PTR-91 cocking handle requires Herculean effort

[Zeebrahed]

I added a new .308 MBR to my stable yesterday. A new JLD PTR-91 G3 clone. I was able to get off work early and put 200 rounds thru this badboy today and man, am I happy about this purchase. The only bone-stock .308 semi-auto I have that shoots better is a NM M1A at 3 times the price. This little HK wannabe is the real deal.

One little problem.

This rifle requires a little short of 3000 ft/lbs of rearward force on the cocking lever to charge. Now, I do eat my Wheaties but this little feature on my rifle could easily replace my upper body weightlifting program! I noticed this when I bought it, but all my dealers 91's were like this.

There has got to be SOMETHING that can be done about this? Are there any recommendations from folks experienced with HK rifles?

 

[jobu07]

I think after the standard several thousand round break in process you'll either become accustomed to this and grow stronger or it'l loosen up! Congrats on the buy.

 

[boofus]

Are you pulling the handle back by the little plastic knob on the end? On my old CETME it was damn near impossible to make it budge if all you grabbed was the plastic piece.

If you grip the entire handle in your hand starting near the base near the cocking tube you can get more leverage to force the rollers to open and let the bolt go back.

 

[ziadel]

she'll loosen up.

I suggest buying ear plugs for your significant other, and charging the gun over and over during the commercial breaks of your favorite television shows.



oh, and you can't charge it when the rifle is on safe...

learning that one ticked me off royal.

 

[NMshooter]

Since that is a delayed blowback rifle I would certainly hope it never gets easy to cock.

 

[KaceCoyote]

Does the PTR have a last shot bolt hold open atleast, or is he going to have to go through the drill whenever he runs dry?

 

[Zeebrahed]

No bolt hold open. Everytime.

 

[longhorngunman]

Nope! Have to charge it every time. That and the placement and force needed on the cocking handle are the only downsides to these style of rifles. Being cheap I got a Century Cetme, which is basically a cheap G3. Been a terrific gun for the money though, this thing will flat out shoot. Even more accurate than my RRA M4 and less than half the price!

 

[coylh]

Anyone want to start a thread noting obscure "features" like these? Sometimes, it's the little design annoyances that keep rifles in the safe.

 

[Fingolfin]

Good point, I didn't know you had to charge with every mag change. I find that annoying enough on an AK, and it's kinda a downer for the PTR which i'm considering myself.

 

[Dave R]

It shouldn't be that hard to charge. You might check cetmerifles.com. there was a run of CETME's (same basic gun, earlier design) that had a problem with hard charging. The quick fix had something to do with a dime in the charging tube, to get the charging handle to unlock the rollers earlier. The permanent fix had something to do with either boltgap or charging handle length.

Any way, something's not right. It should be no harder to charge than a FAL or any other .308 semi-auto. The handle should unlock the rollers and you should just be pulling against the recoil spring.

 

[Zeebrahed]

Dave R,

Yes I agree, it should not be that hard. But I tried more than 5 examples of the PTR-91 that my dealer had, while looking for the best trigger, and they were ALL like this.

 

[1911Ron]

I just recently bought a CETME rifle and read that there should be a little charging handle play, if there wasn't that it was a sign of to little bolt gap icould be wrong tho. Iv'e learned alot on CETMErifle.com, to check bolt gap you charge the unloaded rifle, point in a safe direction, pull the trigger and then flip the rifle over,then slide a feeler gage in between the bolt and the carrier. I don't have the measurement on hand but the web site does. Hope my little knowledge helps.

 

[Fingolfin]

cetmerifle.com brings up some dumb search page for me for some reason

 

[nyresq]

I have a springfield armory SAR-8 (HK clone) that requires slightly less then 3000 ft/lb to move to charge it. it was brutal at first but after a thousand rounds or so it has gotten a little better but is still harder then anything else I've ever shot.

I think the rollers take a good amount of force to unlock which accounts for the accuracy of the design.

just work the bolt back and forth a few hundred times and it will get a little better, but it will never get easy.

 

[Onmilo]

It gets easier with use.
By the way the cocking knob on a PTR91 isn't plastic, it's steel.

 

[Feanaro]

The charging handle on my CETME was an absolute bear when I first got it. After a few hundred cyclings, it became easier. Either I got stronger, the cocking became smoother, or both. Even with your Wheaties, you might just not be as strong in that motion range as you think. Your bolt gap may be off though. If you don't already know, cetmerifles.com has the details on how to check it.

 

[Father Knows Best]

My PTR-91 charges without much effort. I assume you're unfolding the cocking handle before pulling back on it -- right? Also, you should start to withdraw it s-l-o-w-ly, which gives the rollers a chance to unlock. Once they are unlocked, you can pull briskly on the handle. Mine requires just a little more effort than my FAL's handle, which is in turn a little more than my AK's.

Of the three rifles (PTR-91, SA58, Arsenal SA M-7S), by the way, the PTR-91 is the most accurate and reliable. I love it.

 

[Daniel T]

cetmerifle.com brings up some dumb search page for me for some reason

Try adding an "s" to the end: http://www.cetmerifles.com/

 

[ziadel]

bolt gap should be between .3-.5mm

get some feeler gauges and if its not in there, send the rifle back...

I'm sure its in spec tho, I've never heard of a bad PTR...

 

[cslinger]

As was asked, are you unfolding the cocking piece/handle? I just use my thumb and forefinger to do this and then give her a pull. HK91s have a stout pull but nothing I would call abusively heavy.

 

[Beav]

My IGF 93 is harder to cock than any other rifle I own.

 

[P0832177]

I tried a full size one at a local purveyor of firearms, and it did not seem to be excessive! The gun I looked at was very nice looking, except for the skinnky forearm!

john

 

[Dave R]

Any excuse to play with me CETME again...

I checked out my CETME's cocking stroke in detail. I could swear that, when I unfold the cocking handle, I can feel it unlocking the rollers. When I pull back, the only force is the recoil spring. I don't have a trigger gauge or anything, but I don't think it more than 15-20 lbs of force. Possibly a tad more than cycling the action of my AK, but not noticeably more.



I still think there's something wrong with the setup of the rifle. Sounds to me like you are having to overcome the resistance of your locking rollers before you can pull against the recoil spring. If it were me, I would contact the manufacturer and ask if that's normal. I can't believe it is. That would mean your recoil spring is a lot stiffer than the CETME's. I can't believe it would be that much difference.

 

[iamkris]

For the picky (and dorky) amongst us, force would be 3000 lbs, moment would be 3000 ft-lbs and inverse of density would be 3000 ft/lbs