The rifle appears to be in decent shape considering the 25 years it spent in the location it did. I expected it to look worse. I have seen far rustier firearms that function freely. Are you sure there isn't something other than rust binding it up?
Remington 788 bolt stuck after 25 years in storage
- Thread starter yoden
- Start date
The rifle appears to be in decent shape considering the 25 years it spent in the location it did. I expected it to look worse. I have seen far rustier firearms that function freely. Are you sure there isn't something other than rust binding it up?
If you do this, you will pull off all the bluing.
Look's like mine. I'll dig it out tomorrow and have a looksee as to what can be causing the problem.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Uhm. Sometimes the roll pins come loose on these rifles. Holding the trigger mechanism and safety secured to the action.
A dislodged safety is not uncommon.
Resulting in difficulty removing the bolt or not at all.
Once it's out of the stock maybe look here first?
There's not much else to interfere on these basic rifles.
A dislodged safety is not uncommon.
Resulting in difficulty removing the bolt or not at all.
Once it's out of the stock maybe look here first?
There's not much else to interfere on these basic rifles.
Stock off, first. Remove trigger group, Safety, if you can.
Soak it in whatever you got. Just remember that WD-40 is mostly solvent, and can leave your iron dry, and able to rust, in time. Use it if it's what you got, use better if you can, but remember to oil the crap outta everything the stuff touches, or face the rust monster!
If a soak don't do it, and a few calculated taps with a soft faced hammer doesn't either, I would suggest that it get another spray, and heat it with a hair dryer, or a proper heat gun.
FWIW, if you manage to fry the Missus's hair dryer, the part that made it quit working is called a Thermal Fuse, Radio Shack/ The Source, used to stock them, but they can be found online fairly easily, and are not hard to change out!
Soak it in whatever you got. Just remember that WD-40 is mostly solvent, and can leave your iron dry, and able to rust, in time. Use it if it's what you got, use better if you can, but remember to oil the crap outta everything the stuff touches, or face the rust monster!
If a soak don't do it, and a few calculated taps with a soft faced hammer doesn't either, I would suggest that it get another spray, and heat it with a hair dryer, or a proper heat gun.
FWIW, if you manage to fry the Missus's hair dryer, the part that made it quit working is called a Thermal Fuse, Radio Shack/ The Source, used to stock them, but they can be found online fairly easily, and are not hard to change out!
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The ones on my rifle were the kind of hollow rolled into shape kind. Not a solid piece of steel. I think my older one, a 788 in 222 had the proper solid type.
My 308 is later production and uses the cheaper hollow kind formed from a shaped stamping of steel.
It connected my safety. When it loosened by itself I could not remove the bolt.
I removed the action from the stock. Reseated the roll pin, secured it into place blue locktite.
Issue resolved.
These cheaper roll pins working themselves loose is a not uncommon affliction with the 788. The first hint is a safety that does not go on safe. If unresolved the next condition is being unable to remove the bolt.
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The trigger mechanism is secured to the receiver by the little pin passing through a tiny lug brazed to the bottom of the receiver. To remove it, use a proper roll pin punch, to avoid damaging the pin.
The trigger housing is a non-ferrous casting. Driving pins in and out repeatedly is not going to do the fit of the pin in the casting any good. Friction in the steel lug will be the only thing holding the pin in place. A roll pin is designed to compress slightly, holding it in place. Should hold better than a solid pin - mechanically superior - that is why they are used. Incidentally, it is a practice not to reuse a roll pin.
There is no sign of rust on this action. I suspect that the thing is dry and frozen, perhaps with a bit of corrosion locking the bolt in place. If a soaking with penetrating oil and cautious use of a soft faced hammer/block of wood doesn't move the bolt forward slightly, get it to a gunsmith before any damage is done.
The trigger housing is a non-ferrous casting. Driving pins in and out repeatedly is not going to do the fit of the pin in the casting any good. Friction in the steel lug will be the only thing holding the pin in place. A roll pin is designed to compress slightly, holding it in place. Should hold better than a solid pin - mechanically superior - that is why they are used. Incidentally, it is a practice not to reuse a roll pin.
