I have a newer Ruger model 77 in 35 Whelen,there are times at the range that when i squeeze off a shot the firing pin hits the primer but just barely. If I work the bolt and put the same shell back in the chamber and pull the trigger it hits it with authority and the shell fires. What would cause this ?I've taken the bolt apart and there is no dirt or grease. everything is nice and clean. I'm alittle worried to take it hunting only to have it not go off .Anyone else have this problem? Thanks 1Longbow

Sounds like the bolt might have not been all the way closed. My 77 will fire without the bolt being all the way closed. You can hear the firing pin striking the inside of the bolt.

Assuming the ammo is reloaded, do you clean primer pockets? If a primer is high, the first lick of the firing pin will sometimes drive it to the bottom of the case, softening the blow, the second time will then fire it as it is then properly seated. Usually they will also chamber a little hard, and you'll see a ring on the primer where it rubbed on the bolt when it was turned to lock.

As far as I know any bolt action will fire without the bolt being completely closed. This will also cause your problem, the firing pin will use its energy to close the bolt completely when it hits. Try it while dry firing, you'll see what we're talking about.

If these are reloads, it may be the primers you're using. Some Rugers don't have a strong enough spring to consistently fire the harder primers. This can be remedied by using softer primers or going with a stronger spring.

Also, if you have had your bolt apart, you may not have screwed it all the way back together. I did this once myself. It gave light hits which would fire the round most of the time.

quote:

Originally posted by 1Longbow:
I have a newer Ruger model 77 in 35 Whelen,there are times at the range that when i squeeze off a shot the firing pin hits the primer but just barely. If I work the bolt and put the same shell back in the chamber and pull the trigger it hits it with authority and the shell fires. What would cause this ?I've taken the bolt apart and there is no dirt or grease. everything is nice and clean. I'm alittle worried to take it hunting only to have it not go off .Anyone else have this problem? Thanks 1Longbow

You say it's a "newer? Ruger M77, but is it the tang safety model or the newer Mk II with the three position safety? The reason I ask is the tang safety model is a push feed type action that just happens to have the Mauser type claw extractor. The .35 Whelen has a minimal shoulder and is't quite easy when reloading to set that shoulder back enough to create a headspace problem, and it don't take much. The Mk II is supposed to be a controlled feed action which theoretically should hold the case against the bolt face alleviating the problem. Note, I said theoretically. I have three rifles chambered to the Whelen, and each has it's own sizing die set up the just barely give a crush fit. I want to feel that bolt closing against that cartridge. You want just enough to give that feel without making closing the bolt difficult.
One of my rifles is a tang safety Ruger 77, and it was the worst offent on that point. The Remington 700 was a little better, but it too needed special case handling as did the Ruger. The Mauser has never given any problems along those lines due to the claw extractor holding the case against the bolt, but I set up the die for it the same as the others. After all, why take a chanceIf you were shooting handloads when the misfires occurred, I would look into how the die was set uo and adjust accordingly, regardles of the type of action, push or controlled feed.
Paul B.

quote:

Originally posted by 1Longbow:
I have a newer Ruger model 77 in 35 Whelen,there are times at the range that when i squeeze off a shot the firing pin hits the primer but just barely. If I work the bolt and put the same shell back in the chamber and pull the trigger it hits it with authority and the shell fires. What would cause this ?I've taken the bolt apart and there is no dirt or grease. everything is nice and clean. I'm alittle worried to take it hunting only to have it not go off .Anyone else have this problem? Thanks 1Longbow

Completly disasemble the bolt & clean the sand etc out I have seen this 4 or 5 times. Dirt or grit ?? gets in between the firing pin & bolt body not letting it not fall completely foreward sometimes!!

I have a Ruger SE Whelen that habitually misfired. I sent it back to Ruger’s hospital twice and they ultimately changed-out the barrel, firing pin and firing pin spring. I thought that Ruger had cured the problem and then one day it went click instead of bang again. Because every elk hunter needs a Whelen, I took this rifle to my gunsmith and told him to install a Lilja stainless barrel and work the trigger down to a crisp three pounds. I was assuming that Ruger did not know how to head space a Whelen properly. However, in the process of working on the trigger he discover that the trigger group retaining pin was bored at an angle that would cause the sear to drag on the bolt’s cocking piece from time to time. He rebored it and installed a new retaining pin. I have put well over 500 Remington, Federal and Norma factory rounds through this rifle without experiencing a misfire. Incidentally, he also told me that he heard from a gunsmith in the Puget Sound area that had discovered exactly the same problem on another Ruger SE Whelen. CP.

Paul,
i agree.. the ruger's are called CRFs, but "under the extractor, is not required... my rsm in 416 (no waring, 3 pos afety) is a toss it in, and feed, feed from mag, or push it out from the mag.. all of it works!!

jeffe

When the M-77 Mk II came out in 35 Whelen, there were a lot of misfire problems with all types of ammo. Some folks sent them back to the factory, where they were fiddled with mercilessly. Some rifles were rebarreled two or three times, got new bolts, etc. I don't think Ruger ever figured it out, and some owners gave up and accepted Ruger's offer of another M-77 in a standard caliber.

I took mine to Jim Cloward. He claimed it needed an extra-strength mainspring, so I had him add one and tune the trigger. It solved the problem for less than the cost of shipping it back to Ruger, and I had it back in just a few weeks.

Give it a try.


Okie John

I just re-read CP's post. Cloward is in the Puget Sound area, so he may be the guy CP's smith was talking about.


Okie John