I was shooting a factory Rem BDL 270W using factory ammo, Win PP 130gr.

I had difficulty opening the bolt as in a very stick bolt lift and had to hit it with my palm up to get it open!

I haven't shot this gun in about 3 years nor the ammo. The ammo has been sitting in a room for all that time and at times it can be quite warm in there. When I shot this ammo in this gun 3yrs ago it shot fine as I recall.

Has anyone had trouble with HOT LOADS from factory ammo...like does it happen on occasion?

How does this brass look to you in regards to pressure signs besides the sticky bolt lift what pressure signs do you see here on the brass?

Never had this problem before and I want to know how to read my brass!

I would appreciate the help gang...Thanks!

Here's a few pics of the spent brass...comments please

Looks like you've got an undersized firing pin, or more likely, a weak firing pin spring. It is allowing the primer cup to extrude into the firing pin hole opening which can cause a sticky bolt.

My experience with the Rem 700 is that you will see a bright mark on the case head where the ejector cut is when pressures reach the point of causing a sticky bolt.

The brass looks okay to me and I don't see any signs of excessive pressure. However, the sticky bolt would concern me. I would probably try to shoot some other ammo to see whether those also caused a sticky bolt.

Looks more like a weak firing pin strike. That could be because you left if cocked (hopefully unloaded ) for three years or some lubricant on the firing pin has gelled some and slowed the strike.

just what stonecreek said

It just may be that I did leave it cocked and yes, unloaded...

The rifle is brand new...3 yrs ago only about 60 rounds and since I took it out this month maybe 40 rounds...

I have not oiled the bolt/spring recently so I hope with my fingers crossed that it will help

I better go and check all my rifles now!!!

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Looks like you've got an undersized firing pin, or more likely, a weak firing pin spring. It is allowing the primer cup to extrude into the firing pin hole opening which can cause a sticky bolt.

My experience with the Rem 700 is that you will see a bright mark on the case head where the ejector cut is when pressures reach the point of causing a sticky bolt.

Steve,

Thanks!

Is the firing pin strike supposed to be DEEPER is that what you're noticing, and the flow into the firing pin hole...since there was no other sign of over-pressure, i.e., no evidence of flattened primer and cratering?

Just trying to understand reading the brass!

Aloha!

Roland

You have high pressure The hard bolt lift along with the primer are proof. Why? Is there a recall on the ammo? It happens with factory ammo. Why was ammo OK before and not now? If powder is broken down, over heated, cut, smashed or altered by Vibration or constant movement of the ammo, the burning rate is changed. See more photos here > link to photos Buy a new box of ammo, shoot it, see if you have the same conditions. Hard bolt lift & primer.

I have shot a lot of 270 Winchester, in fact it is my go to rifle, has been for better than 20 years. I see no signs of pressure looking at the primers, but I do see a single line down one of the cases. Where did it come from? Also, there is no bright mark on the case head, as some others have suggested. I don't contribute this hard bolt lift to the cartridge itself... Did you by chance get some oil in the chamber? Could you have cleaned the rifle and inadvertently gotten oil into the chamber before you put it away?

I don't see anything wrong with the brass. Try cleaning your chamber.
As powder ages, whether or not it's kept in a controlled environment or not, it does not gain strength. So I would look to something other than the ammo.

quote:

Originally posted by Doubless:
I have shot a lot of 270 Winchester, in fact it is my go to rifle, has been for better than 20 years. I see no signs of pressure looking at the primers, but I do see a single line down one of the cases. Where did it come from? Also, there is no bright mark on the case head, as some others have suggested. I don't contribute this hard bolt lift to the cartridge itself... Did you by chance get some oil in the chamber? Could you have cleaned the rifle and inadvertently gotten oil into the chamber before you put it away?

Thanks for the comments!

The rifle had no oil in the chamber as I ran a dry patch thru it several times before I fired it at the range...

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I don't see anything wrong with the brass. Try cleaning your chamber.
As powder ages, whether or not it's kept in a controlled environment or not, it does not gain strength. So I would look to something other than the ammo.

The rifle has about 50+ rounds down the tube and is shooting 3 holes touching at 100 yds...I didn't want to clean it because I was going on a deer hunt...Well, I shot 2 deer the other day and I'll give it a good cleaning...

Will a dirty chamber raise the pressure as I experienced...

I found this rifle to finally settle down after 10 shots for fouling....

In the meantime I had the 3 boxes of factory Win PP's...Maybe it's the dirty chamber???

As I'm now trying to recall it seems this last box of ammo is the one I'm having the very sticky bolt lift...

