AAAAHHHH!!!!!! (Springfield 1903a3 bolt problems)

Different barrel installed by someone maybe??

All 1903 Springfield's of any model all use a 41 degree taper coned breech face on the chamber end of the barrel.

If it hasn't been cut properly, the bolt won't go in all the way, or close.

rc

Mmmmm?
O.K. then.

If it is, how do you prove it,

Click to expand...

Dykem steel blue layout fluid, or a dry erase marker.

Color everything on the bolt, try to close it, and it will rub off what is hitting.


What was the problem that kept the bolt from even going in the receiver??

Sounds like perhaps you got a scrap pile reject bolt in the mix somehow.

rc

...or a warped receiver. Or a bad aftermarket. What brand is it, National Ordnance?

Warped receiver, yep that will do it. Had one once, tuff one to figure out. Start with stripped receiver and bolt, add one part at a time till it dont work

Mauser lover said:

Okay, friend brought me a 1903a3 build he is working on to see if I had any suggestions. The bolt (not an arsenal match to the rifle) did not fit more than a quarter inch past the beginning of the magwell when he got it, that is fixed now, but when the bolt (stripped, except the extractor) is pushed all the way in, the bolt will rotate down only 40-45 degrees...

Click to expand...

This is what made me think warped receiver. How was the bolt "fixed" to go in further? Did he get it with the original barrel installed or did he install the barrel? If so, what tooling and techniques were used to screw the barrel into the receiver?

The receiver needs to be critically examined to detect warp/bend/twist by someone who knows what to look for.

As col.lemat said, start with a completely stripped bolt. The extractor collar can stay on , but take the extractor off. If it will close without the extractor, it could be an insufficient or incorrect extractor cut in the breech, or a jacked-up extractor.

Matt

I have a Remington 03A3 sitting here. On the barrel just aft of the front sight the barrel is marked RA, Bomb Ordnance Mark, 3-43 telling me it is a Remington Arms March 1943 barrel. Looking at the serial number it falls in this range: Mar 1942 3520614 to 3408656 so I can pretty safely assume this rifle has the correct original barrel on the receiver.

As to the bolt. The bottom of the bolt handle is stamped with a letter R the top with a number 3. The right side of the bolt sleeve is also stamped with a letter R. The rear of the safety lock is also stamped with a letter R. The extractor collar is stamped with a letter R and the extractor bottom is stamped with the letter R. All of the letters R tell me this bolt is pretty much Remington manufactured.

The only way I can think of assuming a true receiver that the bolt won't go all the way home and the rifle into battery would be as RC covered.

All 1903 Springfield's of any model all use a 41 degree taper coned breech face on the chamber end of the barrel.

If it hasn't been cut properly, the bolt won't go in all the way, or close.

Click to expand...

So you can look at barrel markings as I mentioned earlier and get an idea of the actual year of manufacture from here and see if you have in fact a Remington Barrel dated to the receiver. At least you will get an idea if the rifle was ever rebarreled.

Ron

See post # 9 from morcey2 again too.

It could be the extractor hitting the extractor relief cut in the barrel.

Take it off the bolt and start over from there.


PS: The only other thing I can think of is if the bolt handle has been modified for low scope clearance and is hitting the receiver or stock before it can close all the way.

rc

Are the scope mount screws in or out? If they're in and removable (i.e. not plugged), remove them. One of them could be protruding into the locking lug raceway (is that what it's called?) in the receiver and blocking the bolt locking lug. Feel around in there with your finger and see if you can feel anything amiss.

If someone screwed on a barrel without a proper action wrench or barrel vice, it's pretty easy to bend the receiver without realizing it.

Matt

If the front guard screw is too long or the stock compressed with age, it can project into the action and block the bolt, too. I had a Remington like that.

It is unlikely, but could the safety lug be rubbing on the receiver? If so, don't grind on it without checking back.

Jim

Improperly assembled bolt?

Re-welded receiver?

Trainer/Drill receiver?

First, remove the barrel, get it out of the way, then install the bolt into the receiver without extractor, after installing the bolt attempt installing the barrel (carefully) , once the barrel stops and is not seated against the front of the receiver, open the bolt and remove, then secure the barrel to the receiver. Before attempting installing the bolt, again, check the alignment with the slot in the receiver with the extractor cut on the face of the barrel. The extractor cut on the barrel must align with the slot cut into the receiver.

You made no mention of a head space gage therefore a gage is not holding the bolt off.

I measure from the front receiver ring down to the bolt face, then I measure from the head of a case/gage down to the shoulder at the end of the threads when deterring case head protrusion and the length of the chamber in thousandths. If the extractor cut in the barrel was aligned with the extractor slot in the receiver after secured there should be no reason for the bolt not to close, back to installing the barrel with the bolt in place, it is possible to determine the the interference in thousandths. The threads are 10 per inch, meaning 1 turn = .100” if a smith/builder can read a a feeler gage/thickness gage they can determine the amount of interference in thousandths.

Securing the bolt to the receiver, before alignment of the bolt extractor cut amd the slot cut into the receiver I prefer .003” to .004” gap.

There there are all those advisers that have no ideal how far they must ream the chamber to finish, not me, I install the gage then measure the bap between the barrel shoulder and and front receiver ring, the gap indicates how short the chamber is.(this method does require backing the barrel out until the bolt closes)

F. Guffey

Mauser lover said:

Apparently the extractor collar was the problem getting the bolt into the receiver at all, projecting a little farther than normal and contacting the receiver bridge.

Click to expand...

I thought you said that the extractor was still on when you tried it initially? I'm now confused.

Okay, I just ran all around the house looking for a dry erase marker

Click to expand...

A permanent marker works just as well.

Use some paint thinner or #9 to remove the excess when you are done.

I cannot remember the last time I bothered using Dychem instead of a permanent marker.

And, I was about to suggest stacking 4 or 5 rounds in the magazine to increase pressure, then there is the rear bridge, I will not measure but will guess the distance between the rear receiver bridge is a safe 1.5” inches from the extractor ring when the bolt is closing, I will also guess the extractor ring stops before it gets close to the front receiver ring.

F. Guffey

make sure the extractor is pointed to a 3 oclock position to the right looking at it from the rear(did it once)oh the joy of diabetes meds