Is barrel & action salvageable- Sticky bolt, chamber scratching case

[bigngreen]

I blew up the pictures more and you are getting contact in the second lug only light, getting heavy handed with the Cerakote is enough to cause this!! The gouging on the front of the case shoulder is maybe not from the chamber, many times that's something going into or out of the chamber, to create a sharp gouge one the case means a raise spot in the chamber and that is hard to get to happen, I've seen a string from a cleaning patch leave a clear indent but it was not a gouge.
The small indent is likely a piece of crud and the chamber just needs cleaned.
I would contact someone at the shop about it so their aware of it and get a schedule to have it looked at as soon as someone can do a comprehensive inspection but I would not loose it over this considering the situation!!

Many cheap custom actions show less contact than your action, a couple thou heavy on the Cerakote on the tang or inside the top of the rear bridge will do that easy!!

 

[Sending156s]

Your first custom very well should have been very special.

I doubt that I will ever go with a blueprinted factory action, except maybe a CRF Winchester. Every major CUSTOM action manufacturer out there today, produces a "blueprinted" action, right from the get-go. Some can be had for as little as $850, with a long list of upgraded features. Seems pointless not to use one, if you really consider all the cost associated with using a mass produced, factory action.

How much did you spend to buy a factory action? How much was the blueprinting job?

Even if I shoot a barrel out and weren't doing the rebarreling myself, I would only hand-lap the lugs, and then send the action off to have it rebarreled.

I agree on custom actions verses reworking an action that wasn't built as it should be. This was a donor from a Rem factory 300 WM I had. I paid I lot for the blueprinting.
I doubt Greg at bugholes could do it in time for my trip out west if I get to go. I think he has a big backlog.
When I shot it was with longer cartridges with the VLD's loaded to touch lands. Tonight I loaded some 210 SMK's to recommended COAL of 3.5 . The feeding was almost impossible & scarring the crap out of the brass. Also, bolt would hardly close. I am thinking my action is junked.
GAP is building a 6.5 PRC for me.....won't be ready for my trip out west. I believe it will be the opposite experience of this.
On CST, got to hit sack.

 

[SMK1000plus]

Greg recently posted he was only backed up about 7 to 8 weeks...

 

[Sending156s]

I blew up the pictures more and you are getting contact in the second lug only light, getting heavy handed with the Cerakote is enough to cause this!! The gouging on the front of the case shoulder is maybe not from the chamber, many times that's something going into or out of the chamber, to create a sharp gouge one the case means a raise spot in the chamber and that is hard to get to happen, I've seen a string from a cleaning patch leave a clear indent but it was not a gouge.
The small indent is likely a piece of crud and the chamber just needs cleaned.
I would contact someone at the shop about it so their aware of it and get a schedule to have it looked at as soon as someone can do a comprehensive inspection but I would not loose it over this considering the situation!!

Many cheap custom actions show less contact than your action, a couple thou heavy on the Cerakote on the tang or inside the top of the rear bridge will do that easy!!

Thanks, makes me feel much better! I'll hope for the best. The gunsmith has a tough road ahead of him after his operation.
I loaded some factory length dummies (no primer or powder) just to try feeding. Something is gouging the case body on these with serious scratches. Also hard to close the bolt. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up some factory rounds & see what happens. I'll post pics after I do it.
Thanks

 

[Riflehunter1776]

usually when a "professional" screws up a job, they know it. So if he botched it, and nevertheless returned it to you in a botched state, it was not a mistake, but rather a willful choice.

I recently had very bad dealings with a body shop who used bondo instead of rewelding. It was not an "accident" it was a deliberate swindle. Years ago I hired a gunsmith who itemized a long list of work he claimed to have done on a rifle. Half of the work was not even done, the other half was slipshod and half-***ed. Neither of these people "accidentally" fouled up my property. They deliberately cheated and charged, hoping to get away with it.

 

[SMK1000plus]

No doubt, you'll love your GAP.

Think I'm going with a Defiant Deviant Tactical long action, Mag bolt face, integral 30 MOA rail and recoil lug for my next build. Putting on a Rock Creek 5R SS 24" Sendero contour, 1:8.75 twist barrel, chambered in 338 Win Mag with a 3/4"x24 TPI muzzle thread.

Not exactly light but, should be a nice shooter and I don't mind carrying 10 to 12 lbs rifle, as long as it's accurate!

 

[5Spot]

Looks to me like the bolt scratches might be (MIGHT BE) from an action screw that's now just a tiny bit too long. See that a lot on stocks without pillars. Have you tried loosening the front action screw and cycling some un-scratched brass through it? See what happens. Might be a free fix.

