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

[bigngreen]

Sounds like pretty standard fitting work, it's not uncommon to have to open up the trigger guard a little, I reset all the triggers I do for sear engagement, all bolts are custom fit to not have the screw issues. I float my mag boxes, a mag box should not be able to put pressure on anything and should have some wiggle when the bottom metal is secured.
That thick of cerakote is why I do my own, many guys have it done out of house and it gets laid on like automotive paint.

 

[Sending156s]

The gunsmith that repaired it for me said it was safe to shoot now. He cut recesses on trigger guard where is was pressing against lower pin on trigger. After he adjusted it and worked the safety back and forth he asked me to listen to the click. He said before it was not engaging. He said that click was it engaging in fire mode. Before he fixed it when you put it in fire position there was no click. Now when you move it you can hear/feel an engagement that wasn't there before. On a Timney they ask you not to mess with the sear adjustment on back of trigger. The gunsmith that fixed it said something about it had been overadjusted and he had to move it back. I've replaced factory triggers with Timneys, never had any problems, and only adjusted the screw for trigger pull.

The gunsmith that fixed it doesn't do machining work anymore and is semi-retired just helping his son run the business. He is 75, been a full time gunsmith for at least 45 years. He's been a close friend of mine for ~ 30 years. He normally wouldn't take a job like this, but he wanted to help me.

When I 1st got it the rifle did fire twice on my range when I just touched the trigger and it surprised me. I felt I had not started applying pressure. I will wait until tomorrow and get a better explanation from him on just what all he had to do to repaired the trigger. Your concerns are justified when there are problems with a trigger. It's appreciated and I will take it seriously.

 

[SMK1000plus]

Sounds like your friend is a good gunsmith and I believe he fixed your rifle's trigger issues. The issues he described that he fixed, would definitely have caused the trigger issues you have said you've experienced.

You should closely test every trigger AND safety function, every combination of bolt cycle then trigger pull, bolt cycle then safety applied, trigger reset check for full forward reset, etc. while dry-firing (NO LIVE ROUND in chamber). Only after thoroughly testing your trigger by dry-firing, carefully test the trigger with live ammunition at your next range visit.

Once again, hope this helps.

 

[Sending156s]

Sounds like your friend is a good gunsmith and I believe he fixed your rifle's trigger issues. The issues he described that he fixed, would definitely have caused the trigger issues you have said you've experienced.

You should closely test every trigger AND safety function, every combination of bolt cycle then trigger pull, bolt cycle then safety applied, trigger reset check for full forward reset, etc. while dry-firing (NO LIVE ROUND in chamber). Only after thoroughly testing your trigger by dry-firing, carefully test the trigger with live ammunition at your next range visit.

Once again, hope this helps.

Appreciate the advice. I tested safety & bolt functioning in my reloading shop today. All dry fire. It felt right & different from when I 1st got it.

My friend doesn't do any machining work anymore. And is ready to retire, but it is a strong family, and Bob & his wife work to help Aaron, the son, with the store. He started out thinking it was just the feed issue I told him about and then found the trigger problems. I didn't realize I had a serious trigger problem. I'm ex-military and have been around guns all my life. I realize and appreciate how much more someone knows who has made a career out of smithing as compared to someone who shoots, cleans, and does a few minor upgrades. That's why I posted in gunsmith section and appreciate everyone's help! This is a good site with good people.......thanks

I worked up loads for a ladder test with 210 Berger's over H1000 & 185 juggernauts over H1000. I have some other powders and bullets combos to try also. I'm not going to check velocities until I find some accurate loads. I'm careful & safe, but will exercise additional caution as i'm Shooting it to make sure myself and everyone else is safe.

 

[SMK1000plus]

I worked up loads for a ladder test with 210 Berger's over H1000 & 185 juggernauts over H1000. I have some other powders and bullets combos to try also. I'm not going to check velocities until I find some accurate loads. I'm careful & safe, but will exercise additional caution as i'm Shooting it to make sure myself and everyone else is safe.

Try the H1000 with Berger 215gr Hybrids. I've had excellent results with this combination in multiple rifles with 1 in 8", 1 in 9" and 1 in 10" twist rates, in 24", 26" and 28" Bartlein barrels, as well as a 26" Rock Creek barrel. I believe you will be very pleased with the results.

I've tried RL-23 in 300 Win Mag and though accuracy was excellent, the velocities were pretty anemic. Don't get me wrong, I love RL-23 in several other cartridges; 30-06 with 212gr and 215gr bullets, 7mm Rem Mag with 162gr and 168gr bullets and 270 Win with 150gr bullets. It just produces too low velocities in 300 Win Mag.

Retumbo produced great velocity in my 300 Win Mags but, accuracy was inconsistent. Some days it was excellent, other days there were random flyers. It also burns dirty as heck, gums up actions and smokes so bad that it is difficult to see your vapor trail or impacts.

