NEED HELP!!! 700 Bolt Broke Off w/ Live Round (308)

[Coldfinger]

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Problem: a live round (308 win) stuck in remage barrel with bolt lifted up i.e lugs probably not engaged when bolt handle broke off.

Rifle Background: remage barrel setup, action older model 700 ADL.

Current idea: tap the handle in its current position and use 8/40 screws to close the bolt and fire then disassemble. The main concern would be the fact that the bolt is in the open position while performing this. Similar to the attached picture.

If there are safer ideas I would be indebted to the LRH community. Thank you.

I'd pull the barrel off myself! Loosen the barrel nut and unscrew the barrel. Ps (how the heck do you break a bolt handle, I've hammered them open)!!!

 

[Coldfinger]

FWIW every Smith I know hates the barrel nut method and refuse to dick with them and I called a few and they will never let me live this one down.

There is nothing wrong with the barrel nut setup if done properly. It's nit as pretty as a shouldered barrel but works fine.

 

[stbbo]

I'd pull the barrel off myself! Loosen the barrel nut and unscrew the barrel. Ps (how the heck do you break a bolt handle, I've hammered them open)!!!

Yeah no kidding. Looking at the handle it was a **** poor soldering job by Remington. Top it off I snapped the Safety lever. Busting both within hours has to be a record lol. I am going to be switching to all my 700 builds to 1 pc bolts. I'm not going to have this happen ever again.

 

[stbbo]

There is nothing wrong with the barrel nut setup if done properly. It's nit as pretty as a shouldered barrel but works fine.

I agree, but you know gunsmiths they are a persnickety bunch and are set in their ways. That said I'm the dumba$$ who messed up the rifle so who am I to question a real Smith.

 

[codyadams]

As far as the bolt, LRI dies a fantastic job at timing/tigging a bolt handle. It will be as strong as it could get being done by them. Plus your primary extraction will be perfect. Highly recommend.

 

[Bob Wright]

Glad to hear all is well.

 

[Farmerboy78]

I've broken off a bolt handle before. I run my bolt fast normally in a prs match. Lift wasnt hard, but the handle snapped off at the top of the stroke while extracting a spent round. I too went to a 1 piece bolt

 

[Coldfinger]

I agree, but you know gunsmiths they are a persnickety bunch and are set in their ways. That said I'm the dumba$$ who messed up the rifle so who am I to question a real Smith.

Some are but I have talked to a couple real decent ones on this site.

 

[Coldfinger]

All thank you very much. By the grace of God I was able to remove the round and not cause much further damage.

Summary: triple checked what position the bolt was in when it broke off. Luckily the bolt was completely up and looking at how much it had moved to rear vs normal position. based on the posts above and further reading, I believed that the potential for the firing pin to slip and have a discharge was very low. I proceeded to try to take the barrel off (2nd attempt). The first attempt the barrel would not move even with the wrench. Fortunately, on the 2nd attempt it came off with minimal force hand turning. As the last thread engaged the round fell to floor. Upon closer inspection it appeared a small piece (1/3 size of a small rifle primer) of black pot metal (the raw metal showed Granularity) also fell out from the area where the lugs engage. My best idea is that the small piece of metal had caused the lugs to bind as I attempted to clear the chamber. I felt zero pressure or any restriction closing the bolt and with the brass FL sized on a small base die, it falling out as it did, and the mysterious piece of metal my only conclusion is that it was caught in a bind on the upstroke. Interestingly enough the safety lever snapped when I cleared everything and function tested it. I'll file this situation away, but to say you couldn't get a greased BB up my *** was an understatement. The muzzle was pointed in a safe direction and extreme caution was taken every step but things happen. I'm just glad no one was injured and the only damage is the cost to have the bolt tig'd. Thank you very much everyone. I value all the knowledge and insight this forum has to offer. Take care!

Did the bolt handle come off just under normal hand pressure? Glad you got issue resolved.

 

[J E Custom]

FWIW every Smith I know hates the barrel nut method and refuse to dick with them and I called a few and they will never let me live this one down.

Doesn't matter what a smith thinks about the barrel nut, It's what you think because it's your's !

I am one of those that don't like the barrel nut for many reasons discussed in past postings, and If I build any rifle, It will not have one. But the choice is the owners not mine.

This method seems to be catching on because many don't want to use a smith. It even has a name. (Remage) I probably wont be the first, But I jokingly named any build that removes the barrel nut a (Savington). What seems like a simple process/procedure can present many other problems that the novice cant understand and can have problems with.

I realize that smiths can be expensive, But many forget that you are also buying many years of experience and that can be more valuable than the original cost. Many smiths will simply turn down work If the think it is not safe or easy for the novice to tamper with after the work is done. It doesn't mean that they cant do it, just that they don't believe that It is the best way for the customer's needs and they would rather not.

Sorry about the trouble you had but it looks like you got through it safely and that's what counts.

J E CUSTOM



Just as important as picking the right smith, the smith has to pick the right/best client to end up with a quality outcome.

 

[Will Gray]

Of course smiths hate barrel nuts: no lathe work to install a barrel, lost revenue to the smith.

 

[adam32]

Of course smiths hate barrel nuts: no lathe work to install a barrel, lost revenue to the smith.

EXACTLY!!!

$180 to get a barrel blank turned into a Remage, and it'll shoot as well or better than any shouldered barrel. And at least with a barrel nut when someone gets tired of that chambering they can swap it out themselves in about 20 minutes.

 

[adam32]

I realize that smiths can be expensive, But many forget that you are also buying many years of experience and that can be more valuable than the original cost.

Maybe...or could be buying a smith that has many hours of YouTube video experience...

 

[J E Custom]

Maybe...or could be buying a smith that has many hours of YouTube video experience...

That's not a smith !!!. Just because he calls himself a smith, doesn't mean he is. check out some of his work, and talk to people who have used him and then make your decision.
Its the customers responsibility to check out who he uses. Both need to get to know each other.
When this happens, It is normally a very good experience and many good friendships are made.

A lot of discussion should take place before any build should start or be agreed on.

J E CUSTOM