Browning A-Bolt issues

Lnewton said:
Traded for a browning A-Bolt in 300 win mag. Took it to the range Saturday to run a few rounds. First round cycled as it should, second round the bolt was hard to lift and stiff to slide back, the third round could not be cycled and I had to placed the butt of the stock on the shooting bench and push down on the bolt with the palm of my hand with quite a bit of force to eject the spent casing. The action and breach were clean before shooting. Any ideas? I am new to posting and a member of this forum but I have been reading posts here for quite some time. I know there are some knowledgeable folks here so some help would be greatly appreciated.
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I hope that after 4 years, this has been resolved.
 
Aquamoyes said:
Had an a bolt misfire on its own due to a defective sear. I'll never own an a bolt again.
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That would be a shame, I have had a Brownung A-bolt 'Stalker' in a 300 wm for years, extremely accurate, with 190 gr reloads and the action is smooth. Brother in-law has an X-bolt same results.

You might not be doing your self any favors.
 
I know this is an old thread and hope your issue has been long solved. I've had several Browning A-bolt and X-bolt over the years, still have some. The only issue I've seen related to this was a friend having trouble with extraction and slight scratches on his brass. Finally pinned it down to a burr from one of the holes drilled for the base mount. Cleaned it out and polished and the issue was solved. Hope you got yours functioning again.
 
No question that modern production of firearms has come a long way but these rough machining issues still do crop up. I bought Ruger American 22lr rifles for each of my boys some years ago. They wouldn't feed reliably at all. Ended up sending them in for warranty twice and got em back with a clean bill of health each time. Only problem was they still wouldn't feed reliably. Doing my own research on causes led me to some guys video on the internet showing rough machining around the bolt head and extractor. I bought two new extractors and a set of small files and cleaned them both right up. They function perfectly now. I really can't fathom how professionals in the industry, many gunsmiths and apparently manufacturers included, are so lacking in basic investigative skills. Take a look at the machining on a ruger American and it leaves a lot to be desired. And they aren't inexpensive relative to other brands either.
 
Think I would have a chat with whomever you bought/traded with. Probably why he wanted to get rid of it. glad you were able to figure out the cause and fix it.
 
Since this is fairly put to bed, but I have a smattering of abolt owners here, any tips on getting the bolt reassembled on an a bolt 2? It's not a problem on a BBR, but the a bolt 2 has given me a pile of trouble to get reassemble. I sillily left the rifle in a case while wet and had a rusty firing pin. Pulled the bolt apart to clean it, but cannot get it back together.

The best directions I can find are here https://www.gun-tests.com/rifles/disassembly-reassembly-of-the-browning-a-bolt-ii/ but I can't get the firing pin spring compressed enough to reinstall the bolt shroud. Any tips or tricks on this? Or just…. Keep trying?
 
marksman1941 said:
Since this is fairly put to bed, but I have a smattering of abolt owners here, any tips on getting the bolt reassembled on an a bolt 2? It's not a problem on a BBR, but the a bolt 2 has given me a pile of trouble to get reassemble. I sillily left the rifle in a case while wet and had a rusty firing pin. Pulled the bolt apart to clean it, but cannot get it back together.

The best directions I can find are here https://www.gun-tests.com/rifles/disassembly-reassembly-of-the-browning-a-bolt-ii/ but I can't get the firing pin spring compressed enough to reinstall the bolt shroud. Any tips or tricks on this? Or just…. Keep trying?
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Maybe this video might help.
 
tim1457 said:
Maybe this video might help.
Click to expand...

That looks similar to how the BBR bolt came apart and went back together. I'll dive back into the abolt tonight with this and see if it sheds any light on the issue; from what I recall (it's been a minute since I've messed with it) the abolt needed the firing pin spring compressed by pushing on the front of the firing pin, which had a tendency to bend it.
 
I've owned a Browning A Bolt 30-06 for over 20 years and it's an absolute tack driver. (with my hand loads). Never had any problems with any OTC ammo and probably shot a dozen different brands. I believe you must have a chamber problem.
 
I'm also curious how this was resolved.

Only answer I found reading through was OP used a different bolt in his rifle and it functioned correctly

Also was this an A-Bolt I, A-Bolt II, or AB3???
 

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