Bolt sticking after firing on a .22 bolt action rifle (Remington 541-T)

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kedirkin

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Friends,

I have a Remington 541-T, which is my favourite bolt action rifle.

After a full day of usage (approx. 1,200 – 1,500 rounds), I am used to seeing heavy carbon build up inside the bore and action that I faithfully clean each time I'm finished shooting.

Today on the range, at about the 1,000 round mark – (I had expected to stay another hour or so) – the bolt started to 'stick' after firing.

Let me explain. That is, after the bang, it became difficult to push the bolt up, thereby unlocking the lugs and allowing me to extract a spent casing.

After another round or two, the bolt really started to take a lot of force to unlock after each round was fired. A lot, as in I had to stand up and pull with –both- hands while holding the rifle down in its rest.

I figured that something might be stuck in the action, so I did a quick field cleaning, including removing the bolt and scraping the inside of the action with a toothbrush. My thinking was that something had gotten wedged in there – maybe a small piece of brass, or lead, or residue, or sand, or whatever.

I also ran a few patches through the bore at that point, just to clean out any residue that might be giving me problems.

I loaded another round, fired, and then the bolt was really stuck.

I yanked on it to get the bolt up, but nothing.

I pulled, swore, pulled again harder.

Nothing.

In the end, I had to brace the bolt on the edge of a table and press down on the rifle with my -entire- body weight to release the bolt. Only then was I able to eject the round.

Needless to say, I am now quite nervous about test firing another round.

Now for the trouble shooting:

1) when I ran the patches through the bore during the field cleaning (yes, I did use a solvent), the first few were black, then grey, then generally pretty clean. I also did a full cleaning again when I got home.

2) after unlocking the stuck bolt and ejecting a spent casing, the bolt then locks and unlocks freely (that is, with no round in it). There's no sticking, tightness, or other sign of a problem. When I fired another round and tried to unlock the bolt again though, the problem re-appeared.

3) in inspecting the action and bore (both at the range and when I got home), there doesn't appear to be anything blocking the action or otherwise obstructing the bore (I'm holding the barrel up to the light to double-check, and it's all shiny inside).

4) I can insert a new, unfired, round into the action, close the bolt, open the bolt, and eject the round (still unfired) just fine. There’s no sticking or tightness.

5) every spent casing (once I can actually get the bolt unlocked), ejects normally and goes flying off to the side like it normally would.

6) I sprayed the crap out of the bolt and action with Tetra Gun Action Blaster when I got home (this was a suggestion from a local gun store). I also removed the action from the stock, looking for any kind of crud or something that looks like it was causing the problem – nothing.

7) there don't appear to be any deformities, marks, or generally anything else unusual about the spent casings once fired.

8) I was using the same ammo all day, not changing anything up (.22 LR CCI standard velocity).

I'm stumped.

Can CGN help?

Thanks,

KD
 
Sounds like you may have a wonky batch (box/brick/whatever) of ammo that's either overpressure or has defects in the brass that's causing it to stay slightly expanded after firing. Even though there's nothing visually wrong with the spent casings, it only takes a few thousandths of an inch of deformity to cause problems.

I'd take it back out with a completely new batch of ammo (check the lot number!) to see if the problem persists. Bring a rubber mallet in case the bolt jams shut again -- it's often the gentlest way to open a stuck bolt.
 
I would guess a bolt disassembly and cleaning is in order if you haven't already done that. I think your firing pin is sticking and the cause of your problems. I don't think blowing the bolt out with crud cutter is enough.
Kim
 
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I would first check the fired case. YOU DID SAVE SOME FIRED CASES, DIDN'T YOU?

Check to see where the firing pin hits the case. Is it a clean hit, or does it have "drag" marks where the firing pin remained forward and bound up the case?

Take the bolt out of the rifle and really clean it. Check the cam and lubricate it. CHECK THE FIRING PIN. Does it move freely?

CHECK THE FIRING PIN TO SEE IF IT IS BROKEN. This is something that happens, and the rear broken portion will still hits the small front part, but the front part stays forward jammed into the empty case. It is also possible that the front end of the larger part of the firing pin has been peened back or broken off, allowing the firing pin to go too far forward. You can check this by releasing the cocking piece pressure on the firing pin, and seeing how far forward the firing pin comes out of the breech face.

Since the rifle works all right by feeding rounds through it without firing it, but shows up when the rifle is fired, then the problem seems to lie within the bolt. Possibly the cocking cam, but more likely the firing pin.

From what you have described, I would suspect firing pin problems.
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Update – As per advice provided, I started taking the bolt apart for a good cleaning and, upon doing so, promptly dropped the bolt on the floor of my garage and broke one of the extractors : (

Doh!

Anyway, I'm ordering a replacement now (FYI – ordering a replacement part on a rifle that's been discontinued for this long is not fun) and, as per advice provided, also looking into a new firing pin while I'm at it.

It doesn't look broken, but I figure a new one couldn't hurt – I easily have several rounds through the rifle, and I am not the original owner.

And buffdog, to your point, nothing looks out of the ordinary to me from the spent fired casing, including the firing pin mark.

KD
 
kedirkin said:
... I started taking the bolt apart for a good cleaning and, upon doing so, promptly dropped the bolt on the floor of my garage and broke one of the extractors : (
Click to expand...

I was going to suggest to check that the extractors don't have any crud build-up under them, which could cause them to jut slightly out and make contact against the sides of the receiver. I had this happen with an old Toz.

But I guess your extractors are moving freely now....
 
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