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Gunsmithing Need help finding an ejector/spring for a Marlin XS7 (.243) (Out of stock online everywhere.)

awonder

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My sons friend has a marlin XS7 in .243 that has a stuck ejector. I need a replacement ejector/spring or a complete bolt head for that style of rifle.
It is my understanding that it has the same bolt head as the Remington 783.
Any help would be appreciated.
 
Have you tried pressing the ejector in a few times to see if there is debris causing it to stick?
 
It wont budge. The ejector is stuck recessed 1/16" below the bolt face. No rust or debris seen. I've stripped the bolt and have been soaking it in kroil and have been smacking it with a dead blow mallet to try to get it to move in either direction. Last resort will be to put it in a mill and drill it out.
 
Tried any thermal expansion witchcraft with it yet? Leave it in the freezer for a few days and then hit it with a benzo torch. See if you can get it to move some.
 
If there is a genuine possibility of corrosion, try soaking the ejector (using an eyedropper) with CLR (although I personally prefer phosphoric acid; it's milder). Citric acid can work, too. Just beware of one thing, any acid can neutralize/remove Bluing.

Then find a steel punch and lightly tap the ejector in. This should break it loose without doing mayhem to the ejector; it may be retrievable. Also, check for a cross pin in the bolt head that may be retaining the ejector. It will need to be driven out to permit removal.

My experience with ejectors has repeatedly tracked down to a ruined ejector spring, and I also find that many ejectors are retained by a cross pin. Often, removing the cross pin will free things up so the ejector can be extracted. In all such cases, I have also generally found that some sort of pressure excursion has jammed the ejector, destroying the spring, causing the problem in the first place. No need to ask me how I know this. Check your loads for excessive charges.

Don't discount magnets. A Neodymium magnet might extract the ejector once it's loose when other methods have failed.

If the spring is trapped, take a small (tiny?) self tapping screw, remove the head, chuck it in a pin vise, and use the screw to engage and extract the ruined spring.

Once out, clean the extractor with steel wool, and soak it in CLR to remove any seed rust. Once clean, rinse it liberally, then apply a reliable bluing agent; and try reassembly. Lube it well with a grease lube made for guns. You will probably find that you can rescue the ejector, but it's the ejector spring that needs replacement. Don't get excited if you can't find the perfectly correct spring, as ejectors can be tuned by replacing springs.

Just a few ideas that I learned scores of years back when training with IBM as an Electric Typewriter Repairman. If all else fails, and you can get the extractor out, get the dimensions and see if you can make a functioning duplicate. Materials hardness is important here. We were actually fabricating parts for Typewriters which were older than we were, and were out of manufacture for decades. I was in the last class (1968) that dealt with these issues. We were taught to recover the ones we couldn't fix, and cannibalize them. Often, our next raise depended on that ability. The IBM Model 72 Selectric (Golf Ball Typing Element) had just been released.

Greg
 
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Cross pin holding the ejector was removed when I stripped the bolt. Have tried some alternating thermal and kroil soaking. Taking a punch to it without buggering up the hole it sits in may be hard to do.
 
Before you remove the cross pin, you might want to put a bit of duct tape over the bolt face, an out of stock ejector will be impossible to find should it fly free when its retention is removed. Disassembly in a plastic bag also works. I will never find the ejectors that went free in my shop.
 
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Have you tried contacting RemArms to see if they'll sell you the parts?
 
Not yet seeing if anyone here has a spare lying around.
 
My buddy had an issue getting parts for this gun and ended up trashing it. Same caliber. I’ll see if it’s still around.
 
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Did you check with numrich parts in NY? Theyre usually pretty good
 
Is the ejector hole peened over slightly. I’ve seen this before on a savage overpressure. Might be worth checking out.
 
I have a XS7 I can measure and confirm things, and I'm going to suggest a rem700 ejector will probably fit. I'll try it tomorrow and see what's what.

As for removing it... It's got something jamming it. Be it grease-gunk or brass shavings. One it starts moving, you should be good. Personally I have a little old Allen key which I cut most of the end off. I put it into the cross pin hole, and try to lever the back of the ejector pin, like a tiny little crow-bar. If I start to make it budge, even a tiny bit, I'll push it back in with a pin punch, and repeat. It eventually works loose.

Lube (CRC 556 or whatever oil) helps. Penetrene is best I've found.
 
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Pin diameter is 2.5, so a 3/32" drill will work nicely. Rem700 spring cut down won't work. Won't even fit.

Hope this helps
 
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Sorry for getting back to late but he ended up just throwing it away. He had a hell of a time getting parts so just gave up.
 
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