Problems with Wolf ammo in an M1A?????

mississaugagunnut

mississaugagunnut

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I have been running Sellier Bellot 308 in my Norc shorty for some time and have had no issues.

I have also run quite a bit of the Chinese steel cased ammo through it with no problems.

I recently purchased a case of the Wolf 308 steel case to see what it was like.


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I had issues right away.

The bolt would not cycle the fired round out of the chamber, I would also get what appeared to be slightly light primer strikes (the round would fire if re used), failure to feed.

Upon inspection of the rifle this is what I found.

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The roller has been split in half, I don't know when this happened and where the other half went.

So I looked at the receiver to see if the roller was striking it when cycling as per Tonyben's video and see no evidence of contact.

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The op rod looks to be okay

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The area of the bolt that the roller fits over is slightly damaged and will need to be sanded slightly. I will buy a new roller from Brownells as well as a retaining clip. What next?

Should I blame the ammo?

Suggestions?

Thanks
 
So a consumable wear part on the gun breaks and you immediately blame the ammo... nice...
if the op rod isn't beat to #### its not an over gassing issue... plus wolf ammo is pretty mild anyway..
The part broke... it happens. Replace it and continue. Wolf blow ups are usually headspace issues. If you dont have a head space issue your fine shooting wolf.
 
I had tula blow up.

You'll know an over pressure when it happens.

two different 308s in the shop.

Friends don't let friends shoot tula (wolf) 308.

Never had a problem with their 223 or 7.62x39.
 
I wouldn't consider a bolt roller a "consumable" part....

The bolt roller is "consumable" in the way that the barrel is "consumable".... Yes it will wear out. Over an extended period of time. It is a part that protects the bolt from wear. An early warning system as it were. If the bolt roller has split or broken, there is something else at fault. The bolt roller did its job and protected a major component from serious injury.

I will not comment on the Wolf or Tula ammo. But I will say this. I don't use it and I tell my customers to avoid it.

John
 
I don't think the ammunition cause the bolt roller to failed. However, the user manual page 4 and 15 warns about using none NATO ammo that could cause slam fire.
 
No, I don't have a bolt roller greaser. It seems as if the general consensus is that it was the Wolf ammunition that caused the roller to fail.
The gun had been taken the one of Barney's clinics and at that time the head space was quite good. Wear patterns on the bolt lugs look even.

I have ordered new rollers from Brownells and will not be using the remaining Wolf ammo.

Thanks for all the help.
 
I don't know how a brand of ammo could possibly snap a roller in half.... makes no sense.
It actually looks like it sheared in half, probably from lack or grease.
 
And what does this thread have to do with an M1A as the title states?
You do know that M1A is a registered trademark of Springfield Armory.

Its like calling any AR-15 an Armalite rifle.
 
thump_rrr said:
And what does this thread have to do with an M1A as the title states?
You do know that M1A is a registered trademark of Springfield Armory.

Its like calling any AR-15 an Armalite rifle.
Click to expand...

Interesting...when Sunray used to say things like this I always thought it was like calling modern sporting rifles like DD, Spikes, etc., AR15s.
 
Thanks to all who have replied and thanks to Yomamma for the bolt roller greasing tool.

It looks like it was a lack of grease that caused the failure of the roller. It split in two pieces and that in turn caused the malfunctions.

Now I have received a new roller and clips but upon closer examination of the bolt it appears that the bolt itself has been damaged in the roller area and I think it needs to be replaced. It is no longer perfectly round and a new roller would not last long on such a surface.

So, do I buy a used Norc bolt, a Fulton armory bolt or a USGI? Do all three options need to be lapped to ensure headspace?

Thanks
 
yomomma said:
Dont put that sheit in any of your guns. Full Stop


Blame yourself.
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nah dude, blame the former moderators for not putting my comments on ammunition for these rifles in the fricken stickies. Oh ya, thanx skullboy LOL
so much info I've posted here was never stickied and this topic is one that really should have been. would save a lot of m14/m1a owners potential safety issues.
Wolf, American Eagle and Tula .... 3 brands that go no where near my m14 type rifles. I use federal power shok or gold medal match.
 
mississaugagunnut said:
Thanks to all who have replied and thanks to Yomamma for the bolt roller greasing tool.

It looks like it was a lack of grease that caused the failure of the roller. It split in two pieces and that in turn caused the malfunctions.

Now I have received a new roller and clips but upon closer examination of the bolt it appears that the bolt itself has been damaged in the roller area and I think it needs to be replaced. It is no longer perfectly round and a new roller would not last long on such a surface.

So, do I buy a used Norc bolt, a Fulton armory bolt or a USGI? Do all three options need to be lapped to ensure headspace?

Thanks
Click to expand...

grease or no grease, I'd still be absolutely blaming the ammo, or at least not ruling it out. Remember, there are service conditions where these rifles are run with very little or no grease due to battlefield conditions. Bolt rollers should stand up to this abuse somewhat.
If the bolt is damaged , yup, I'd replace it. Any bolt used or new but new to the rifle will need to be checked for headspace compatability and then lug bearing. Lapping to achieve the desired fit.... if the bolt is a worthy candidate. One can't just "lap in" any bolt. I'd recommend sending the rifle to M14medic.ca and have her fixed up right.
 
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