RL-26 works well but, I had too much velocity variation with the temperature spreads that I shoot in.

H1000 was the very best powder for my rifles, producing the best accuracy with great velocity as well. ES and SD were both very low.

I will be trying various Hammer projectiles, including .308 cal in 300 Win Mag and 30-06 as well as .284 cal in 7mm-08 and 7mm Rem Mag. I'm expecting great things from them. They will be field tested on some 250+ lbs deer this coming season.

 

[MNbogboy]

Good to hear the trigger & safety issues were solved.
Did the bolt lug contact also get fixed?
Your photo showed contact on one side only. The long action screw combined with the ceracoat may have contributed to this condition. Hopefully that was it and not a "truing" screwup.
Just another concern for safety sake.
Hope all is & goes well.
Randy

 

[Sending156s]

Bob took the cerakote off the entire bolt. I have not examined the lugs since he fixed it. I did ask Bob if I needed to buy a new action and he said no. I shot it 18x's yesterday working on some loads. The trigger and safety feel completely different from when I received it. I had one cartridge that wouldn't fire. I believe it was the primer. The firing pin does leave a different mark. It's a lighter strike than it originally was and is off center

 

[MNbogboy]

Primers get blamed often but light strikes usually say otherwise.
First thing I would do is disassemble and thoroughly clean it. It may have got "gummed" up while cleaning off the cerakote.
Also check firing pin protrusion. There is lots online on how to do this.
Also you should check the headspace with go & no-go gauges. Possibly it is too loose causing the light strikes.
The "off center" is subjective. Can you post pictures of some fired cases?
Hope you can solve these last issues and have some fun with it.

 

[Sending156s]

Primers get blamed often but light strikes usually say otherwise.
First thing I would do is disassemble and thoroughly clean it. It may have got "gummed" up while cleaning off the cerakote.
Also check firing pin protrusion. There is lots online on how to do this.
Also you should check the headspace with go & no-go gauges. Possibly it is too loose causing the light strikes.
The "off center" is subjective. Can you post pictures of some fired cases?
Hope you can solve these last issues and have some fun with it.

Thanks, the gunsmith who fixed most of the problems checked with a go/no go gauges. It's definitely the firing pin. I had 18 cartridges loaded for 2 ladder tests. 3 misfired, but when I rechambered (was single feeding) all three fired. One took 3 times. I'm glad to hear what you said about an easy fix. My friend, Bob is 75 & doesn't like working anymore. I hate to ask him to help again, but if easy I might do it. I just came up from reloading shop, my brass tumbled, decapped, I do that with a RCBS decamping die, separate from resizing.
I have got a tray with brass ready to load.....i'll Load, shoot, and take pic tomorrow. Then post.
I'll have to get the exact #'s out of my reloading log tomorrow. I had new Norma brass that I had run through a Redding type S FL bushing style die. The case body grew 14 thou on shooting. Going off case base to shoulder datum line. I've got to try to find some old #'s. That seems to much to me. On the fired cases i'll Only bump shoulder back 1 to 2 thou.
I'm more surprised that someone would send a rifle out this way then I am disappointed. I'm disappointed too.

 

[Gord0]

.014" of case growth in a belted case is pretty typical.

 

[SMK1000plus]

I have more than several M70 Winchesters in belted magnums and even more Remington 700 belted magnums. Some still have factory barrels on them. .010" to .014" brass length growth is common in factory belted magnum chambers. Once new brass is fired in one of these rifles it is placed in a cartridge case with load information and that rifle's serial number recorded on it. That brass will then be used for load development and/or use only in that rifle, for the life of the brass.

I have one Winchester M70 7mm Rem Mag Classic that new brass grows .023" on first firing! No matter what bullet/powder/primer/charge weight/bullet jump/etc. I tried, I could never get down to 1-1/4 MOA accuracy with that rifle, which is my absolute minimum acceptable accuracy in a factory barrel. It will soon wear a Bartlein 26" .338 cal. 1 in 9" twist Sendaro contour SS barrel chambered in .338 Win Mag.

 

[Sending156s]

Thanks SMK, I hadn't had a new rifle in quite a few years and couldn't remember. This is a Bartlein 26" #13 countour. I only have this one 300 WM so it makes my organizing easier. It shot some very tight 5 shot groups at 100 if you take away a flyer that I own. It seems Bob has corrected my trigger functions. I continue to test with unloaded chamber. If I get my firing pin right I think i'll Have an accurate rifle.
The good groups were with 79 & 80 hrains of H1000 over 185 juggernauts. It seemed to start opening up some at 81. I didn't see any pressure signs.
Sure appreciate this gunsmith forum. Thanks for helping a non gunsmith! I'm now of the belief that this rifle was dangerous when 1st sent. I didn't realize there were trigger/safety issues. I thought it was just sticky bolt and feed issues.