Well, here goes another chapter in the Rem700SA saga...

As I mentioned, Rem700SA, began life as a Rem700VS in .308. Similar to my other Rem700VS (.223), the factory ejector spring was extremely stiff, and tended to kick the case over against the chamber wall hard enough to a) dent the case mouth and b) knock it loose from the extractor and have it fall back on top of the next round in the magazine. When I first got the gun, I just used a single round follower and it wasn't an issue. Later, when magazine feeding became a priority, well, somthing had to change. Substituted Holland ejector springs (supposed to be somewhat lighter) and both problems went away entirely, and the spent brass ejected at about 2 o'clock, about 8-10" from the gun. Loaded rounds just cleared the ejection port and tipped on out. Just the way I liked it.

Now, the gun is a 6.5-08, w/ a match barrel and stock and all the usual work done to it (actually, a lot of it was done while the gun was still a .308). Didn't have any problems during load workup, but this past weekend during a local fun shoot, about half-ways thru the day the gun started intermittently not ejecting the cases, instead just dropping them back on the magazine follower (slowfire string). No dented case mouths or anything else to indicate excessive ejector pressure, no problems extracting cases, just the ejection got worse throughout the day, to the point where I pretty much had to dig every case out of the ejection port by the end of the day.

I pulled the bolt and double-checked to make sure I didn't have something stupid like a little brass shaving or something fouling up the ejector plunger to make it not work. It goes in and out of its recess like a champ. The extractor seems to be working ok. ?????



Any ideas or suggestions?

I think your extractor is barely doing it's job. In addition the boltface recess amy be enough larger than the head of thecase to let the case escape the extractor as soon as the empty clears the chamber. A new extractor might do the trick. Regards, Bill.

Someone else had mentioned that the extractor might be at fault, so I took the bolt in to the local gunshop, and had one of the local gun cranks (actually a fairly good Hunter BR shooter) look at it. He didn't seem to think there was anything wrong, at least at first glance, w/ the ejector or the extractor. Didn't have a definitive idea as to why it would start doing this one day, in the middle of a match either.

I need to get it fixed, one way or another. The next match I hope to shoot is a Prone Slowfire match, so ejection is a non-issue. But when I get to a Rapid Fire string in a regular XTC match... the cases need to leave the gun on their own!

Thanks,

Monte

Make sure the extractor is in the right position. On my 700's which are all magnums the extractor has a little bit of room to move and if it gets pushed out of place while I'm cleaning the gun or something along those lines, it wont extract the case. It's possible that yours might be out of position enough to pull the case out but not get it at the right angle to clear the opening.

This is a prime example of why some guys go with the Sako extractor conversion. Sorry to be redundant, but it will cure extraction, ejection and sloppy case head to bolt fit. If you send it and some bucks, I will turn it around for you in less than a week.

Jim

I'm really not wanting to put a Sako extractor on this gun for any reason, if there is any way at all to fix the problem otherwise. Any other ideas or suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Monte

Look at the exctractor and try moving it. It's just a snap-ring of sorts and there's usually a little room for it to move around. Get a screwdriver and try moving it in one direction or the other and see if that makes a difference.

Hey milanuk, If it was me, the first thing I would do is measure across the Rim on a Case that has this problem and see if it might be a bit small. And I'd compare it to the standard dimensions located in any Reloading Manual plus check it in comparison to any case from the 308Win or 30-06 family of cartridges.

Might even get a different "Lot" of cases, squash 3 of them into 6.5-08s and see if I could get them to exhibit the same problem.

Since you didn't have this problem when it was a 308Win, I'd think it is either case related or something strange happening with thenew Ejector Spring.

If the Case Rim seems to be the correct size, try putting the original Ejector Spring back in for awhile.

Any chance there is a burr or piece of trash hiding in the Ejector Spring raceway?

Best of luck to you.

brass... hmmm... this is a batch of 500 Winchester .308 cases I got from Sinclair's (all the same lot). Previously had used Winchester cases when the gun was a .308 (different lot though), and Lapua, and then Lapua initially when starting out w/ the gun in 6.5-08. Never had a problem w/ probably the first... 200rds or so as a 6.5-08, both about 30rds of Lapua brass, and the rest as Winchester. The round count now is about 250 or so, and probably the last 25 straight had to be manually tossed out of the gun. I haven't been able to find anything in the ejector or the extractory, and like I said, the BR shooter (pretty well rounded fellow, been around 700's longer than I've been alive) couldn't either, and after playing w/ the extractor and the ejector thought they both seemed to be working normally. The angle thing is an interesting idea; I'll try to mike the case heads of the fired brass and see if they are way undersize or something.

Thanks

Monte

I know this is a bit redundant, considering everything said above, but I agree with Bill Leeper.



The function of the extractor is not merely to withdraw the case from the chamber, but to hold it firmly enough that the ejector will make it pivot briskly to the right as the nose of the case leaves the front receiver ring.



Anything which causes the extractor to hold the rim of the case less firmly could be causing the case to be pushed just enough straight forward (instead of to the right) that it drops into the magazine well instead of out over the right action rail. Such "anythings" could include



1. A bit of dirt, carbon, whatever, between extractor and lip of bolt



2. Loss of tension in the extractor due to wear (thinning), age, etc.



3. Rounding of the extractor's outermost rear edge



And, probably several other causes as well.



Anyway, if the ecxtractor does not hold the case fimly enough against the spring of the ejector, when the case nose finally clears the receiver the ejector will just push it somewhat straight forward about the length of the ejector pin protrusion, then drop the case into the mag well (onto the follower).



If it was me, I'd probably just put in a new Remington extractor. Nothing lasts forwever anyway, and yours may just have reached the limits of wear and tolerances to the point it is no longer reliable.



Good luck,



AC

Bill has the right line of thought, and do not try and move it around with a screw driver as you can un-spring the extractor un less you are planning on putting in a new one. Plus I do not Know HOW FISH can move his around as the Magnums are suppost to be Riveted in Place. You can get a new from Remington or Midway-around $12.00. Send E-Mail

Hmmm... seems odd that the extractor would be giving up the ghost at around 2000-2500rds (approximate number thru the gun), but then a fair number of those were pretty hot, so perhaps it's just taken its fair share of abuse and had enough.

How involved is the process for pulling the old one and putting in a new one? Something the local gunsmiths should be able to accomplish? Something I should be able to do at home w/ a reasonable selection of tools? Something I need to take to a dedicated rifle-builder?

Thanks,

Monte

Sent you an E-Mail

Called Rem today and they did make a few they said in the Magnum Cal.' W/O a rivet. The lady went back in the books a way's. She would liked to of had the the Serial #. to have looked it up.

My 700 vls had the same problem, dropped cases back in magazine, local gunsmith Dave Sams, a remington repair center, replace extractor with new one , solved problem. Dave can be reached at 717-626-0021. good luck.

I knew I wasn't crazy. Well... actually that may be debateable, but I new that mine didn't have a rivet!

Well, for those who care, I got a new ejector spring in from Brownell's and stuck it in there. Cases are ejected quite vigorously now! Almost too much so. No dents in the case mouth area yet, but back to the bit where the cases almost do a 180 in the ejection port before coming out if the bolt is worked rapidly. I think I'm going to pull the spring out and trim a coil or two off of it to tame things down just a tad.

Thanks,

Monte