Contender 'smiths- HELP!

joe-nwt

joe-nwt

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I picked up a 10" 30-30 barrel for one of my contenders a while back. Finally cooked up some ammo the other week, went out to the range and no go. Seems to be a problem with lock-up.

Here are my observations of the new barrel compared to any of my other barrels that work on this gun.
Please excuse any mis-applied lingo! :D

The problem appears to be the 2 piece bolt is not moving back to engage the saftey interlock. I put some black marker on the top of the bolt and it only rubs back part way up the notch in the bolt. It is my understanding the rub mark should extend to the back (barrel side) of the notch.

When I got the barrel it had a fresh finish applied, some kind of baked on parkerizing? Anyway in order to get the hinge pin to fit the barrel, I had to buff the hole a bit, I only buffed it enough to get the pin in and although it slides in easily there is absolutely no play in the pin what-so-ever. When I install the pin into an existing barrel that works, there is a wee bit of play.

One other observation, on an existing barrel that works, there is a bit of up and down play in the bolt itself. On the new barrel, again, there is none. The finish was not applied to the bolt, only the barrel, and it appears to be in the channel where the bolt slides.

What do you think my first approach to this problem should be? Clean the finish out of the bolt channel? Buff the hinge pin hole a bit more?

Something need to be fitted on the bolt? This dosn't sound right to me, but, what do I know? :D

Any help from someone with experience would be much appreciated.
 
Clear the finish away from any moving part, the inside of the hinge pin hole and on the face of the barrel where it contacts the breech face and you should be okay.

Also, compare the compression required to move the locking bolt on this barrel vs your other barrels. You may need a new spring as well, but get that coating off of all surfaces that don't need it first!
 
Thanks Contender! At least now I know I might be on the right track! When I free up some time, I'll follow your advice and get back with the results.

Joe
 
Alrighty, I'm back, with a little less hair!

I cleaned the finish from all moving parts as suggested, a even tok a smidge off the hinge-pin hole on the breech side and the bottom. This gives the hole about the same amount of play as my other barrels. The locking bolt spring is as good or better than my other barrels. After fiddling around for about two hours, I can get the safety to drop out of the way of the hammer only with a good, hard , snap tp close. When I use a primed empty case to test, I can get the primer to go off maybe one in 10 times, again, with a really hard snap closed. Again, the marker rub barely goes part way back on the notch on the locking bolt.

I see no other places where some kind of binding is causing the problem.

Question: If the guy who finished the barrel put a different locking bolt back in the barrel before he sold it to me, is there a chance the bolt has to be refitted? Any other ideas?
 
It sounds like the bolt needs to be refitted. If you are careful you can do this yourself, since it sounds like you have some to work with, but the actual amount of material that will have to be removed is miniscule so I would strongly recommend you use a hard natural stone of some kind or perhaps some crocus cloth on a piece of flat metal to stone the engagement face of the locking bolt. I'd recommend against using any kind of grey carborundum stone; it will be too soft and quick cutting. Don't try this in front of the TV or when your wife/girlfriend is talking to you!

Again, take a barrel or barrels that lock up fine and compare the appearance of the engagement face, where you see wear, to that on your sticky barrel. Is the wear even or is it more pronounced on one side than another? If it is even, use the original taper as a guide and try to lap it just enough to polish it evenly and then try it in the action again. If it is higher on one side than another, try to lap it where there is already wear, leaving the rest untouched. Lap it until you see a noticeable increase in size of the wear area and try the barrel in the receiver.

If you get on the first try you took off too much metal! Take off just enough metal to make a wee bit of difference and then test the barrel in the action without a cartridge in it. 5-10 attempts wouldn't be too many to make. Don't get impatient!.

The Contender should lock up tight when it is held upside down, with very little other pressure, then try your dummy primed cartridge case (make sure it is sized) to ensure the safety interlock falls away.
 
Thanks Contender. I suspected that is what I had to do. Just looking for a little reassurrance before I wrecked something. As it stands right now, the marker test shows about 1/32 bolt engagement evenly on both sides, just enough to make the barrel stay closed. I will take a bunch of measurements before I get started, from this barrel and another. If I have any questions, I will get back to you before i get started.

Once again, thanks!
 
The measurement that matters is from the top of the bearing surface of the locking bolt to the bottom of the barrel lug. The relationship between the bottom of the barrel lug and the location of the hinge pin is also critical but shouldn't be an issue with a factory or custom shop barrel.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!
 
Only once in a while, with a really hard snap. It closes, but does not lock up properly to drop the safety interlock.

Still haven't found time to experiment with the bolt fitting. Soon.

Joe
 
joe...you said that the barrel had been refinshed??.... could be that they refinshed the chamber where the top side of the rim headspaces....that would give you to much head space and no lock-up.....I bought a 25-35 barrel many years ago and had lock-up problems...had a gunsmith deepen the area where the rim fits in the chamber and that solved my lock-up problems....good luck solving your problem... cheers....mic
Edit...I should have read araz's post... if it doesn't lock-up without a round in it then what I said above is NOT your problem...
 
Well summer is long gone and I stumbled back across this little project. Since my last post, I talked also with the nice people at TCARMS. They were kind enough to send me a complete spring kit. Before I started in on the lugs, I stripped it completely. I compared the old hammer spring to the new and the old was noticably "sprung". With all the new springs in place( the hammer spring was a bugger til I smartened up and made a slave pin from a 3-1/2" nail) I again tried the primed brass. Still no go so I started in on the lugs. I used fine and extra-fine stones out of a Lansky knife sharpening kit.

5 - 10 attempts? I think I had that barrel on and off that frame 30 freakin' times before I finally was able to get a piece of primed Winchester brass to go off with a normal snap closed. Then to be sure I grabbed 5 misc pieces of 30-30 brass and primed them all. Much to my dismay, the primed Federal brass would not go off. Seems to have a slightly thicker rim, I tried several pieces. So with the extra-fine stone I took a smidge more off and now the Fed brass will go off with a brisk snap closed. I think I will stop there.

In the last couple days, I've put about 150rnds through the barrel. Just plinking and forming brass. I did manage to whack the 300m gong a few times. 30-30 in a 10" barrel, way cool IMHO. I've been using some old ammomart 44 powder for forming. Quite the fireball as it gets dark. :shock: :lol:

Thanks to all who helped, especially Contender.
 
10" TC barrel and 44 powder--does that ever bring back the old days--that was the first dedicated silhouette set up I ever purchased 20+ years ago--took me several years to overcome the flinch I developed :lol: :lol: Things improved after I went to a 7mmTCU.

Is your 44 powder holding up ok? I had to dispose of the last batch I had because it was deteriorating?

44Bore
 
I've only got >2lbs left. It came in Cardboard 1lb containers with a metal top and bottom. A few years ago, I cut one of the empty containers open and saw what looked to be rust starting to form on the metal ends, on the INSIDE! I promptly transferred all the ammo 44 powder to some empty plastic powder containers. The powder is fine and I still use it. Does make a nice flame though!
 
It is quite an impressive flash out of a 10" but the one that was truely awesome was when a buddy loaded up a full length .308 in an XP-100 with 44 powder.

44Bore
 
44Bore said:
It is quite an impressive flash out of a 10" but the one that was truely awesome was when a buddy loaded up a full length .308 in an XP-100 with 44 powder.

44Bore
Click to expand...

Well by the sheerest, and I mean sheerest of co-incidences, I have an XP-100 in 7mm-08 on route as we speak! Should be here maybe tomorrow or early next week.

So, this should make an even MORE impressive fireball? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :lol:

I think I'll be trying to find a video cam operator...... :D
 
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