Issue with Sticky Smith & Wesson Bolt

[Swifty Morgan]

I just picked up a Thompson Center Venture rifle in .204 Ruger. The box says it's really a Smith & Wesson, so that's what I put in the thread title. The Marlin I bought the other day turned out to be a Remington. And I think my Dodge truck may be a Fiat. I can't remember. It may be a Mercedes.

Anyway, I'm very impressed with what $375 buys, except for one thing: the bolt doesn't like to close. When you push it forward and try to turn it clockwise to shut it, it's stiff.

Before boring myself to death and wasting my precious time looking at the manual, I thought I'd come here and impose on other people. Is it possible my gun is normal?

 

[Moparnut]

I have a Venture in 06. I will check to see if mine is stiff to close. One question, is it stiff when you chamber a round or empty?

 

[WestKentucky]

Cycle the bolt about a thousand times and report back on how it’s smoothing up. When guns are built there are tolerances that are held. Sometimes a narrow lug slot on a frame mated up to a fat lug on the bolt make for a really tight rifle. My experience is that this wears into a really really nice tight and smooth rifle once it’s got some lead down the bore.

 

[Moparnut]

Mine doesn't seem to be stiff. I suggest cleaning it really well and shooting it and rechecking.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Stiff closing? On an empty chamber or only a loaded round?

 

[LoonWulf]

Stiff closing? On an empty chamber or only a loaded round?

Good question there!
Ive had a few guns that had tight chambers and wouldnt close easily on one brand of ammo or another, and nearly impossible on some handloads.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Minimum headspace chamber can be a benefit if your sizing die will bump the shoulder and size the body down enough. Improves accuracy, at the cost of being picky on ammo function. My Cooper M52 is snug in closing with my reloads. Not stiff, just snug as the bolt rotates all the way closed. Rifle is a laser beam.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

The gun has never been loaded.

I assume it's just a new gun issue. I hope!

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Another interesting thing: I wiped the exterior of the gun with a paper towel with CLP on it, and the paper towel looks rusty. This is a new gun which has never been outdoors. Is that normal? Maybe it's a brownish preservative. I don't recall cosmoline being dark enough for tiny amounts to stain a towel, but it has been a while since I've dealt with cosmoline.

 

[dh1633pm]

I picked up my Compass last week in 6.5 Creedmoor. Took it right home and inspected it. Bolt opens and closes really nice. I mounted a scope on it and might take it out Saturday for a little shooting practice. Ran a patch through the bore, but didn't do much else with it. I will bore sight it with my laser before taking it out.

 

[mshootnit]

Another interesting thing: I wiped the exterior of the gun with a paper towel with CLP on it, and the paper towel looks rusty. This is a new gun which has never been outdoors. Is that normal? Maybe it's a brownish preservative. I don't recall cosmoline being dark enough for tiny amounts to stain a towel, but it has been a while since I've dealt with cosmoline.

It is normal.

 

[mshootnit]

The gun has never been loaded.

I assume it's just a new gun issue. I hope!

Has anyone ever disassembled the bolt? Do you know how to verify it is assembled properly as described in the manual? Are the lugs and recesses clean? Is the trigger group free of debris? Does the safety click back and forth properly, and does it work right? Does it dry fire alright?(must be verified that the rifle is empty before dry firing) Check these things to make sure everything is put together right and no restrictions in movement due to debris. Make sure and break in with factory ammo.

 

[edwardware]

Make sure and break in with factory ammo.

I agree with a mechanical check before firing, but why would you buy factory ammo specifically to break in a new barrel?

 

[mshootnit]

I agree with a mechanical check before firing, but why would you buy factory ammo specifically to break in a new barrel?

Where is the word "barrel" in my previous post?

 

[edwardware]

Where is the word "barrel" in my previous post?

No where. I assumed you meant barrel, because I've never experienced or heard of a break-in effect in a bolt gun, other than barrel break in.

Other than the barrel, what part of the gun do you expect to change during breaking in?

 

[AABEN]

Heck I would take it out and shoot about 40 rounds before I did any thing! That will tell you if it is jest new or it has a burr or not.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I finally shot the gun today.

I got it because I wanted to try to get coyotes and whatever at night. I got a cheap ATN night scope. It was a real pain to set up. You have to put a Picatinny rail on the gun, and then you have to get the extra ATN battery pack, unless you think an hour and a half is good battery life.

I could not close the bolt on the first round. It got stuck, and I was afraid I would screw something up if I manhandled it. I thought something was jammed in the chamber, or that the gun was defective. I went and got a cleaning rod to push the round out of the chamber, and I learned that the cleaning rod was over 0.204" in diameter. The round eventually fell out after I bounced the gun on the bench.

I finally realized I just needed to be forceful with the bolt.

With all the tolerance issues and the scope learning curve, I only got to shoot about 12 rounds before the battery pack died. I had to shove the bolt home pretty good at first, but by the last round, the difficulty was down in what I would think was the normal range.

The trigger on this gun is wonderful, although I could see myself lightening it a little. I think it will eventually shoot well. I need an adjustable comb, and I have to get used to the very fuzzy electronic optics. I had to scrunch up and make myself pretty uncomfortable to make everything line up.

It took 9 rounds to get the scope zeroed at something over 50 yards, and the last three rounds were within an inch or so. Two next to each other and one flyer.

The ATN is nothing like a quality glass scope. The images are pretty fuzzy at 20x. I bought it because I thought it would be a fun toy, and I was not willing to blow $3K on something better. It should be pretty enjoyable to use it as long as I have reasonable expectations.

Anyway, think the gun will be fine.

 

[LoonWulf]

Sounds like you might have had a sticky extractor. Glad u got your rig up and running!

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Thanks. I look forward to getting good with it. I'm a little soured on the scope, because it's not like a quality glass scope, but I think I can make it all work.