The lever is difficult to close whether rifle is empty or if chambering rounds and ejecting them. In fact, since I posted, I removed the rear stock and and took a look at things. The back of the bolt is dragging so hard that the back of the receiver had actually cut the bolt rolling up a slight amount of material and cutting a horizontal groove where the bolt stops in full battery.
I took some 600grit paper and pollished the back of the bolt trying not to remove material but to pollish the surface only since it would appear that this would also affect on headspace. This seems to have helped but is not a cure since I doubt I have yet fixed the cause of the cutting of the back of the bolt.
Thanks for your help,
Goat
