Hi all,

Hoping one of you knowledgable folks might help out an ally :-))

I recently had some work done on an FN 98 (35 Whelen) by a local gunsmith (he ain't good but he's fast). Basically only thing he ahd to do was blue the bolt shround and slightly alter the bolt handle.

For some reason it is now very stiff to open the bolt after it is fired (dry or loaded). If you close the bolt and open it is as smooth as anything. As soon as you fire it is quite sticky. It was also randomly failing to strke primers hard enough too.

I gather it is a recocking problem. I disassembled the bolt and all looks fine. Installed a Timney Speedlock spring to see if that helped.

I also pulled apart another FN M98 bolt (Roberts) to compare and it appeared the same ie no obvious differences. I then tried the Whelen bolt in the Roberts....(no ammo). Same story, fired it was stiff to open.

I then put the firing pin assembly (inc cocking piece) from the whelen into the Roberts bolt and sure enough it was then stiff to open after firing.

From this it appears there is some binding in the cocking piece of the reblued Whelen bolt...why and what can I look at?

Any assistance. I am loath to pay another smith to fix it and just as reluctant to get the original guy to have another go at it unless I know what he should be doing.

Thanks

Craig
Brisbane Australia (the other country fighting with the USA and UK)

Craig , check cam surfaces at rear of the bolt and in the cocking piece .

Daniel

Hux--

It sounds like your 'smith didn't re-heattreat the cocking cam. Quit messing with it before it galls and ruins your bolt..

I emailed you the directions for re-heattreating that surface.

I'd switch gunsmith's too. That's a bone-headed mistake that could cost you a bunch of money.

Hux,

As far as the "not firing all the time" you may need to inlet the underside of the handle deeper in the bolt handle slot of the stock. Its deep enough to release the sear but not deep enough to get the proper firing pin prodrudence.

Hope this helps,

Coon

Check your trigger adjustment.
The same thing happened on my M98 and it was almost impossible to open the bolt after firing.
If you can open the bolt while pressing the trigger then you must adjust the trigger.
I think it is called trigger engagement.
To much of it....at least it was on my Timney trigger.

Thanks for the suggestions all.

I ended up showing it to a bit of a Mauser freak who pointed out the shiny wear on the cocking nob (the indicator that locks the spring on the pin assembly). Since this part was recently reblued it shoudl not have been marked at all.

I careflly polished this point and its back to being smooth again.

The bolt handle does appear to be seating all the way home and am unsure whether the cocking nob may have been dragging slightly on firing...enough to cause unreliable primer strikes.

I will take it out this weekend on a pig hunting trip and see how it works (no not my main gun).

JBelk....am ditching the smith....his work is less that satisfactory. Unfortunately with our current anti gun politics a decent smith is not exactly easy to find...most have closed doors as being "too hard".

Thanks again

Craig
Brisbane Australia
c_huxley@bigpond.com