Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Rem700 stuck bolt

Need some advice guys. I have a new-to-me 700. I took the bolt out, took the barreled action out of the stock, reassembled, inserted the bolt, and would only close halfway. Now I can neither open it or close it and there is only a minor amount of play either direction.

Something in the lug recess maybe?

How do you fix?

The bolt in front of the floor plate is tightened to much.

I took it back out of the stock, same stuck situation. Put it back in and just lightly tightened the screws. Still same situation.

Check to see if your action screws are too long. Are the scope base screws installed? If so, are they too long? Is the firing pin in the correct position to insert the bolt?

I had taken the bolt out and reinserted previously, and then dry fired. Everything was normal. There are scope bases installed.

Then removed the bolt and barred action as described above and couldn’t fully close the bolt.

Did you tighten the scope base screws? If so back them out. If that doesn’t take care of your issue. Remove the trigger assembly.

I bought a 700 adl that was absolutely filthy. The bolt came out but the bolt release on the trigger group was so gummed up that it would not go back down. Lots of cleaning later, everything works fine. Worth checking; good luck.

Try putting the bolt in with the trigger pulled back and see what happens. -Al

could the bolt striker have turned (uncocked) .

Is it an older model where the safety locks the bolt? If so, make sure the safety is in the “fire” position and try it.

The bolt is in, but the lugs are not fully seated, maybe only halfway. I can neither fully lock them down nor lift them back. There is only a little play.

Since I had previously removed it, re-inserted, dry-fired, and removed again, I didn’t think a long scope base screw would be causing an issue. But thought I’d remove the scope bases to verify. Rear base with 2 torx screws came off fine. Front base has 1 torx in the rear that came off fine. Front screw in the front base has a stripped hex head screw. So my attention has now turned to backing out a rounded out hex head screw.

Good times. (If you pray to develop patience you might get opportunities to practice patience)

Remove the trigger and see what happens.

It is on older model. The safety was in the fire position when I inserted the bolt and got it stuck. Then as I was trying different things to get it unstuck I had moved it to safe. Now can’t move the safety. Next step will be to remove the trigger as suggested above.

Just the other day a guy brought me a project or removing a rounded hex socket head screw...I tapped in a slightly oversize torx...bingo out she came. I'd approach the tapping in part pretty carefully...it's be easy to bust the hex head...that would be a pain.

Bolt de-cocked?

I’ll try that. It also crossed my mind to use a drop of epoxy and glue in a sacrificial hex bit, or one of those cheapo angled hex wrenches that come with scope rings/bases. I have as many of those as I have ketchup and Chinese mustard packets in my junk drawer. Never know when you might need stuff like that.

Removing the trigger cured the problem.

I very seldom remove the trigger from action. I boil a pot of water and stick the action in the water and boil everything out, I even do it with the bolt. After about 15 to 20 mins take out and as hot as they are they dry in about 20 sec. I give them a little shot of break- free and your ready to go.

Its amazing how much stuck comes out of trigger and bolt.