Help with Rem 700 bolt "stuck"

Sneakymedic

Sneakymedic

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IMG_20171029_110639580.jpg IMG_20171029_110709450.jpg So, my buddy brings me an older Rem 700 barrel and receiver in .270. It has a lot of rust and the bolt handle is broken off. No stock. The surface rust isn't like its been buried for years in the dirt, maybe it was in a fire, but the stock is missing as well. No history behind the rifle.

Anyways. I load it down with CLP, and tap on the bolt a little bit , and it will move back and forth about a mm with a pair of vice grips on the rear of the bolt near the thumb safety. There is a small wire hanging down out of the side of the trigger group like it had been broken. I removed the trigger group with the two small pins. Trigger wont engage/pull/disengage….whatever.

Now. It seems like there is something binding up the bolt around where the trigger group is. Like I said before..the bolt will wiggle back and forth a little (by this, I mean as how the bolt would travel: North south) and it appears the bolt was broken off in the down position.

Im getting ready to youtube "bolt stuff" and see if I can come across anything. My old 700 Sendero had a little tab in front of the trigger group….I didn't see one on this gun. But the bolt will not ever rotate up enough to allow for release.
 
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Are you getting the wiggle at the bolt shroud on the firing pin assembly? Not the actual bolt?
I think I'd pull the barrel and go at it from the front end of the action. The whole thing would be soaking in penetration oil right now until I figured something out.


CHRIS
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
Are you getting the wiggle at the bolt shroud on the firing pin assembly? Not the actual bolt?
I think I'd pull the barrel and go at it from the front end of the action. The whole thing would be soaking in penetration oil right now until I figured something out.


CHRIS
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OK, so the entire bolt will wiggle. I dont think the bolt per se is "stuck". What I think is there is some pin or something still locked from where the firing pin may still be engaged or something. Its currently residing in a vat of wd40. So, the bolt shroud/middle tab part will pull back and will "twist " when I pull it all the way out.

To me, it seems like I don't need to use a bigger hammer….but something isn't released, allowing the bolt to turn. I figure that is what the first bunch of home gunsmiths didn't figure out, breaking the bolt handle off.

If any of that makes sense.

On another note….can I turn this action into a 300WM?
 
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Bailey Boat said:
Personally I wouldn't trust that action any further than use as a paperweight. Since you don't know it's history, and you mentioned a fire, I would view it as a liability not an asset.....You can buy a NIB 700 action for 319.00.......
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very good point and prudent.
 
Grits said:
Did you run a cleaning rod down the bore to see if it was loaded?

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I did, and I'm not going to tell you how long it took me to think hey maybe we should check if this thing's loaded LOL
 
I've seen screws used to hold on scope mounts that were too long and would actually go all the way down into the action and bind the bolt up. Try removing that front mount screw? Who knows how long those are.
 
Remove the scope base screws. Clean off area toward the ejection port and either JB weld a piece of metal to use as a handle or tig (not to put to much heat in to the bolt) to do the same thing. If you can, could JB weld the bolt handle back on a little but it will need to be removed again to be solder and tig correctly.
 
As was suggested, did you remove the mounting screws on the top of the receiver?
 
Pulled my 700 out of the safe earlier and noticed a couple of things. First I can't tell from the pics but yours doesn't have the lock on the bolt does it? It is on the left side of the bolt near where you have the pliers. Looks like a button with a j shaped hole in it. Second is there is a locking lug on the very front of the bolt that won't let the bolt come out till it rotates. I know you said the handle broke off in the closed position. The part you have the pliers on doesn't rotate. Hope that helps.
 
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