# Need Help



## snooker1 (Nov 8, 2015)

I need some help. I recently purchased a Remington 700 SPS 300 Win Mag. I have shot it three times now and each time after the second or third shot the bolt will not extract the spent casing without tapping on the bolt with a rubber mallet. I am shooting a 180 grain Hornady SST bullet.  The last time I shot I changed to a 150 grain bullet and was able to get the spent casing out (sticks less) but it is not as smooth as it should be. Any thought on what is going on here. I did try three different boxes of 180 grain SST rounds and they all did the same thing.


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## jglenn (Nov 8, 2015)

1st thought is to REALLY clean the chamber well with a brass chamber brush and a good solvent.. even old Hoppes #9 will get it done.

1st question,  is the bolt handle easy to raise and then it become hard to extract or are you having to beat on the bolt handle to raise it?


Also it the bolt easy to close and open with no shell??


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## snooker1 (Nov 8, 2015)

Already cleaned the CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored out of it. The bolt rises fine, it just will not pull back after the shot. When it is empty it is a little sticky working through the action.


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## Elkbane (Nov 10, 2015)

Hate to tell you this, but that's a primary extraction issue. There is a cam on the bolt which separates the case from the chamber wall on lifting the bolt. Remingtons are notorious for not having the bolt handle affixed to the bolt body in a position where the cam can do  it's work properly. Most likely the bolt handle will have to be relocated to where the cam surface does it's work........
Elkbane


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## rayjay (Nov 11, 2015)

Elkbane said:


> Hate to tell you this, but that's a primary extraction issue. There is a cam on the bolt which separates the case from the chamber wall on lifting the bolt. Remingtons are notorious for not having the bolt handle affixed to the bolt body in a position where the cam can do  it's work properly. Most likely the bolt handle will have to be relocated to where the cam surface does it's work........
> Elkbane



E nailed it most likely. The distance from the root of the bolt handle to the back edge of the rear receiver ring should be .005 to .010" iirc measured with the bolt closed. 

If you look at the rear edge of the rear rec ring and follow it upwards you will see an angled surface right at the top. There is a matching angled surface on the bolt handle root. These are the primary extraction camming surfaces. 

As you open the bolt these surfaces give the cartridge case a rearward kick that frees it. The cartridge case practically always is stuck in in the chamber to some degree. The primary extraction surfaces cam the bolt rearward freeing the case through the leverage of the bolt handle right at the end of the travel.

If the bolt handle is too far rearward the camming surfaces will not come into sufficient contact to pull the case out.

If this is your problem I would send the bolt to Dans40X in Alaska. He does an amazing job of tig welding the handle on and has a jig to properly locate the handle. 

You would also have the option of changing the bolt handle to an aftermarket version. Your stock cutout may require opening up if you do this.


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## snooker1 (Nov 11, 2015)

I shot it today after work. 8 rounds Hornady 150 gr ammo. The spent round extracted, but it was not smooth. Then I shot one Hornady 180 gr SST and it got stuck again. I had to tap the bolt for it to extract the round. The bolt moved to the unlocked position with no problem it just would not pull back. Does this sound consistent with what you are thinking the issues is.


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## deadend (Nov 11, 2015)

How rough is the brass?  Is it sticking to the chamber walls due to poor finish?


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## snooker1 (Nov 11, 2015)

In one spot it has groves at the base of the casing after it is been extracted.


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## Elkbane (Nov 12, 2015)

smason - answer to your last question is YES. In fact, it's about a textbook example of failed primary extraction.

Rayjay described the mechanics of it for you well (good job RJ). If the mating cam surfaces don't make contact, lifting the bolt handle doesn't separate the case from the chamber walls and create primary extraction, it just rotates the bolt head so that the bolt can open. Normally, lifting the bolt handle does two things; 1) primary extraction of the case, and 2) rotate the bolt head so that the head can clear the lug recesses (so that it is in a position to slide rearward).  Yours, as currently configures, is just doing the second.  I bet if you look at the extractor groove on one of your cases, there will be a shiny spot to indicate where the extractor bit with the extractor under pressure as the bolt rotated while the case was tight to the chamber.....just a guess.

You are having to beat the bolt rearward to get the case unstuck from the chamber walls, which should NEVER happen. It should be loose from the chamber after lifting the bolt.
Elkbane


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## rayjay (Nov 12, 2015)

If he keeps beating on the bolt handle he will have an involuntary opportunity to have this issue fixed.


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## rayjay (Nov 12, 2015)

You can see in my pic that the original bolt that was in that receiver also had only a small amount of contact at the primary extraction surfaces. You can see the shiny contact point just at the end of the surface on the rec ring. 

The new bolt and handle contacted that surface much sooner.


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## Elkbane (Nov 12, 2015)

smason, read this....

https://books.google.com/books?id=D...=primary extraction of cartridge case&f=false

Elkbane


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## snooker1 (Nov 12, 2015)

Update. I demonstrated the issues I have been have to a local "gunsmith". After watching what happened after the second shot and the bolt not extracting the round he told me the proper fix was to take 600 grit sandpaper, put it on a boar brush and use an drill to clean up the chamber so the casing would extract easer. Has anyone ever heard of this, and no I am not going to do it. And thank you to everyone who took the time to help me out and answer my questions.


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## Elkbane (Nov 13, 2015)

Rough chamber is a possible cause of poor primary extraction, but I'm guessing not in your case.  You can diagnose this yourself. Close the bolt on an empty chamber. Point in a safe direction and pull the trigger.

Lay the action on it's side with the bolt facing upward. Slowly raise the bolt while watching space between the rear bolt baffle and the action. If the bolt doesn't move rearward upon opening, then the cam surfaces aren't contacting each other. It should move rearward when the bolt is lifted.

Another way to check is to take the bolt out and find the camming surfaces on the bolt and action. See any wear marks?  Degrease these with brake cleaner and mark them with a sharpie. Insert the bolt and close, fire, retract several times. Take out bolt and look at them again. If there is contact, that will show you where and how much.

If you do the first approach, I'd use steel wool before I started in with 600 grit. I've seen how fast 600 grit valve grinding compound removes metal while lapping scope rings - it can get away from you....
Elkbane


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