Heavy/sticky bolt

[icepick]

I had posted on a few site for advice / info on possible causes for a heavy,hard to lift ) bolt.
I tried different powders/ lighter loads, thought i was a pressure issue.
After talking to Redding we came to an idea.
Possible press problem.
I switched from a Lee progressive to a Rockchucker and now when i'm working the brass I actually get the ability to bump the shoulder like I tried to do and it now works.

I'm back up to 30.1 gr. of Varget, have NO pressure issues and the bolt works smoothly again.

Cheap press cause a lot of hair pulling, laff.


Mike.

 

[Tim_in_TN]

For future reference if the bolt is sticky on opening at the top, it is the base not sized enough, when it is hard to lift all the way through it is long headspace.

 

[criver600]

Is your action a Remington that has been "blueprinted"?

 

[2506]

Those springy Lee progressive presses very well could be your problem. That turret will move up and down about 1/8th of an inch or so. That solid Rock Chucker will not spring. Like others have said the spring in the Lee Press was not allowing you to size the base of your case enough.

 

[mwood]

I have a rock chucker, but even with that I had similar problems
to the point of being dangerous,jammed bolt on a live round).
The root cause for me was a minimum spec chamber,Cooper).
When the brass grew I had real problems with re-loads.
I was using a reading full length die, and I still had to have it modified by taking off a few thousanths off the base. Then I used some Redding shell holders to get my final adjustment. They make a set of five,5) "thicker" shell holders to adjust the final "sholder bump". You can also use shim stock for the adjustment using the lock nut on the press, but the shell holders are a bit more positive. You bump the sholder until an empty/ fired shell can be chambered with no bolt lift. If it requires too much bump,more than 4-5 thou) than you better get a gunsmith to measure the headspace of your chamber.

Also....make sure the normal shell holder is in spec...if it is too thick, it may not allow a proper sholder bump.

 

[falconpilot]

I had the same problem...I had a barrel chamber by a well know gunsmith, and he used his reamer...I had problems from day one..Even resizing with a Small body die didn't solve the problems. The chamber was just cut to small. I bought a new Dasher reamer from Dave Kiff, had another smith set the barel back and rechamber it...Runs flawless now...

Moral of the story....ALWAYS chamber with your reamer, one that you know works....

 

[fdshuster]

falconpilot: Have to agree with you. Why spend $300 for a quality barrel and $150/ $200 to have it chambered with a reamer, the specs of which you do not have a choice. I spec out a reamer to my dimensions,, tight, no-turn neck, chamber length .010" longer than max case length & throat with a "dummy round"), and the 'smith uses that new reamer on my chamber, not a reamer of unknown quality. Retired Gulfstream/JetStar, Falcon 20, etc.pilot.

 

[Travelor]

Have you considered that the bolt may be "out of time"? My wife's 6mmBR was having the same problem. Had a new bolt handle installed that was properly timed and problem went away.

BTW, I had Dan, http://www.accu-tig.com/ ) do the work. Great service and really nice fellow.

George