223 Build Question.

[trhodes]

I just had a stock Remington 700 re-built by a local shop and have a question for you guys that have had a lot of work done on your rifles...I have not this is my first stab at having one other than factory stock action.

They put a Shilen heavy varmint barrel on -1:8; trued the action (blueprint), and did a Ceracoat. Today I shot it for the first time and the extractor was not pulling spent cases out consistently. About 50% of the time the case would stay in the receiver action where I could pick it up, other times I'd have to tip the muzzle up and cycle the bolt to get the case out. It left small nicks on the brass, too. This is good brass - Lapua, not new but good shape. The work wasn't cheap (by my standards, about $1,100).

My questions are; Is this typical in re-worked build? Does it indicate I better look for another shop?

I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what they say, but my confidence in their abilities took a nose dive today.

Thanks for any advice input. Like I said - I'm new to having this kind of work done so I'm not sure what I should expect.

 

[Outrider27]

That is not typical of a re-worked build. By all means contact the shop and give them the opportunity to make it right; if that doesn't work out, look for another shop and smith.

 

[Phil]

That is not typical of a re-worked build. By all means contact the shop and give them the opportunity to make it right; if that doesn't work out, look for another shop and smith.

^^^^^ THIS!!!!!!!!!

 

[Quickoz]

Sounds like the ejector spring is weak or jammed. Maybe spray some ballistol inside the bolt body and at the bolt face and cycle the action a dozen or so times. May free it up.

 

[trhodes]

Thanks for the responses. It's good to be able to ask these questions and get straight information from more experienced people.

By the way, the gun shot pretty well. I had some 1" groups at 200 yards. I just used some loads I had on hand, so no real tuning of the load for this new set up. So I 'm looking forward to making this a real shooter.

Thanks again, all.

 

[memo43]

You mentioned ed cerecoat was the bolt face treated as well. If so it may have built up in the bolt face and not allowing the bolt face to fully make contact with the cases.

 

[trhodes]

You mentioned ed cerecoat was the bolt face treated as well. If so it may have built up in the bolt face and not allowing the bolt face to fully make contact with the cases.

No, the bolt had some nice jeweling so I wanted to keep that. Only the receiver and barrel got the Cerakote.

I took it back and they said the extractor was worn ( though it never malfunctioned before the rebuild). It cost me $16 for extractor and should work now.

 

[AckleymanII]

"Not new Lapua brass"

Ok, did you full length size the brass to fit your new gun?

 

[fredhorace77]

Any chance this could be a timing issue? Or would a timing issue behave differently?

 

[amlevin]

Any chance this could be a timing issue? Or would a timing issue behave differently?

"Trimming" wouldn't be an issue unless the brass was WAY over length.

The extractor issue as described by another is the problem possibly coupled with a weak or shortened ejector spring. Some custom rifle builders cut the ejector spring down a lot because their customers, that are often competitors, don't want the brass to be tossed off the bench.

 

[Ackman]

Any chance this could be a timing issue? Or would a timing issue behave differently?

"Trimming" wouldn't be an issue unless the brass was WAY over length.

The extractor issue as described by another is the problem possibly coupled with a weak or shortened ejector spring. Some custom rifle builders cut the ejector spring down a lot because their customers, that are often competitors, don't want the brass to be tossed off the bench.

He said "timing", not "trimming." And the ejector spring won't cause an extractor to not pull the case out of a chamber.

 

[Ackman]

I just had a stock Remington 700 re-built by a local shop and have a question for you guys that have had a lot of work done on your rifles...I have not this is my first stab at having one other than factory stock action.

They put a Shilen heavy varmint barrel on -1:8; trued the action (blueprint), and did a Ceracoat. Today I shot it for the first time and the extractor was not pulling spent cases out consistently. About 50% of the time the case would stay in the receiver action where I could pick it up, other times I'd have to tip the muzzle up and cycle the bolt to get the case out. It left small nicks on the brass, too. This is good brass - Lapua, not new but good shape. The work wasn't cheap (by my standards, about $1,100).

My questions are; Is this typical in re-worked build? Does it indicate I better look for another shop?

I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what they say, but my confidence in their abilities took a nose dive today.

Thanks for any advice input. Like I said - I'm new to having this kind of work done so I'm not sure what I should expect.

This may be way off what's going on with your gun. But 15 or 20yrs ago I sold a really nice Rem. 223 custom to some guy back east. Well, he wanted to return it, claimed it didn't work right and wouldn't extract a fired case. There was nothing wrong with the gun but I told him send it back and I'd pay back his money. I immediately saw it had the wrong bolt. This idiot had mistakenly put a swift bolt into that .223 and panicked because it wouldn't extract. He was a dope. We got the bolt thing resolved, he got his money, and I was happy to get the gun back. Went out and shot some 1/4" groups with it. So....is there a possibility the bolt you got back is the wrong one for your gun?

 

[amlevin]

Any chance this could be a timing issue? Or would a timing issue behave differently?

"Trimming" wouldn't be an issue unless the brass was WAY over length.

The extractor issue as described by another is the problem possibly coupled with a weak or shortened ejector spring. Some custom rifle builders cut the ejector spring down a lot because their customers, that are often competitors, don't want the brass to be tossed off the bench.

He said "timing", not "trimming." And the ejector spring won't cause an extractor to not pull the case out of a chamber.

Thanks. My mind added an "r" and I was thinking that the casing wasn't being ejected out the port, just lying on top of the magazine follower.

 

[trhodes]

The extractor replacement did fix the problem. It shoots 1/2 moa at 200yds. The load I'm using is 21.7gr of Benchmark pushing a Nosler 77gr comp hp. I'm seating .015" off the lands.

I haven't done any load development and using this one just to get rounds out and get familar with it.

I always do FL sizing on fired brass.

 

[amlevin]

So....is there a possibility the bolt you got back is the wrong one for your gun?

A good reason why one should "etch" or "engrave" the last four of the rifle's serial number on the bolt with an "electro etch pencil" or a small bit in a dremel. Just find a place where the number is out of sight when the bolt is closed.

Remington, and I'm sure others, do this from the factory but when replacing the bolt with a new one from PTG, it's up to the shop or owner to do this themselves. Makes it a lot easier to make sure all the parts and pieces match up after a reassembly.