I have a Sendero with similar scratches. I'm going to take a look today at my front action screw. Hopefully, you'll have solved two problems. Thanks BallisticsGuy.

 

[Gord0]

Are you chambering a cartridge from the magazine, or single feeding it? I would try single feeding one and see if you are still getting the scratch or ding on the shoulder. Also when extracting the shell make sure the ejector doesn't tip the case into anything on its way out. It looks like the case may be finding a sharp edge on either chambering or extraction.

 

[KyCarl]

New parts to a NEW smith is what I would do! Buy a finished action not some reworked
something that should have been made right the first try!

 

[Sending156s]

Bought factory ammo today & tried feeding it. Still problems feeding & more marks on bolt as i continue to try to cycle to smooth bolt or wear off excess cerakote

Are you chambering a cartridge from the magazine, or single feeding it? I would try single feeding one and see if you are still getting the scratch or ding on the shoulder. Also when extracting the shell make sure the ejector doesn't tip the case into anything on its way out. It looks like the case may be finding a sharp edge on either chambering or extraction.

Gord0, per a suggestion from a gunsmith post I single fed, then held pressure on case keeping it straight while I ejected it. The scratch wasn't as severe. When I ejected without holding pressure it was just as severe as when I shot it. This was done using Norma FL sized cases, not cartridges. This seems to indicate you and the other gentleman are right.
I bought some factory ammo yesterday and tried feeding with same result. You can only get 2 rounds in box and a jam 50% of time. A Wyatt's box was added keeping the original BDL floorplate, spring, and follower the same. Could this need modification?

 

[couesaddict]

Not at all a fix to every problem, but it looks to me like the feed lips on your magazine box are opened up a little too much. Pull the bottom metal and mag out and carefully, with pliers, bend the lips in a little bit on each side. This will hold the cases lower and also hold better alignment when feeding. I think some of your scratches are from the bolt riding over the case that is still in the mag while trying to feed one in. Sometimes takes several tries to get it tuned in but I think you can at least fix your feeding issues by doing this.

 

[SMK1000plus]

Bought factory ammo today & tried feeding it. Still problems feeding & more marks on bolt as I continue to try to cycle to smooth bolt or wear off excess cerakote.

I bought some factory ammo yesterday and tried feeding with same result. You can only get 2 rounds in box and a jam 50% of time. A Wyatt's box was added keeping the original BDL floorplate, spring, and follower the same. Could this need modification?

Share pictures of the bottom of the bolt slide. Your double feed jam appears to be from the slide bottom/feed lips on the action being too wide. Did your gunsmith alter them when he installed the Wyatt's magazine box?

 

[Sending156s]

Not at all a fix to every problem, but it looks to me like the feed lips on your magazine box are opened up a little too much. Pull the bottom metal and mag out and carefully, with pliers, bend the lips in a little bit on each side. This will hold the cases lower and also hold better alignment when feeding. I think some of your scratches are from the bolt riding over the case that is still in the mag while trying to feed one in. Sometimes takes several tries to get it tuned in but I think you can at least fix your feeding issues by doing this.

Thanks, starting to think the feed issues can be resolved without great expenditure. I don't know about the sticky bolt since I think it may be related to the cerakote job. I didn't know Bass Pro had a full gunsmith shop. We are headed there now for a gunsmith/machinist to look at. I appreciate all the help. I'd be lying if I didn't say it has been a huge disappointment getting my first custom rifle & the only way to shoot it is single feed with a sticky bolt.

 

[SMK1000plus]

Not at all a fix to every problem, but it looks to me like the feed lips on your magazine box are opened up a little too much. Pull the bottom metal and mag out and carefully, with pliers, bend the lips in a little bit on each side. This will hold the cases lower and also hold better alignment when feeding. I think some of your scratches are from the bolt riding over the case that is still in the mag while trying to feed one in. Sometimes takes several tries to get it tuned in but I think you can at least fix your feeding issues by doing this.

couesaddict, you are correct about the feed lips, if using a detachable magazine but, a Remington 700 BDL and ADL use an internal magazine box with no feed lips. Instead, it uses the underside of the action, the bottom of the bolt slide rail, as feed lips. When going to a detachable box magazine from a Remington 700 ADL or BDL action, you usually have to modify those bottom rails to make the magazine feed properly.

The replacement Wyatt's internal magazine box works just like the original Remington box, except with a little more room lengthwise. There are usually no feed lips on the Wyatt's internal box magazine either. That would suggest to me that the gunsmith altered the action bottom, widening the bottom of the bolt slide, but for what reason I have no idea...