akmtnrunner
Bearcat
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2018
- Messages
- 7
So I just took my new Hawkeye FTW to the range to work up some hunting loads. Immediately after the first fired round (which was a starting load), I rotate the bolt back up to slide out but the bolt stops rotating before the final ~5 degrees of bolt rotation. I have to lower it back, which is more difficult than it should be, and pull up with great force to get it to rotate all the way to be able to then slide out. Most of the 20 rounds are like this. I also tried some older rounds that worked great in a previous rifle with the same type of action with the same result. All loaded rounds chambered perfectly, this problem only happens with fired brass.
There seemed to be no correlation between load pressure and bolt sticking.
I chatted with a range instructor on the way out about it and we came to the idea that since it was mass-produced rifle, there's some metal burrs, roughness, or something unfinished and it should sort itself out after breaking in. But this is not an insignificant problem. Were it not a Ruger, I certainly wouldn't have cranked as hard as I needed to to get the bolt rotated all the way
I know the 'right' answer is to send it back to Ruger, however, I really want to take this rifle on a hunt this weekend and I want to solve this now. I've polished up the trigger and actions on these Rugers so I am equiped to do some light gunsmithing. Does anyone have some ideas to fix this problem myself?
Thanks
There seemed to be no correlation between load pressure and bolt sticking.
I chatted with a range instructor on the way out about it and we came to the idea that since it was mass-produced rifle, there's some metal burrs, roughness, or something unfinished and it should sort itself out after breaking in. But this is not an insignificant problem. Were it not a Ruger, I certainly wouldn't have cranked as hard as I needed to to get the bolt rotated all the way
I know the 'right' answer is to send it back to Ruger, however, I really want to take this rifle on a hunt this weekend and I want to solve this now. I've polished up the trigger and actions on these Rugers so I am equiped to do some light gunsmithing. Does anyone have some ideas to fix this problem myself?
Thanks