This all relates to the rifle that was involved in this incident a few months ago:
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...-some-bad-r-p-6mm-rem-ammo-#Post14297300I think the incident was due to old ammo improperly stored. Had I known the full story from the beginning I would never have originated that thread, but the guys who were asking questions weren't forthcoming with the facts.
Anyway, the owner of the rifle tried some different ammo per my recommendation. This would be the very first time the rifle has been fired since the primer disintegration incident. He asked me to check out his rifle because he's experiencing hard bolt lift and he's afraid that the rifle has been damaged.
I have the rifle. I looked at the bore and chamber and took the bolt apart to see if there was any debris from the shattered primer cups in there. I found nothing, and the riveted extractor moves very freely. The ejector plunger is not binding and resistance to movement seems about right. I lubed the threads and lugs of the bolt and put the bolt back in the rifle.
In his rifle case I found the box of ammo he was shooting, it is Federal Premium Vital Shock 6mm Rem 100 grain Partition catalog number P6C. The price tag on the box is 34.99, so it's not REALLY old ammo, but it is in the red and black box. Lot number appears to be Q5 X736.
I found that an unfired cartridge chambers readily and the bolt closes with ease. There are four fired cases in the box and I found that it takes unusual effort to close the bolt on them, and it just does not seem right to me. I have two 788s of my own, one in .222 and another in .223, and I have not noticed this happening. I had another 788 in 6mm briefly myself and shot handloads in it, and I don't recall it behaving this way either.
So, is this indicative of an issue with the rifle, or is it indicative of soft brass (which I think Federal has been noted for in the past). I'd sure appreciate some educated input here before I tell my friend what I think. The guy has the attention span of a jackrabbit and can be difficult to communicate with, so I'd like to be able to give him a definitive answer if possible. Thanks in advance.
