The "fluke" had nothing to do with the mechanics of the bolt or the firing pin.
The rifle came with a set of Talleys which had been ground to achieve x low status. They fit fine, and I was able to mount a Leupold w/ a 40mm objective lens.
Apparently the base mounting screws had not been ground sufficiently and were hanging up or placing drag somewhere in the firing mechanism. The hangup was not visible, I could not feel it with my finger, nor did it mar the bolt.
I read a piece in the classifieds about the Xl's and unaltered screws, removed mine, tried firing my gun with an empty, primed shell, and it worked.
I mounted a fresh set of Talley lw's, dropped in a scope, and haven't looked back.
Bob
