gaze of the previous owner ( hell, no one wants to be in his shoes ) until it was pointed out that my tender paws hadn't properly seated the mag LOL.

After that false start she worked like the good German lass she is - producing 5 shot groups measuring just outside of 1.5" at 100m which is about 1.5 MOA allowing for the difference between yards and meters. I used cheap S&B 55gr .223 FMJ. Where she really shone though was shooting offhand at the gong some 200+ meters out. Contrary to what I had read, I found the rifle well balanced and easy to shoot from the offhand. Not as ergonomic as the AR ( but, really, what is ? ) but more accurate at least than my AR and, to my eyes, a 'cooler' looking toy.

Here is a pic ( yeah, I know - should have removed the scope caps LOL ):

IMG_0036.jpg
 
Just an additional note for you in case you were unaware. While you want to let the bolt slam shut when chambering a round, you don't want to be slamming it shut on an empty chamber, like when you are dry firing or cleaning. Slamming it shut on an empty chamber is hard on the chamber and bolt. This is the one time you want to be 'riding the bolt'.

AJCrowley said:
Well, I'm glad I'm not alone, and I'm glad there's always people around who are happy to help without looking down on you when you're learning something new :)
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