[Merle1948]

Greetings,

I have come up with several observations about the M95 bolt stiffnes.

1. I have been reading previous posts about stiff bolt operation in the latest round of imports. One common theme is to make sure the internals of the bolt are deburred & well lubricated. As much of a pain as it is to reset the bolt head in order to re-insert the bolt, I just can't imagine how much fun it would be to dis-assemble & re-assemble the bolt.
My old beat-up M95 in 8x50R operates smoother when it is bone dry than my new M95 in 8x56R does when it is well lubed. I feel like I need a mallet after about five shots. This just isn't satidfactory to me.

2. The bolt in my new M95 appears to be brand new; there are no signs of wear at all. Does anyone know if that is possibly the case? There are no old serial numbers lined out, just the electropenciled serial number of the receiver.

3. I noted that my bolt head (on the new M95) turns pretty easy, so I began to wonder about the guide ribs (don't know the correct terminology here) being slightly oversized. I'm pretty sure that would make the bolt operate stiffly. Has anyone experienced this? Is it possible, or wise, to lap them for easier operation? I don't think it is a safety issue, as the locking lugs are seperate.

Opinions? Comments?

PS: Is there some trick to getting the bolt head to stay locked open while re-inserting the bolt? I have taken to cleaning from the muzzle, like an M-1, in order to avoid removing the bolt. I can't spare any more finger nails!!!

Thanks.

 

[Merle1948]

Lapping some mating parts is an acceptible process if done carefully and it has solved some roughness issues for me in the past. A trick to keeping the bolt head extended while returning it to the receiver is to use a dime between the bolt head and the bolt body. The dime is laid "heads " or " Tails " on the bolt head shank that is exposed. I also remember seeing or reading on this forum that one member made a nifty little tool from a section of copper pipe sawn length -wise so that you had two short pieces. The pieces are just long enough to provide the bolt head extension need for insertion of the bolt. The short section of copper tubing fitted the bolt shank nicely so that the bolt head would not snap back while trying to get the bolt back in. I made one of these and it works great. The same problem is encountered with 1905 Ross rifle bolts ( which took some of their design from the Mannlicher ) and also the 1910 bolts. finally learned how to keep the locking wedge on my 1890 Mannlicher bolt in it's proper position for insertion in the receiver. Regards, Joe

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure how much the dime would help, but I'll give it a try. The tinniest bump & it will snap closed with great vigor! I suspect it would spit the dime out, but ......

I'm going to rig up a tool like that. It sure would save a lot of pain for me getting the bolt head locked open.

 

[Merle1948]

You've probably already noticed, but I found that after firing a round, pulling back on the rear of the bolt to re-cock it before working the action helps considerably. (It also makes the bolt easier to open if it's cocked before dry cycling, as well.)

Well DUH on me!
I never thought of that.
Kind of the same trick my 95 lb wife uses to rack the slide on my Colt 1911.
Thanks.

 

[Merle1948]

That's generally a sign that the problem is NOT the external bolt guide ribs. The resistance is probably coming from the spiral flutes inside the bolt, most likely from mixed-part misfitting.

M

The bolt is hard to open, which points to the spirals. But when I reset the bolt head, it seems to rotate fairly easy, but then I don't have any reliable guidelines so may be way off base. It rotates, but won't stay set - the least little bump & it's gone.

But it is also very hard to run back & forth - that's why I suspect the ribs.
When you are cycling the bolt, what part do the spirals play?
I thought they were just along for the ride at that point, or am I misunderstanding the operation sequence?

 

[Merle1948]

You also might want to check that the ejector isn't bent or misaligned.

-Devo

It looks OK, but now I will put some marker on it & cycle it a few time to see if it's rubbing.
Thanks for the tip.

 

[Merle1948]

Bolt head wanting to snap shut upon removal is a sign that the "nub" on the opposite end of the extractor is worn. A profile view will show it as a triangular shape with one side at 90 degrees and one at 45 degrees. You can try to put a little more bend into the extractor or touch up the "nub" with a file.

I had never heard that before.
Thank you.

 

[Merle1948]

I agree completely.

If the bolt head slams shut when removed from the receiver, or if the bolt head snaps shut VERY easily when removed, then you have a problem of an improperly fitted extractor.

What is happening in these cases (usually) is that when you are extracting a cartridge, the force put on the extractor head causes the extractor nub inside the bolt body to jump out of its slot. Thus, when you are working the bolt, the bolt head is trying to rotate shut and dragging in the left raceway. Sometimes if you cycle the action without a round in the chamber, the problem will go away. If it does, then this is DEFINITELY your problem.

Some refurbs (Bulgarian ones come to mind) did not afford much attention to ensuring bolt heads, extractors and bolt bodies were kept together. These parts were originally fitted to each other at the factory and troops in the field did not typically strip their bolt bodies.

I have fixed a number of these rifles before by swapping extractors around. If you have more than one M95, try changing the extractors between the rifles. Sometimes you get lucky and both rifles end up "fixed". If not, order a couple spares and try a few till one works for you.

Stripping the bolt is not too tough.

1) Remove the bolt from the rifle and ensure the bolt head is snapped closed. If it isn't, snap it closed yourself.
2) Grab the bolt in one hand and use your thumb to hold the safety. Pull the cocking piece outward until the safety engages. Use your thumb to keep the safety engaged and rorate the cocking piece until it comes off.
3) Use a wooden dowel and a soft mallet to tap the firing pin into the bolt body from the rear of the bolt. Stop once the bolt head is extended about 1.5" and the extractor is rotated past the right bolt lug. Now pull the extractor forward out of the bolt and set it aside.

At this point you can swap in a new extractor and see if that fixes your problem or not. Reverse the above steps to re-assemble. If you want to disassemble further keep going as per below. If you have never stripped your bolt before I STRONGLY recommend a complete strip to clean out old dried grease and gunk that may also be adversely affecting function. When done, make sure you lube with a nice light machine or gun oil before reassembling.

4) Pull the bolt head out of the bolt body, paying attention to the bolt head's orientation when it disengages from the bolt sleeve's helixes (hard to describe, but obvious what I'm talking about when you actually do it and see the moving parts).

5) The rear of the bolt head is a nut with grooves machined into it to match the spiral grooves or helixes on the bolt head. Turn it counter-clockwise to remove it, but be careful. The firing pin is under tension and will shoot out the back once the spring tension is relieved. I would suggest pointing it in a safe direction or holding it against a board or something while you do this. Once it threads off, relieve the spring tension and remove the firing pin and spring. TA-DA! it's stripped.

6) If you want, you can go a step further and remove the safety. Remove the retaining screw and pull it out.

Yep, that sure describes my problem. If I even sneeze near it - KASNAP!!! If it hasn't already rotated, that is.
I have been told it is a Bulgarian rework, as it has the bottom swivels removed & a plug insert into the buttstock.
Doesn't sound too complicated taking down the bolt, I believe I can manage that one.
I'm going to order a couple of extractors & try my luck. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Thanks

 

[Merle1948]

Hammer. Nail. Head.

UMM, you lost me there .....

 

[Merle1948]

He's saying I "hit the nail on the head" with my description of the problem

OHH !!!
I thoght maybe he was telling me to take a hammer to it, but not to hit myself in the head when I was drawing a bead on the nail.

 

[Merle1948]

Hahaha! Sorry about that.

That's OK, I have been confused before ......