How is the shell ejected after firing?

[rpearson]

My new Ranch/223 will not eject a fired shell. The bolt captures the shell base when it moves into battery, but after the trigger is pulled the bolt retracts and the shell remains held by the three gripping sections on the bolt's face. I have to remove the shell manually and then let the bolt close normally. A major pain! I've looked at diagrams of the rifle, but cannot visualize what the problem is. Can someone explain exactly what is supposed to happen to successfully eject a shell?

 

[pete44ru]

When the bolt is moved to the rear by the operating rod, the ejector tip (located on the bolt face opposite the ejection port) pushes forward on that side of the cartridge rim, thereby leveraging/pivoting the cartridge/brass out of the port as soon as the forward end of the cartridge/brass clears the receiver/chamber edge.

(EDIT) The ejector "push", referred to above, is actually the cartridge hitting it after being pulled rearward from the chamber, after extraction, by the bolt/extractor rearward movement.

IMO, the ejector on your gun need attention.

 

[63November]

The ejector on that rifle is almost fixed. IOW, it can only move up and down, not in and out- (it's used to hold the bolt open after the last shot.) It does not move in and out of a bolt slot as some "standing" ejectors do. I suspect your ejector might be too short in the projection (is it really worn?) or it could be that the bolt face is too large for the cases you are using which might allow them to miss being kicked out. In any case you either need to study what is happeining or have it looked at by the factory or other competant 'smith.

 

[Pinecone]

rpearson, Is this the same rifle you replaced the "bolt stop" on per my instructions? If so, it is "also" the "ejector" on the Mini-14 Ranch Model. You need to take another "look" at your "installation" of that part. Take it back apart and reinstall it again. A "projection" on that part "kicks" out the fired shell as the bolt retracts upon firing. You may have installed it wrong. It would behoove you to procure some "dummy" .223 cartridges from Brownell's if you don't have the facility to make your own. Do "not" try troubleshooting with "LIVE" cartridges!.............................Dick

 

[rpearson]

Pinecone, you're absolutely right. I ran across a mention that Ruger had begun using the bolt stop to eject spent shells and checked out the clearance with old brass. It's obvious that the part of the bolt stop (installed correctly, by the way) that extends out toward the bolt is too short to reach the base of a shell. There is some confusion about this, apparently, because I emailed Brownell's and the reply said that the part they sent me was the correct part number for all Mini 14 Ranches. I'll order the part from Ruger tomorrow and hopefully the new part will fix all my bolt-stop-related problems.

 

[rpearson]

Received the new bolt stop from Ruger and it is obviously a different part than the part I received from Brownell's. The projection that catches the shell base when the bolt retracts is significantly longer and everything works like a champ now. The rifle ejects and the bolt remains open when the final shell is shot. I'm a happy guy now. Thanks to all for your suggestions and advice.

 

[pete44ru]

Happiness is a warm gun. :wink:

 

[tango6]

I realize this topic is over a year old but I was doing some research on my 186 series mini. it is doing the exact same thing as rpearsons. my mini is stock factory un altered. would the bolt stop be the cause of my failures to eject?

 

[Geri]

Sounds like the first one was for the mini 30