Hmmm...could it be?

The brass & primers look like low pressure to me. There is no shiny patches of brass shave off the head & the primer edge is very round. The hard bolt lift is due to the primer metal flowing into the firing pin hole.

I would suggest that you chronograph the ammo & see if it is really hot. I suspect that like most basic factory ammo, this will prove to be 200 fps below max!!

On Remington actions, if the primer is being cratered, it has 2 effects to bolt lift.
1) It causes hard bolt lift due to the primer spinning in the pocket as the bolt handle is lifted. To check this, mark a case head with a 'sharpie' using a line right across the head face. If it's turned when you eject the case, then it's from the cratering.
2) It causes the ejector to push the case off centre which also causes resistance to bolt lift.

I see no signs of excessive pressure on your brass, check the firing pin hole to see if it has been chamfered at the factory, they some times do this if there is a burr left in the hole, this causes the cratering, even with mild loads. It's not caused by a weak firing pin spring.

Lube the bolt lugs with a light grease or Break Freee CLP. 1 drop on each lug is plenty. Are your 3 boxes of ammo the same lot number?

+1 on lubing the lugs. A unlubed and dirty bolt lug can gall and cause roughness. I prefer grease as it stays put better then oil.

I didn't mean the chamber was dirty from shooting; I meant it could very well have accumulated rust or crud by sitting up for 3 years. As far as a dirty chamber increasing pressure, I don't think so but it seems to be a consensus that you do not have a pressure situation; you have a dirty or dry situation.
As posted, you should put a couple of drops of oil (or light grease) on your bolt lugs at every cleaning. A couple of drops of light oil right down the firing pin hole ain't gonna hurt nothing neither.

Hey thanks for the pics and gotcha on the oil/grease gang I appreciate it!

I was pressed on time to take this gun out on a hunt...so I'll give it a good cleaning and oil her up some and re-check!!!

No intention of giving offense, but storing a rifle in cocked position will not weaken the mainspring. That's an old Wive's tale.

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
No intention of giving offense, but storing a rifle in cocked position will not weaken the mainspring. That's an old Wive's tale.

Brice thanks for your comment and not making this a pissing match

I'm here to learn...

Could you elaborate please I'm interested and open and teachable as to EITHER rationale?

This would be a cool ""DISCUSSION""...

I'm willing to listen to all who can keep it CIVIL

I have seen factory ammo loaded much hotter than what you have there,in several different calibers.270,30-06,25-06,to name a few.
One lot of federal 30-06 was so hot the brass was ruined on the first firing.The extractor mark was so bad,I threw away the brass,rather than chance using it again.

quote:

Originally posted by Late-Bloomer:

quote:

Originally posted by Brice:
No intention of giving offense, but storing a rifle in cocked position will not weaken the mainspring. That's an old Wive's tale.

Brice thanks for your comment and not making this a pissing match

I'm here to learn...

Could you elaborate please I'm interested and open and teachable as to EITHER rationale?

This would be a cool ""DISCUSSION""...

I'm willing to listen to all who can keep it CIVIL

Coil springs "wear out" (lose tension) due to cycling, not from sitting in a compressed state (and if you think about it for a moment, the FP spring is always compressed, it's just compressed a little more when the rifle is cocked)

Tailgunner....Thank you for the explanation

I've got of pair of SPS 223 that are brand new. Factory 223 ammo exhibits the primer response that are shown in the pictures. The ammo shoots to normal velocity on a chrono.

The problem is obviously in the firing pin fit. Until I have the firing pin bushed I just have to not panic over the issue and as long as I am in reloading book specs I am not going to worry about it.

Greg

I have had new factory ammo cause a sticky bolt lift. Once on my 270 and once on my 338 wm. I had a hard time getting the bolt open, so sticky is putting it mildly. I round out of each box of ammo and never had it happen again.

quote:

Originally posted by GLShooter:
I've got of pair of SPS 223 that are brand new. Factory 223 ammo exhibits the primer response that are shown in the pictures. The ammo shoots to normal velocity on a chrono.

The problem is obviously in the firing pin fit. Until I have the firing pin bushed I just have to not panic over the issue and as long as I am in reloading book specs I am not going to worry about it.

Greg

Thanks for your comments!

quote:

Originally posted by 338zmag:
I have had new factory ammo cause a sticky bolt lift. Once on my 270 and once on my 338 wm. I had a hard time getting the bolt open, so sticky is putting it mildly. I round out of each box of ammo and never had it happen again.

I cleaned/oiled everything down so we'll see!