Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Bolt will not open on a model 100

One shot from the model 308 and the moose was dead. Removed the magazine and cleared the chamber. The bolt went closed and now it will not open. Has anyone had this problem before?

Stan,You did well getting the moose with one shot, most model 100's are single shot!! i wouldn't own one in my Winchester collection. I have had a few years ago and had a bunch of problems with them,back then i said "NO MORE" !!

I guess I was lucky, bought a mint 65 ,308 100 in 70's had the best trigger Ive ever een on a 100, killed untold whitetails with that gun, gave it to my Dad and he killed several, I just had the recall done last year! I have zeroed others that had pure grunter triggers!!! Ive been lucky with Winchesters and even though Im a pre 64 loon , every red W grip cap Winchester Ive owned have been nice accurate guns! YMMustV . v best winpoor

how long has it been since you closed the bolt? Has the gas system been serviced regularly? When the gunk piles up and the piston is frozen to the cylinder then you have a problem. Goggle Lee Roy Wisner's info on the Winchester model 100 for a cure for a frozen action. Good luck with it, Mel Chung

___________

Many years ago worked on a 100 that had had a 250 Savage fired in it. It was a .243. Damn rifle held together! But the chamber was bulged pretty good just forward of receiver.

Only way we could get it apart was to drop a piece of steel cleaning rod down bore and tap it open. We knew what the bad cartridge was as when we peeled it off bolt face you could read 250 Sav on bolt face! Otherwise it was a fire formed .243.

Ditto on the gas system. Dirty gas piston can really cause issues! sounds like a good cleaning is in order.

Postscript

There was also a firing pin recall on 100's. We were still changing them out occasionally when one would come in for service. Then we'd stamp a small case "x" on bottom of bolt body to show work had been done.

We'd put in order with or purchaser and the new firing pin and pin retainer would show up. I suppose he was still getting them from Winchester or whoever has them now. I'm sure there's already been a post here on the fire about this.

Just a heads up.

All this gun needs is a trip to a REAL gunsmith! As well as being an ex pilot I have an A&P license as well and WAS a fair gunsmith, I swore the last time I took my 100 apart and put a military cleaning on it I would never do it again! Do yourself a favor and visit a real gunsmith! I guess I was lucky, my 100 would shoot with any Browning auto I ever shot and they to me were the very most accurate auto Ive ever fired, back in the 80's my neck of the woods went crazy over BAR's of any and all cals! very best WinPoor
EDIT, The old guy is dead and gone now but I knew a BIG gentleman that carried a true BAR in WWII, he loved that heavy SOB and said it pulled his and his platoon, squad whatever s azz out of many a bad spot! I had the pleasure of zeroing his late 70's early 80's IIRC, 30-06 Browning with a nice 3.5X10 AO Leupold scope, that damn thing shot like a custom bolt gun! I could not believe how accurate it was and we were shooting bulk GA Arms 165gr BT ammo!!!! Back then it was good ammo, we would pick it up at the gun show , Shrine Temple in Albany GA at very reasonable prices, the stuff was killer on Whitetails, head, neck, heart lung or high spine shots and they went down, bang flop like a sack of cattle mineral! This old fellow had not fired a gun from WWII until the late 70's early 80's..... The war had that effect on him, he showed me his 1911, 45, he kept it clean and wrapped up in an oily rag and I want to think the holster for it was heavy duck canvas? VB WinPoor

I never minded working on 100's. I'd rather work on a 100 than those POS 742's. Now an 88 reassemble can be interesting when slave pins arent used!

Great assessment! I think the 100 is great, I have killed a bunch of animals with it. I have disassembled more than one. If you can't get it open, if it don't hav ea live round in the chamber, send it to me.

Jim

Thanks guys sorry for not getting back I haven't been around , been hunting deer in Moosehead Maine. Six of us and no deer. The gun is now at a smiths. Please any more info would be great.

Wait till you take one of your 1895s apart!

Oh Tom , I've worked on several. LOL! Actually don't mind taking em apart either.

M1907's are a real riot too! LOL! But, I really never cared to work on those 1887 shotguns. I never could get the mainspring back in em!!! . Least in one piece!

Haha! I bet you have! When you mentioned slave pin it reminded me of getting the front magazine screw in the '95. Gotta hold your tongue just right too.

I have had a number of 100s.
Gave my son a 100 carbine for dogging & he's shot a pile of deer with it. I still use a 100 occasionally.
Never been most accurate rifles in my opinion but lots good for huntin.
I too know of one locked up, & wonder how a guy would get it open??

Word of caution to the wise. Be careful with the bolt handle . They are a 2 piece design and can separate. I got rid of my 100 after the top half of the bolt handle flew off while shooting. Leaving a jagged bottom half attached to the bolt. After that happened, I decided to chit can the 100 and just use my old pre 64 model 70's... Good luck to you guys still running the 100..

This remark may belong on another thread titled your least favorite rifle, but oh well: When a rifle exhibits signs of weakness like this, due to a design flaw (trust me, the 100 has many) I chit can them. Plain and simple.

^^^^^This^^^^^^

Replaced a broken charging handle/ op assembly for a customer once. We just happened to have one in the 100 parts drawer that worked. Best I remember it was broke bad!!!!

The gun is at the doctors now. I don't know how he's doing but I'm still listening. Thanks again for the info.