There is no sign of rust on this action. I suspect that the thing is dry and frozen, perhaps with a bit of corrosion locking the bolt in place. If a soaking with penetrating oil and cautious use of a soft faced hammer/block of wood doesn't move the bolt forward slightly, get it to a gunsmith before any damage is done.
The design of a rolled pin is what makes it work so well. Think of it as a rolled spring. Unless it breaks it is always going to be tight in the hole it is driven into... so I still don't know how a rolled pin works itself loose. Solid pins have their own problems... but either style if driven in and are tight in the hole - do their job... how do they work loose?
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I never tried to remove one, but my neighbour broke one off his bolt, by beating on the handle with a 2x4 - to open it after firing one of his "enthusiastic" hand loads - so that bolt is not a "one piece" forging like war-time Mausers - handle is a separate piece that is attached - I think is "silver braze" - so like red hot heat needed - I do not think it is lead/tin "solder", but I have never tried to remove or re-attach one. Has no circular collar around the bolt body like a M70 Winchester, or even a partial circle like a Rem 700 - is just a "square" ended bolt handle stuck onto the bolt body.
Bolt handle attached very near to the bolt body locking lugs, which I presume are heat treated, so heat control likely very important to keep those lugs from going soft.
Bolt handle attached very near to the bolt body locking lugs, which I presume are heat treated, so heat control likely very important to keep those lugs from going soft.
The bolt handle is induction brazed in place. The root of the handle is a peg which fits into the bolt. The braze wraps around the peg, and fills the shoulder where the bolt handle contacts a flat on the body.
There are two versions. One has a thicker collar on the bolt body with more contact area for a stronger joint. This improved version can be readily identified because the bot handle is slightly back swept.
The threads for the bolt plug are cut after the bolt handle is attached. This complicates reattaching the bolt handle, because the threads have to align. I reattach them using paste silver braze, coupled with a jig to hold the handle in place, a heat sink inserted into the bolt, and anti-scale/heat stop paste to reduce the heat running toward the locking lugs. Wrp the lugs and bolt body in wet rags. The lugs cannot be allowed to get hot. Brownells sells - or used to sell - a tap to clean up the threads after reattachment.
There is a little set screw at the front of the trigger housing, which helps to fix the trigger mechanism firmly in place. It is worth studying the assembly and understanding what this does.
There are two versions. One has a thicker collar on the bolt body with more contact area for a stronger joint. This improved version can be readily identified because the bot handle is slightly back swept.
The threads for the bolt plug are cut after the bolt handle is attached. This complicates reattaching the bolt handle, because the threads have to align. I reattach them using paste silver braze, coupled with a jig to hold the handle in place, a heat sink inserted into the bolt, and anti-scale/heat stop paste to reduce the heat running toward the locking lugs. Wrp the lugs and bolt body in wet rags. The lugs cannot be allowed to get hot. Brownells sells - or used to sell - a tap to clean up the threads after reattachment.
There is a little set screw at the front of the trigger housing, which helps to fix the trigger mechanism firmly in place. It is worth studying the assembly and understanding what this does.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Improper sizing of pin or its seating area perhaps.
In Saskatchewan I would drive long hours to hunting areas, so it's not outside probability it was a bit loose, then further loosened over time and enhanced by road rattle.
You are open to the theory the manufacturer effed up?
I wasn't lying about a loosened safety and it's consequences sir. Nor was I dreaming when I fixed it.
This is all the information I have on this matter.
To get the bolt out, push the safety toward the muzzle.
My bolt moves freely.
One screw from the top for the rear scope mount, one from the bottom holds the mag catch/guide in place.
Could it be the bolt has become "decocked" or rotated to the fire position?
Looking at your picture, and seeing that little hole position it reference to the cocking knob handle, I'd say thats what happened
My bolt moves freely.
One screw from the top for the rear scope mount, one from the bottom holds the mag catch/guide in place.
Could it be the bolt has become "decocked" or rotated to the fire position?
Looking at your picture, and seeing that little hole position it reference to the cocking knob handle, I'd say thats what happened
