Gunsmithing Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

[GAZ32]

I asked this question on ARFCOM, but apparently it's a dog and pony show 90% of the time, so I figured one of you guys could enlighten me.

I just received my bolt back from being fluted by Karl at Campfeld and was enjoying a nice range session.

I was trying to complete my load data until I was firing a group of loads and got a sticky bolt.

My first thought was overpressure, however the load wasn't real hot (43.5 grains IMR 4064, BR2 primer, and 2.800 COAL).

It was my last reload so I decided to shoot a group of BH 168's. Sticky bolt again. I mean really sticky.

I used my boot and tapped it out, then stripped the bolt. My firing pin spring makes an ever so slightly S wave all the way down. The inside of the bolt body is clean. The bolt was cleaned then re-greased before installation into the rifle.

When I took it home, I started to dry fire it. The lift gradually got tighter until I had to use my boot again.

At this point, I have no idea, and Remington says they've never heard of it. The rifle (AAC-SD) has exactly 240 rounds on it, and not very old.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[colchester]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Did you lube the thread on the bolt shroud?

 

[operator1]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Check to see if the cocking piece / cocking ramp are galled. Try polishing both and add some lube. Good luck.

 

[GAZ32]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Everything appears to be sat.

When I went out on the range, I shot a total of 36 rounds until it got sticky. When dry firing, The bolt works fine for about 40 cycles, then it starts getting sticky.

I'll polish both the cocking ramp and piece tonight and see if that makes any difference.

The only thing I can think of is the mainspring somehow getting bound up in the body after so many cycles.

Does anyone use the PTG, Tubb, or Callahan firing pin assemblies? I wonder if that would make a difference, I'd just rather not spend money on something that should work just fine.

 

[colchester]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

How is it sticky, when you lift the bolt handle or when you try to move the bolt handle rearward?

 

[GAZ32]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 73 fastback</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How is it sticky, when you lift the bolt handle or when you try to move the bolt handle rearward? </div></div>

Just the lifting after it's been fired.

 

[pwc001]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Can you post some pictures?

 

[LSandBinc]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Try grease on the bolt lugs.

 

[GAZ32]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

put some tetra grease on the back of the lugs and manipulated it about a hundred times yesterday.

I may call a few custom builders tomorrow and see if they have any input on it.

I snapped some pictures, however they're with an iphone, so quality isn't top notch.

 

[LSandBinc]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Just a thought, how bout the pin that holds the cocking piece on the firing pin.

 

[GAZ32]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ARShuter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just a thought, how bout the pin that holds the cocking piece on the firing pin. </div></div>

Pulled the cocking piece out and it looks normal to me.

 

[LRI]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

If I were a betting man id say its not your spring.

You likely have an issue between the cocking piece and the ramp on the bolt.

If you can:

Get a piece of mild steel that will just slip into the back of the bolt where the shroud goes. Drill a 1/8 hole about an inch back from one end. Press in a dowle pin. Shove it up the back of the bolt and with heavy force load it on the ramp across the entire length all the way to the detent.

What your doing is burnishing/work hardening the ramp. It'll slicken it right up if you do it right. Then polish on a soft felt wheel with rouge. Do the same on the cocking piece and the two will slicken right up. Lap your shroud threads.

Clean with mineral spirits, blow it out, lube, and assemble.

If its a cocking ramp issue this will solve it. If its not all you did is make your bolt run that much better.

Good luck

C.

 

[GAZ32]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I were a betting man id say its not your spring.

You likely have an issue between the cocking piece and the ramp on the bolt.

If you can:

Get a piece of mild steel that will just slip into the back of the bolt where the shroud goes. Drill a 1/8 hole about an inch back from one end. Press in a dowle pin. Shove it up the back of the bolt and with heavy force load it on the ramp across the entire length all the way to the detent.

What your doing is burnishing/work hardening the ramp. It'll slicken it right up if you do it right. Then polish on a soft felt wheel with rouge. Do the same on the cocking piece and the two will slicken right up. Lap your shroud threads.

Clean with mineral spirits, blow it out, lube, and assemble.

If its a cocking ramp issue this will solve it. If its not all you did is make your bolt run that much better.

Good luck

C. </div></div>

Thanks Chad, I know what you're wanting me to do, however I'm not quite tracking with how you want me to do it.

Short of a mill, I can do about anything.

 

[stockdoc]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

Take the striker out of the bolt again and look at the end of the spring nearest the firing pin tip. The end of the spring is twisting as you cam the bolt and the very tip rotates out and grabs the inside of the bolt body which has some tooling marks. The remedy is to disassemble the cocking piece/firing pin/spring and grind the very tip of the spring so it doesn't have a sharp edge to catch on the inside of the bolt.

As you rotate the bolt this edge goes around and grabs the spot giving you sticky bolt. But after awhile it rotates around so it's ok for awhile, then it comes back

I've had several customers with this intermittent, weird issue and this cured them all. Hope this helps

 

[GAZ32]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

I did the above, no issues so far with just dry firing it.

I'll get to the range this weekend to know for sure.

 

[boudin]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

I'd like to hear how this turns out for ya. I had a similar problem a while back where my bolt would get stiff while dry firing and occasionally would totally lock up. When Gradous and I took the bolt apart, we found a burr that had formed on the back of the bolt body in between it and the shroud. He smoothed it out and the problem hasn't ever totally resurfaced but there are times where the lift gets pretty stiff, even when properly lubed.

 

[Ratbert]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I were a betting man id say its not your spring.

You likely have an issue between the cocking piece and the ramp on the bolt.

If you can:

Get a piece of mild steel that will just slip into the back of the bolt where the shroud goes. Drill a 1/8 hole about an inch back from one end. Press in a dowle pin. Shove it up the back of the bolt and with heavy force load it on the ramp across the entire length all the way to the detent.

What your doing is burnishing/work hardening the ramp. It'll slicken it right up if you do it right. Then polish on a soft felt wheel with rouge. Do the same on the cocking piece and the two will slicken right up. Lap your shroud threads.

Clean with mineral spirits, blow it out, lube, and assemble.

If its a cocking ramp issue this will solve it. If its not all you did is make your bolt run that much better.

Good luck

C.</div></div>

How soft or hard should the dowel pin be?

 

[Dans40X]

Re: Rem 700 bolt lift stickiness

A Dowel Pin was mentioned not a Roll Pin!!

There are other ways to solve the issue.