DIFFICULT CHAMBERING

[BILLDORIGHT]

I have a s/s Mod. 92 in .44 mag, and the action works as slick as owl snot without a cartridge in play. With the bolt open a round will drop by its own weight all the way into the chamber, no binding there. When feeding a round from the magazine, everything is smooth/easy until the last 1/4" or so, then the action is really hard to close completely. I've checked to see if the extractor was the problem, and it does seem to gnaw up the rims a bit. Could it be that the extractor is binding instead of snapping over the rim? Any way to ease up the tension w/o risking failure to extract? I thought it might be my reloads, but factory rounds are the same. Is the round supposed to slide under the extractor as it rides up (like a "control feed" on bolt action rifles)? If so, the rim snapping under the extractor may be the problem. Thanks for the help.

[Ranch Dog]

Welcome to the forum.

When feeding a round from the magazine, everything is smooth/easy until the last 1/4" or so, then the action is really hard to close completely. I've checked to see if the extractor was the problem, and it does seem to gnaw up the rims a bit. Could it be that the extractor is binding instead of snapping over the rim? Any way to ease up the tension w/o risking failure to extract? I thought it might be my reloads, but factory rounds are the same. Is the round supposed to slide under the extractor as it rides up (like a "control feed" on bolt action rifles)? If so, the rim snapping under the extractor may be the problem. Thanks for the help.

Will the cartridge slide complete into the chamber with your finger pushing it? It should. On all my rifles, 357 Mag through 480 Ruger, the cartridges slide into the chamber with any bolt contact. In fact, the cartridge is completely seated in the chamber as the bolt is locked and at that moment the extractor snaps quietly over the case rim almost unnoticed.

This may sound stupid, but have you sprayed out your receiver with non-chlorinated brake cleaner? The overseas protectant. I think it is Alox, wrecks havoc on the action especially on the "closed" tolerances as this hardened agent simple won't things close. That's where I would start, removed metal cannot be replaced, and parts are nonexistent.

[mr surveyor]

From what was described, that was exactly what I experienced with my R92 in .44 mag. It seems that my ejector was poorly finished and I had to do some finishing. I detail stripped the gun, removed the ejector from the bolt and took several thousandths inch off the leading end of the ejector "wings" and slightly rounded the nasty squared corners. The length of the originally poorly finished ejector was my issue. It completely fixed the problem.


jd

[Nashville Stage]

Bill, I'd say you're on the right track by suspecting the extractor.

If a round will fully chamber easily without closing the bolt, and the bolt will easily close on an empty chamber, then my suspicions would be either an extractor claw that has issues (more likely) or possibly an ejector that's somehow binding with the little bit of extra travel it needs to move from the thickness of a case rim (less likely). A third option might be a firing pin that's stuck in the forward position, but that's easy to discover.

If your case rims are getting chew marks that match the extractor, that would be another clue. I noticed that my extractors were *really* stiff. The SteveGunz DVD has a section that deals with an overly stiff extractor by removing it & thinning down the middle section to make it bend easier. You could also check the sides of the extractor & see if it's binding within its channel in the bolt. One last thing that comes to mind would be to remove the bolt (with the extractor installed) & see if a case rim will easily fit under the extractor claw. The claw shape or spacing might be preventing the rim from fitting under it.

I don't believe the 92 design has a "controlled feed" like the old military bolt action rifles.

I'd suggest getting a copy of Steve's DVD; it's well worth the price.