Rem 700 bolt mystery?

[preacherman]

...acquired a used Rem 700 30-06...bolt looks good with nice lug contact etc...there appears to be a "splash of copper" in the groove in the r/h lug (rh rifle)...how does this occur, if in fact it is copper... am presently cleaning this spot with usual solvents i.e. sweets; sc7 etc...pretty tough spot to clean...anyone seen this before... thanks, Larry

 

[älg]

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN EXACTLY. I HAVE A REM 700 AND IF THE MAG. IS LOADED TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY, WHEN CLOSING THE BOLT SOME BRASS IF SHAVED FROM THE CASE ON TOP ....I DO NOT KNOW IT IT IS THE SAME THING.

 

[Fiftydriver]

LarryO,

We need a little better discription of where the copper streak is.

Is it in the lug raceway or actually on the lug itself?

OFten in the Rem 700, if the rifle is loaded with warm handloads or if there is a burr onthe bolt face, when the rifle is used, small pieces of brass are shaved off the case from time to time. These little chips of brass can cause several problem including stuck firing pins, stuck ejectors and if bad enough they will get crushed between the bolt nose and the barrel recess and cause accuracy problems.

This last one is usually not a problem in a factory rifle as the bolt nose recess in the barrel is generally quite loose fitted.

If one of these little brass chips gets into an area that is a wear surface they could produce this brass smear that you are seeing.

Again, let us know exactly where this smear is.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[preacherman]

...smear is in the "raceway"... lugs look good and the raceway is good, except for app 3/16" area with this "copper looking" buildup in the groove... it might be brass but it looks exactly like copper? after soaking a few minutes in "sweets", I can get a little blue on a patch...thanks for your help... Larry

 

[Fiftydriver]

LarryO,

I would bet its nothing more then some brass chips that worked their way into the raceways and then teh working of the bolt rubbed it to make this smear.

If its brass it will be a little harder to get off them copper with sweets but it will still come off with a little scrubbing.

The main areas that cause these little chips of brass are the extractor and the plunger ejector hole. Everytime you clean your rifle be sure to clean the bolt face clear of any small brass chip.

I assure you they can bind up a firing pin pretty tightly if they are the right size and get into the firing pin hole. Never fails to happen at the worst times as well.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[preacherman]

Kirby...thanks for your help...this does seem tougher than copper...any suggestions as to what type of solvents and what kind of "tool" to use in the raceway for scrubbing etc...thanks again, Larry

 

[Fiftydriver]

Get some Butches Bore Shine with a Bronze Phosphorus brush.

IT will make a bronze color smear on the metal but this will wipe off. If the brass has been embedded into the pours of the metal(if this area is not polished up) it will be difficult to get all of it out.

I assume this is a blued rifle, if it is a stainless by chance, get some 000 or 0000 steel wood and youcan probably polish it out again using some BBShine. If it is blued though, the steel wool will remove the bluing quickly if any is there.

A bronze brush is hard to beat. Can take quite a bit of scubbing at time.

Also, try some good high quality penetrating oil applied on the smear and left over night and then scrub the next day. Sometimes really helps to get into and under the brass in the metal pours and break it loose.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[preacherman]

Kirby...thanks alot...was anxious to try some "Butch's" anyway...I will let it soak overnight with Kroil's and then scrub it with the Butch's tomorrow...thanks again, Larry

 

[Fiftydriver]

Should do it for ya,

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Gary Rihn]

Larry-

It's hard without seeing it, but, do you think it could be from the previous owner cleaning/scrubbing that spot with a brush?

I know that I've seen plenty of military weapons parts turned "coppery" by guys cleaning them with the GI issue bore brushes.

They will leave a "stain" behind that is sometimes tough to completely remove.

 

[preacherman]

Gary...thanks for responding...I doubt this rifle was ever cleaned by the previous owner...it appears to have been fired very little, and sat idle for a few years and everything was a little rusty...I am brushing it with a bronze brush and solvents & it's coming clean but was reluctant to brush at first due to removing the bluing from the lug, but looks like no big deal...can touch it up easily...this spot is a "splash" of copper looking, very hard stuff which most seem to think is brass chips (I'm not sure myself)...after firing it was "welded" to that spot...really isn't a big deal ultimately, it's just that the rifle appears to be in excellent "low mileage" shape and I just wanted to get it completely clean... thanks again, Larry

 

[7Rumloader]

I agree with fifty driver I had a model 700 in 7mag that did that and turned out the ejecter had a sharp edge and when you fired it and extracted the case it would shave a little brass from the head. I never had the firing pin stick but the ejecter would stick after a few shots but after 60 or so rounds it went away. I guess the edge wore off. I just kept the bolt face clean and kept shooting. Good luck with!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif