NEED HELP!!! 700 Bolt Broke Off w/ Live Round (308)
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LoneTraveler
Well-Known Member
What has caught my mind. Is the small piece of metal that came out with the stuck case. Did you check the previous fired cases for a firing pin rupture in the primer?
Had a similar problem with an old Rem. 722. The firing pin was weak and was backing the firing pin into the bolt and had those little metal pieces loose in the action. Smoke came out once in a while too. A new firing pin spring cured the problem.
Just something to check for the original cause that started the whole Problem.
Had a similar problem with an old Rem. 722. The firing pin was weak and was backing the firing pin into the bolt and had those little metal pieces loose in the action. Smoke came out once in a while too. A new firing pin spring cured the problem.
Just something to check for the original cause that started the whole Problem.
It's definitely not part of bolt/bolt assembly. I looked at it with a microscope and the bare metal exposed had a granular structure. I am assuming it was cast/pot metal based on grain structure and what appeared to be anodizing to get the black appearance. It wasn't paint for sure there was no visible indications that there was an interface between raw metal and the black metal like you see when things are painted. Hope my explanation makes sense.
Sounds like one of life's little mysteries!! I had almost the same problem with a 280AI in a Mauser 98. Bolt handle never broke as I was afraid of that happening so I used an old military surplus solid steel cleaning rod on top of the live cartridge but just drove the bullet onto the powder. I filled the barrel up with WD-40 and let it sit for a day. Now remember a barrel with any amount of fluid in it is still an obstruction and could have devastating results! I drained the wd-40 out for a few minutes the next day locked the bolt and fired the gun, the oil did its job and assured me the primer and powder were toast! I unlocked the bolt and got on that steel rod with a 3 pound mallet, I will say that rifle never shot exceptionally well but was a 3/4" er!
Alex Wheeler
Well-Known Member
To touch on a couple points...
The reason thread quality really does not matter to accuracy is because the shoulder points the barrel. A nut is not fixed to the barrel and transfers the "pointing" of the barrel to the threads. This is a step backwards in my opinion. No lost revenue here, because I only do what I feel is best.
So far as the handle coming off, remember, the firing pin will only travel far enough to strike the primer if the bolt is closed most of the way, otherwise the cocking piece will hit the cocking cam in the back of the bolt. If the bolt is closed enough to fire, there will be enough lug engagement.
The reason thread quality really does not matter to accuracy is because the shoulder points the barrel. A nut is not fixed to the barrel and transfers the "pointing" of the barrel to the threads. This is a step backwards in my opinion. No lost revenue here, because I only do what I feel is best.
So far as the handle coming off, remember, the firing pin will only travel far enough to strike the primer if the bolt is closed most of the way, otherwise the cocking piece will hit the cocking cam in the back of the bolt. If the bolt is closed enough to fire, there will be enough lug engagement.
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
That made me laugh, needed that!! How do you think those threads get on those barrels and the chambered get into them, pretty sure its someone on a lathe!!
If it takes a gunsmith a couple hours to perfectly dial in a barrel, fit and chamber it to an exact head space using a piloted high quality reamer for the $3-400 dollars what quality do you think your getting in a prefit that only cost $50-100 more than the blank??
Where do you think the steel comes from for a $180 barrel? Surely isn't US or German cause the companies using that steel are in the $350 range.
Bob Wright
Well-Known Member
Being in aerospace machining and engineering, I'm willing to lay down good money for a barrel and a true rifle builder to put it all together. Since I didn't have to buy a small machine shop, well tooled and decades of knowledge, I'm saving a lot of money.
Very true statement. Many years ago I read an article in Precision Shooting and it was entitled "If I can Do it So Can You." It was an encouraging read, and with no experience, I purchased a lathe. Jumped in head first. And after 30 years I am still spending on tooling, reamers, fixtures, indicators on and on. The total expenditures would probably be staggering. I guess I am about done spending. Well, wait a minute, I have wanted a DRO for a while. And would like another 6 or 7 toolholders.
What about remage or savage prefits using very high quality blanks? Would you consider a bughole, PVA, or Proof to name a few. Any lesser of a barrel? I prefer shouldered barrels. I do believe all things being equal a shouldered barrel it has less constraints to achieve everything being squared and true, but I don't think it's by a great margin. If the action face is square, lug is square, and barrel is concentric it is arguably arriving at the same goal. Now typically when an action is blueprinted the threads are opened up and the tenon area can support more stress. I think most would agree the bighorn actions are quality action and they use the locknut principle so I would disagree that it can't be just as accurate. I've shot quite a few bighorns with prefits and they are as accurate as anything out there. I personally think it's more a matter of preference. A brilliant engineer colleague of mine and highly skilled ELR shooter has shown me the mechanics of why pinning the recoil lug or the WTO switch lug is a poor choice (primarily related to hoop stress). Yet in talking to Clayton and seeing his switchlug in action and some of the big boy ELR cartridges I'm very impressed where I have plans for another WTO and it will have a switchlug. Just one fellas opinion though.
I recommend Greg young@ southern precision rifle's a.k.a. bugholes.com highly he's done the last two barrels on my 338 both are BARTline
Alex Wheeler
Well-Known Member
Without getting into a rabbit hole... To test a component like an action, it has to be isolated. To do that you have to set a base line with a very accurate rifle. A hunting rifle is not a platform to test things like an action or ignition. You need something that will shoot consistent .1s. Not every once in a while .1s. The tough thing about testing is that ignition or action problems usually show up in consistency, those rifles will still shoot good groups, but also shoot fliers occasionally. I think thats why there is so much misinformation out there about what matters and what doesnt.
catamountsierra
Well-Known Member
Any chance that piece of metal could be the end of one of the forward scope base screws? Only thing that comes to mind anywhere close to that part of the gun.
Bob Wright
Well-Known Member
Could be from the base of that front scope ring. Aluminum fractures as the OP described the looks of it. Could also have been a piece of material hitchhiking in that same ring in the screw hole from the factory.
I have bughole barrel it's a shooter. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Clayton's work (owner of WTO). Also, have shot straight jacket prefits for origins and I'm flat out impressed. There are two brothers in my area the Easley Brothers that are local in Lake Jackson, Tx no one has probably ever heard. Tom has gotten up in age and doesn't do work anymore but his younger brother Jerry does and they are amazing gunsmiths. I think they would all agree that the preferred method is a shouldered barrel. I won't argue with any of them. they have forgotten more than I know. What I do know is one of my most accurate rifles is a remage built off a blue printed 700 with a criterion remage 260 match barrel. It's fairly new to me and I had not given a remage a single thought till I saw how good it shot.
