[WARSHARD]

I have successfully owned a Ruger m77 in .257 Roberts for nearly 20 years and keep it loaded year round (no round in chamber). I took it out today to check sighting--emptied the magazine and attempted to cycle the bolt, but the bolt will only travel forward for two inches before a mechanical lock occurrs. I have cleaned the bolt of all oil and have marked the bolt with a black majic marker to see if I can locate where the bolt is hanging up--for the life of me, I can't find the problem. Thought I'd contact the forum before I have another set of eyes look at the problem. Any suggestions?

Will appreciate all replies--
Regards--
Warshard

[Chawbaccer]

Perhaps it has become un-cocked?

[WARSHARD]

Can you make any suggestions on how to proceed--
Warshard

[R.W.Dale]

remove the bolt and look at the bolt face.

Is the tip of the firing pin protruding from it's hole?

[rcmodel]

If it's un-cocked, the tip of the firing pin will be sticking out of the bolt face.

If that's the case, you need to hook the striker projection on the edge of a bench or something and pull the striker back out (compress the spring) while also rotating the bolt sleeve until the cocking piece is setting on top of the cocking cam in the bolt.

Easier done then said once you understand what needs to happen!

rc

[WARSHARD]

The firing pin is not protruding--
Warshard

[rbernie]

Is the magazine follower cocked in the mag body and impeding the bolt travel or does the follower move up/down properly?

Does the symptom change if you pull the bolt release lever away from the body as you cycle the bolt?

[WARSHARD]

The follower moves freely and I get the same klunk when I hold the bolt release out and attempt to cycle the bolt closed-
Warshard

[rcmodel]

Well, isn't that special!

It's hard to diagnose over the Internet because Ruger has had several different design changes to the model 77 over the years. Such as:
Tang safety or bolt sleeve three-position safety?
Plunger ejector in the bolt face, or solid swinging ejector in the left rear receiver wall?

Can you remove the bolt from the receiver using the bolt release?
Is the magazine follower and spring free to push down inside the magazine?
Have you had the barreled action out of the stock recently?
Does the trigger move at all?

rc

[WARSHARD]

No problem removing the bolt using the bolt release--the follower spring is free--I have recycled it several times to check--nothing has been removed--just semi yearly removal of the bolt and cleanup/oil when necessary. Once the bolt clicks by the the bolt release, the bolt will only travel two inches before it locks up--Again, I appreciate all this input--
Warshard

[rbernie]

Is the safety on?

[WARSHARD]

To all--had to do a little thinking outside the box--instead of focusing on a locked up mechanism, I started back at square 1: the bolt handle was hitting the scope eye piece which had been unknowingly bent down--moved up about .125 and the bolt closed--I stopped thinking and started looking--now, I probably have a sighting in problem--perhaps a good excuse to buy a new scope!! Thanks to all the head scratching and suggestions--which strongly suggests: having this forum to bounce off ideas/problems is one of the greatest tools we all have--
Regards to all--
Warshard

[rcmodel]

I'm running out of ideas.

Stick your pinky finger in the chamber and make sure there isn't a round in there already and the extractor hook doesn't want to snap over the rim.

The only other possibility I can think of is, the cocking piece is turned slightly and the striker is not lining up with the groove in the receiver tang it has to slide into.

rc

[rcmodel]

Well, good grief!
I wouldn't have thought of the scope eye-piece being bent down 1/8" in a million years!!!!!

Least you found it in time to go buy a new un-bendable scope before hunting season gets into full swing!

rc

[WARSHARD]

rbernie--I followed the advice of your signature: I reached a conclusion and stopped thinking...and started observing--
Thanks again--
Warshard