Bolt Will Not Open (Remington ADL)

  • 2.5K Views
  • Last Post 21 December 2015
OU812 posted this 02 September 2015

The bolt is frozen closed in my friends Remington ADL chambered in 243. He purchased this gun used with 100 reloads. The second round he fired was too hot causing gasses to hit his face and gun nearly exploding. The firing pin is stuck in forward position ,bolt will not open and safety will not move. One so called gun smith tried tapping the firing pin back with metel rod inserted down barrel, but no luck breaking the bolt...said he could not fix it.

Is removing the barrel the only way to remove stuck case. How do you check if gun is safe to shoot afterwards? Check chamber with Field Head space gauge? Thank You

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
Bud Hyett posted this 02 September 2015

Contact Remington for shipping instructions and be prepared to pay for a new rifle. This is the fastest and best way to cure the problem.

in the future, never shoot anyone's reloads.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 02 September 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=8191>OU812

The gunsmith said he couldn't fix it. Over-pressure has fatigued the metal and damaged the rifle making it unsafe would be a more reasonable explanation.

If you really don't care or regard the warning from the smithy, a large 2 pound copper hammer will pound the bolt open if the bolt handle end is sticking out far enough to smack. A gunsmith might do that but I bet he would require you to sign a no fault release first.

The rifle and bolt should then be checked for pressure damage by a competent gunsmith with X-Ray and chamber casting. Don't get your hopes high and certainly don't shoot the rifle if it hasn't been responsibly checked by a no nonsense gunsmith.

 The shooter of that rifle and innocent bystanders lives are in danger if that rifle is fired even with light loads with out real proof that the rifle is OK to shoot.

Also, my mamma told me this stuff. How come your mamma didn't didn't tell you? Don't do any kid stuff and try to shoot that rifle. It is broken and could kill you.

The cruel reality is that the seller of the reloaded ammunition that is not a legal ammunition manufacturer is liable for what he sold you. An attorney can help you better than anybody on this forum. I repeat, don't shoot that rifle and don't tell anybody if you do. You could influence someone to make a fatal error in judgement then be personally liable for that.

Gary

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 02 September 2015

even if the rifle is totalled, the shooter is lucky, and probably a little smarter now also ( g ) . he might give the big guy a shout-out ...and also be glad he was shooting a rem. 700 action .

on a major overload, usually one or both of two things occur ::

brass can melt and braze the case body/head to the action .

brass always expands against the steel chamber ..., then contracts slightly ... about 0.002 inches ... if under a high pressure, the barrel y action steel expands more than that 0.002 ... when the steel contracts after the shot, it captures the brass case ... dang !!!

in a worse case ( g ) ...i recently observed a m700 bolt in a belted mag. caliber that had saved somebody's head ... the forward, countersunk feature ... the ” inner ring of steel ” ... had been blown into a cone so bad it would not return into the countersink in the barrel ... also the extractor had been blown off or possibly vaporized ...

yep, have a GOOD gunsmith check it out .... i am not sure that the barrel will unscrew without breaking something ... but that is where i would start ... .... sorry, but please let us ALL learn something from this .

ken

Attached Files

OU812 posted this 02 September 2015

The original owner of this rifle and reloads has agreed to buy the gun back. He should send the gun back to Remington for repair or replacement.

Please believe me when I say “this is not my rifle".

Attached Files

tturner53 posted this 02 September 2015

I can vouch for the fact that you can not beat a 700 bolt open without knocking the bolt handle off. The 700s would not be my choice for a battle rifle, but there they are.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 02 September 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=8191>OU812

Remington warranty is void when reloaded ammunition is used. Read the warranty. The rifle owner will have to lie about that to get Remington warranty service. You don't have to lie to get an attorney and file suit against the seller if the seller does not give a full refund. The seller is liable for damages from his reloaded ammunition that he sold illegally with the firearm.

Attached Files

billglaze posted this 02 September 2015

Yep--all the major manufacturers will not warranty any firearm used with reloads.  Very wise on their part.However--a couple of years ago, I was at the range chronographing some loads, when I was approached by a young fellow with a  brand-new Remington .22 Win. Magnum of factory issue.  He asked me if I would chrono it for him.  I said sure, if it's factory loads. He assured me it was.  I told him that I would do the shooting, inasmuch as these Skyscreens were expensive, and easily damaged.  He readily agreed.  I fired one round, which had a hellacious muzzle blast, and the Oehler 35P told me I had just fired at over 4800 fps.  The proof channel agreed.The bolt wouldn't open; we had to use a mallet.  Case head expanded, primer fell out, all the usual symptoms.I looked at him hard, as I was pissed and alarmed at the same time.  He said:  "wait a minute.”  He came back with a box of obviously factory loads; I recognized the bullets as being Remington's. He said “I don't handload, but my Dad does; I know what dangerous pressure looks like, and this is it.”  He went on to explain that the rifle was new, and he had just picked up the box of ammo at a store near his home.  I suggested very VERY firmly that he should send the rifle and ammo to Remington ASAP with a cover letter.  I'd sure like to know what they had to say; unfortunately, I've never seen him again. So:  Do factories make mistakes?  I'd say so--some big-time.Bill

In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is. My fate is not entirely in Gods hands, if I have a weapon in mine.

Attached Files

Ed Harris posted this 02 September 2015

The “Brass Fairy” always makes the ammo box, etc. disappear after such a mishap The “gun” is an expensive piece of scrap metal. Return it to the seller, get a refund. It is his problem.

Lesson learned, never shoot anybody elses reloads.

Your friend is lucky.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

Attached Files

OU812 posted this 03 September 2015

Thanks for every ones help.

I have another friend who dropped his newer style Remington bolt action off the top of his moving truck. He went back to get it and someone ran over it and destroying rifle. He returned the broken rifle to Remington and they replaced it with a new rifle free of charge. 

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 03 September 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=8191>OU812

Way to give a sob story to Remington!!!

I have HUD (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) convinced they owe more money than my rent to live in my apartment just by telling the truth. I am good at that stuff. I was a successful research grant-writer. They just offered me a job because I know how to crumble them and they know it. I can't wait to see their faces when I blindside them that I am a Conservative......and I am!

Gary

Attached Files

OU812 posted this 21 December 2015

I removed the barrel from friends Remington 700 just to see why the bolt would not open. When I unscrewed the barrel off action the 243 brass case was still attached to bolt face and slid easily from chamber as one piece. BUT, the case head (rimmed area) was swollen so big that it busted the bolt face into pieces and spreading the end of bolt. The case was removed as one piece with extractor and part of bolt face attached to brass. Bolt still will not open. I am thinking end of bolt is split/swollen too large to clear lug channels. Ejector is recessed way back into bolt hole also.

Now I know why some guys check case head diameter when reading pressures working up loads.

We think there was some corn cob media leftover in case before throwing the powder charge in (he needs to inspect empty cases before loading). This was 243 Winchester brass.

Attached Files

Scearcy posted this 21 December 2015

I am not recommending this step in place of a visual check but I have found that I need to touch the case mouth to the case vibrator as I remove each case. That will quickly dislodge any media left in the case. I do this with most cases 30 cal and down. For what it is worth, I have found the 243 case to be a chronic offender.

Attached Files

Close