Oh boy...Ruger bolt wont lock!

[ir655]

I went to the range after having the trigger pull adjusted to about 3.5lbs. I started loading the rounds and after shooting 15 rounds, one of the rounds I loaded went into the chamber, but the bolt would not lock down. Is this normal after having the trigger pull adjusted or could it be something else? It will do it randomly and the gun is 2 weeks old, Ruger 77 MKII in 7MM Rem Mag. Any ideas or suggestions on how to possibly fix it?

Thanks for your help guys!

Arman M G

[trailer]

ir655, are you shooting reloads or are they factory? I"™ve had the same problem with reloads and had to take the bullet apart and resize the brass a second time... If you"™re shooting factory loads then I would have no idea on what the problem is.

[frizzellr]

Sounds like a cartridge wasn' t sized properly. I have seen a few factory rounds that were out of spec so that' s something to think about.

[tabby]

Are there any broken parts on the bolt? My bro had the little black clip break, can' t remember what it affected. It cost less than a buck to fix.

[Ruger-Redhawk]

The trigger job shouldn' t of had anything to do with the bolt.Get a new box of Factory 7mm ammo and try it. I' m willing to bet it' s in the ammunition you' re using.Good luck.I hate to say it if you send your rifle back to Ruger they' ll probably replace your trigger with one of the original lawyer triggers and probably charge you for doing it.If it' s not your ammunition I would take it to a competent Smith who won' t replace your trigger,before sending it back to the factory.
Ruger Redhawk.

[Clint.]

It sounds to me like it might be an ammunition-related problem.
If it was a headspace problem, it seems like the first rounds you chambered would have done the same thing.

Are your cartridges reloads? If so, were they full length resized or simply neck resized? I have sometimes encountered a similar problem when neck resizing only. At any rate, get some ammo that is factory loaded. If new ammo causes the same problem, take it to a competent gunsmith for examination.

Clint

[strut]

I' m just like the rest of the guys, If you are shooting reloads, you need to trim the case, I bet its the ammo and not the gun.

[ir655]

First of all, thank you for your quick responses!

After reading everybody' s post I realized that it might be the bullet, I shoot factory loads from Remington (green box), I remembered that the bullet that wouldn' t lock down had scratches and marks on the tip, so I guess it was a little bit deformed.

I learnt something new today...thanks guys!

Arman M G

[1SHOT_1KILL]

ir655,
No, a trigger adjust should not keep the bolt from closing.

You say that you are using factory Remington ammo, so there are 2 things that can cause the bolt to keep from closing.

1. The belt of the cartridge, is too long/too thick, causing excessive headsapce.

2. the overall length of the cartridge is too long, causing the bullet to jam the lands.

A very remote and slim chance is that the bullet is a different caliber, like .30 cal.

Try a different lot of Remington or try a different brand, like Federal, Hornady, Winchester, etc. asn see if that corrects the bolt from closing problem.

[eldeguello]

It is something else! Getting your trigger lightened won' t affect the way the bolt closes. This is caused by something wrong with the round of ammo you tried to chamber. Particularly if you' ve just finished firing several shots. Sounds like the round is too big for your chamber, but I' d have to see the gun and ammo to know!