Bolt lug problem?

western110 · #1 12-21-2003, 06:01 PM

Hi, I'm not sure which forum to put this in so I'll try this one.

I have a new Rem 700 VLS in a ACIS stock. It has been shooting great (around 300 rounds so far). However, today I've been having trouble opening the bolt. I though perhaps a powder measuring screw up was giving me high pressure but no signs on the brass. I tried some factory ammo and still had the same problem so I took the bolt out and looked at it and one lug is showing little if any wear and the other is all messed up looking. The bad lug is rough and starting to get a grove cut in it. What the heck is going on here? I'd hear the Remington was having some issues with QC but this seems nuts. Can I fix this? Will Remington fix this? I've owned Winchester, Ruger, and a bunch of old army rifles but never a Rem and though the groups are great I've got to say this lug issue is not impressing me. Thanks for any input on this topic.

[ 12-21-2003: Message edited by: Rover ]

baldeagle713 · #2 12-21-2003, 06:46 PM

Take it to your gun smith. He'll know just what action needs to take place. Gulling of the luggs is NOT a good thing.

chris matthews · #3 12-21-2003, 08:12 PM

Baldeagle is right. Your lugs are galling. Might be able to lap it out, but headspace should be checked by a smith. If the galling is bad, it will have to be machined out and the barrel set back to correct headspace.
Take it as a lesson learned- you gotta lube those things!! A little grease will help prevent that in the future.

western110 · #4 12-21-2003, 09:23 PM

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I cleaned up the rifle up tonight and the bolt was stiff even with no shell in the chamber.

I managed to get ahold of a local gunsmith who was recomended to me at the range today. He was home which suprised me. Anyway he talked me threw it and had me put a small amount of fine valve lapping paste on the lugs and work it a bit with a fired shell in the chamber. This seems to have done the trick for now. Both lugs are now showing equal contact and the roughness is gone. I will have to try it out at the range again to be sure. If this fails he tells me he can true the action and barrel for a reasonable cost. I will also have the head space checked before I shoot again but I would say that I didn't remove more than about a thou at most. Thanks again
[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

PS. what sort of grease should I be using and how much? I have never done this to a rifle before. I just lightly oil them normaly.

[ 12-21-2003: Message edited by: Rover ]

[ 12-21-2003: Message edited by: Rover ]

Brent · #5 12-22-2003, 01:22 PM

Rover,
What ever you do, make sure you clean every last drop of that valve grinding compound out of there, it's very aggressive stuff. You may have to work at it for a while to get it all out too.

I know others use specific grease for many reasons, but I've used moly grease for a number of years without fail, just a little on each lug, not too much, but you got to use it. Oil won't do. Mine get regreased about every 100-200 rds.

If you're getting good contact on both lugs, you should be much better off now. And the problem likely will not occur again if you keep them greased. I'd degrease and smoke the boltnose with a candle, rechamber a fired case and make sure you have even contact on both lugs. Grease or lapping compound often shows even contact when it isn't happening yet, smokin it will tell the tale. Keep the trigger depressed as you cycle the bolt once or twice so the bolt stays down at the rear so the top lug will contact if it's really finished. Any lapping should be done with the trigger depressed, or removed.

Labrat,
I have the same chamber problem on my Ultra as your brother. Mine's getting rebarreled to 338, so I've been FL sizing them, the barrel isn't worth fixin in my opinion.

ncharter · #6 12-23-2003, 12:05 AM

If you don't mind me adding my opinion, I would just send the thing back to remington and tell them to make it right. There is no point in involving a third party(gunsmith) to charge you to fix something that should have been right in the first place. I don't know what is happening but my family has used remington for years with no problems. That is until recently. My brother purchased a sendero in 300 ultra last spring that had major issues. They had actually cut the chamber "out of true" so that a fired case would not fit back into the rifle unless it was in the correct orientation. I have no clue how they managed to pull that off. In any case they went above and beyond the call of duty in taking care of it. They paid for the shipping of the rifle back to them and installed a new barrel free of charge. Total turn around time was <30 days. Unfortuneatly, they were not receptive to the idea of a 30" replacement instead of the factory 26". Anyway thanks for letting me put in my $.02.

western110 · #7 12-23-2003, 08:11 PM

I took it out to the range today and the bolts works nice and smooth now and the accuracy seems to be up a touch but I will have to shoot more to say for sure.