Problem w/ Rem 700 - firing pin not striking

[Cortland]

I've got a 700 VLS in .22-250 which has been sitting around for a few months waiting for a scope. I finally got a scope for it and I went out to the range this afternoon (very cold!) for a preliminary 50 yard sight-in. So I chamber a round, pull the trigger, *click*.

The bolt cocks properly, stays cocked, and the hammer falls all as you would expect. But nothing happens--withdrawing the chambered round reveals no identation on the primer at all.

So I've taken the rifle apart, disassembled the bolt and degreased everything. With the bolt removed I can manually turn it to the "closed" position and see that the firing pin does correctly protrude from the bolt face. When I put the bolt back in the rifle, however, still no firing pin strike (I've been testing using a new case with a pencil eraser in the primer pocket).

Any thoughts before I bundle it off to a professional?

Thanks

 

[Fatelvis]

Cort, I think you did all you could. Making sure the firing pin channel isnt obstructed is about all most of us would do, I would let the pros take it from there.

 

[Cortland]

Looking at the way the bolt closes and the contours of the stock which allow for the bolt handle, it looks like the bolt isn't closing all the way.

When I take the bolt apart I notice what looks like some peening midway down what I'll call the "cam ramp" at the back of the bolt sleeve. This seems consistent with the bolt not having completely rotated into the closed position.

Oh well, I suppose Fatelvis is right -- off to the gunsmith

 

[Cortland]

AHA!!

It turns out that my Leupold two-piece base comes with two different length mounting screws. The front mount's rear screw was too long and extended down into the action far enough to hit the bolt locking lug and prevent the bolt from closing completely.

 

[Fatelvis]

Good catch! I would have never thought of that.

 

[tc300mag1]

Good catch .. My 300 mag did same thing this year after being fine last year it ended up being crud in the bolt.. My leupold mounts that i put on last fall came with a big warning slip of paper about the Screws.

 

[Cortland]

Well for the record the instructions with my Leupold mounts said nothing about varying screw lengths.

Honest!