Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing bolt won't come out

The bolt won't come out on the Pierce titanium action. Normally after sizing the cases I run them through the action before I load them. While ago I was running the sized cases into the action. I noticed the bolt would not go in on one so I pulled the bolt back and tipped the rifle up. The case slid out. I shoved the bolt closed and it then pulled the case out. The next one went in fine. The next one would not go in again so I tipped the rifle up and the case slid out like before. The bolt lifted just fine after closing it on the sized case, but I could not lift the bolt a full 90 degrees so the bolt could be opened.

Anyone have an idea what to do?

Learn how to size your brass better???? Hint..

bsa1917hunter,



You didn't notice the part where I mentioned pointing the rifle up and the sized case fell out? All were fitting just fine up to the one I mentioned the bolt would not go in so I tipped the rifle up and the sized case came out by gravity.

If you don't have a valuable suggestion, why not not post?

Sounds to me like the case is too long, but not too big around. Or else there is a problem with the extractor going over the rim. Hard to say without being there. miles

What are the chances that the bolt head diameter is on the small side and the case head is not moving freely and affecting the function? Basically the case head not going all the way to the bolt face and then affecting head space? Or case heads being on the large side with the batch of brass you are using, causing the same as above mentioned.

I am not sure how this particular action works, but if the brass were all sized and trimmed in the same way and falling out of the chamber when tipped upwards, I would have a look at the bolt or case head diam.

Guess that does not really help with the stuck bolt though.

Pieter

Does the stuck bolt rotate, or is it just locked in place and will not move at all? More info will help. miles

Sounds like a piece of brass is jammed inside. Clean chamber real good including with a patch over a mop spun tightly to snag leftover bits of gunk, junk, etc.

I'll probably see John Sunday, tell him you f#cked up one of his actions...

Are these empty cases or loaded cases you are running into the action ? If loaded you may have a bullet cramped into the rifling.

Let's see, I can't close the bolt on a size case. I tip the gun up and the case falls out of the chamber so I slam the bolt closed on that same piece of brass. What could possibly go wrong???

Bet he greases the lugs next time...

Might get some better feedback if one elaborates on the specifics. Caliber/cartridge, new/old brass, measurements, etc.

milespatton,

I haven't trimmed the brass yet, so you may be correct.

agazain,

Did that before I started working on the brass.

AJ300MAG

I talked to Jim at Pierce while ago. He doesn't know what could be wrong. He said maybe the cocking piece is broken or the extractor didn't get over the rim.

bea175,

These are resized brass I was checking before I load them.

1minute,

This is a Pierce titanium action, MPI stock with a Weatherby cheek piece, Timney trigger, Christiansen carbon wrapped 26" barrel. The caliber is 6.5 on a 7RUM case with the shoulder pushed back about .100". I fired this rifle 58 times with nary a problem.

I have a Sako AIII action that did something similar. The smith had to remove lthe barrel to get the action into a position to put the ring circling the bolt that hold the spring extractor back onto place on the ring. Understand? The ring had come off of the keeper on the spring extractor. There was an internet series about this at one time and I found it and told the smith about it. I had tried everything including a wooden hammer to try to pound the bolt open Once the barrel was off he could get a tool into the action and slide the extractor back onto the ring holding the extractor into place on the bolt. Perhaps this is your problem.

Rolly,

Thanks. Of all times for the gunsmith to be too busy to take calls! I left a recording of the problem. I sure hope he calls tomorrow.

I'm just an rank amateur, certainly no 'smith but it reminds me of a past experience with a suddenly broken extractor in a Rem 700. I don't know what kind of extractor a Pierce action has but it occurred that a broken extractor would explain or could explain MOST of it. For example not being able to chamber sized brass because it was broken and/or a piece of it was in the bolt face.

You could have gotten lucky on the two cases that somehow were chambered, then "caught" or extracted and unlucky when the broken extractor or a piece of it got into the lug recess and bound it up.

R, that'll be $.02..but it's on the house.

Good luck. Looking forward to hearing the answer.

John uses either Sako or M-16 extractors in his bolts.

I've seen more than one remington extractor shave brass on a .300 Ultramag. The brass gets behind the extractor and eventually won't allow the extractor to snap into the groove on the brass. People will force the bolt closed which jams the bolt. They beat the bolt open which rips the extractor out of the bolt face.

Running higher than normal pressures accelerates the problem.

I've read that but I kept my bolt face clean. It was a 338 WM and at the shot and then failure to extract, I removed the bolt and the extractor lay in pieces in the groove. Of course a piece could have pulled out of the groove and gotten into the lug recess on working the bolt amd seized the bolt.

Anyhow that's as far as my speculations can go.

No one at the 'fire runs "higher than normal pressures". The guys at Long Range Hunting do that sort of thing.

Next time you talk to John ask him how long the Lapua brass that he loads with 215gr Bergers lasts...

So is your bolt stuck in the gun right now with a re-sized but unloaded piece of brass??