My lever is getting stuck on my lever action! help

[magic99]

Hi, thought id post this before I send the rifle in.

I have a browning 308 Lever action and every time I take a shot, The lever gets stuck.
It takes a bit of playing and pressure until the lever opens. it only happens after i take a shot.
Any ideas???

The only place that I heard of that would fix it is the calgary shooting centre.
any other recommendation?
im in Calgary

thanks!

[silver]

Are you shooting factory or reloads?

Have you cleaned the chamber?

[magic99]

I'm shooting Federal Fusion 165 gr (factory), it worked great last year

I did clean it up after hunting season ended last year and i cleaned it before i took it to the range 3 days ago

[silver]

Originally Posted by magic99

I'm shooting Federal Fusion 165 gr (factory), it worked great last year

I did clean it up after hunting season ended last year and i cleaned it before i took it to the range 3 days ago

Did you clean the barrel or the chamber?

[qwert]

Originally Posted by magic99

I have a browning 308 Lever action and every time I take a shot, The lever gets stuck.
It takes a bit of playing and pressure until the lever opens. it only happens after i take a shot.
Any ideas???

Have you cleaned the chamber and bolt locking lugs carefully? this is not easy on a lever gun without dissassembly, which you certainly want to avoid on a BLR. You can insert your rod from the muzzle then attach the chamber brush and mop inside the open action, pull back inside the chamber and twist clockwise to clean, you will need a large brush to clean the lug area.
Does the action cycle smoothly with and without a cartridge?
Was the bolt and action lubed with a good quality light gun oil? (I suggest ATF/kerosene 50/50, NEVER use WD40) Do you use bolt grease on the locking lugs?
Are the locking lugs galled? Do you have access to a bore scope to inspect the chamber and lugs?
Is the 'bit of playing and pressure until the lever opens' just moving and pressing the lever?
Does it happen every time a shot is fired?
Have you tried other ammunition?

I suggest you use a dowel or brass rod or your cleaning rod to gently tap inside the fired case while you hold a little pressure on the lever. Feel how the case releases from the chamber. Re-chamber the fired case and carefully feel both the chambering and extraction forces and smoothness.

As always, one step at a time, do the easy stuff first.
Make very sure any gunsmith is experienced with BLRs.
Also check with Torphy/Torfy? gunsmith @ TheShootingEdge, he has a very good borescope.
Good Luck, YMMV

[magic99]

Ive sprayed the gun with hoppe's elite gun cleaner, wipe the rifle down and oiled it with G96 complete gun oil.. the only thing i didnt do is grease the locking lugs.... ill get on that today.. thanks!

Are the locking lugs galled? Do you have access to a bore scope to inspect the chamber and lugs? Im going have to look at this

Is the 'bit of playing and pressure until the lever opens' just moving and pressing the lever? Yes and everytime a shot a fired, I havnt tried other ammunition, i will do that next time

thanks for your help, i will get on this and let you know what happens

[gitrdun]

My first thought when reading your original post was that something may be amiss with the rack and pinion gear. Not necessarily that it is out of timing because that typically happens upon incorrect reassembly of the gearing system where they are not correctly timed. But, I'm thinking that I would inspect both the pinion gear and the rack to see if there is some wear or slight damage to the gear teeth that mesh one another.

[luv2hunt]

sounds more like hot loads but he said he is using factory loads that he used last year ? try different ammo after inspecting lever mechanism and gears ,,but im betting an ammo problem..inspect your fired cases an primers also,, if still no luck take it to an expert,,, the reason i suspect ammo is he said it only happens to fired rounds which leads me to believe it functions fine if he loads and unloads without firing

[qwert]

After reflection, it occurred to me that we are having some hot weather, and the ammo might have been in the sun, both of which can cause increased pressure compared with the same ammo fired late last fall. The individual batch of ammo could also vary and the batch fired last fall could be quite different from the current batch. The current batch of brass could be softer or have reduced 'springback' from the chamber wall.

Inspecting the fired primmer carefully is always a good practice, and difficulty of extraction is a common sign of excess pressure.

Good Luck, YMMV

[gtr]

Originally Posted by magic99

Ive sprayed the gun with hoppe's elite gun cleaner, wipe the rifle down and oiled it with G96 complete gun oil.. the only thing i didnt do is grease the locking lugs.... ill get on that today.. thanks!

Are the locking lugs galled? Do you have access to a bore scope to inspect the chamber and lugs? Im going have to look at this

Is the 'bit of playing and pressure until the lever opens' just moving and pressing the lever? Yes and everytime a shot a fired, I havnt tried other ammunition, i will do that next time

thanks for your help, i will get on this and let you know what happens

Any update to report.Wondering if you got a chance to try different ammo?

[magic99]

I cleaned/oiled the rifle again, looked at the gears/lever action and cannot find any issues. The lever action feels smooth and great.
It only get stuck when I take a shot, and with the busy life with work and family, I wont have time to go to the range for a couple of weeks.

Ive decided to take the rifle in to the shooting range, to have them look at it.

I thought to have them(professionals) take it apart, look at it and see if anything is broken/dirty/rusty and have them replace.

When i get it back, I will try the same box of ammo, and than Ill try the new box of ammo I just purchased and the federal (different brand) and see if its the ammo.

Thanks for all your help and replies, you guys are great
Ill keep you guys updated

[gitrdun]

Well at least it's a good thing that you haven't found anything suspicious with the gearing. I think it should be an easy fix, whatever ails it. And, you'll probably find out it wasn't anything all that complicated.

[qwert]

I suggest you be very reluctant to disassemble (or hire someone to disassemble) your rifle until you have tried everything else to resolve the problem.

IMHE,The BLR is not a Winchester or Ruger that can be rebuilt using a nail and a rock, they only go back together one way and there are many reports of people being unable to re-time them easily or quickly. You may end up with a box of parts or a big invoice for gunsmith’s time. Make sure your gunsmith has done this many times before and knows how to do it properly. I have completely stripped and assembled every other firearm I own, but my BLR has never been disassembled in the 40 years that I have owned it.

You do not say what year your BLR is or where it was made. My pre 81 308W BLR has a very small chamber, and I used SB (small base) dies for many years as rounds would not chamber smoothly if loaded with standard dies. My gunsmith told me this was quite common in lever and semi-autos as they lack the caming force of a bolt.

If you cannot find a SB FL sizer die, I would be happy to size some brass for you which you can then reload with a reduced powder charge to perform a ladder test for pressure and function. You could also purchase a box of factory reduced load ammunition if you prefer.

I also suggest you talk to Torfi @ TSE or other gunsmith with a Hawkeye borescope (http://www.hawkeyeblue.com/page/page/3326819.htm) and ask them to inspect your chamber and locking lugs and to measure your headspace.

If your problem is unsolved after all this then disassembly may be necessary with the previous caution.

Good Luck, YMMV

[gitrdun]

I give up.

[magic99]

Originally Posted by gitrdun

Well at least it's a good thing that you haven't found anything suspicious with the gearing. I think it should be an easy fix, whatever ails it. And, you'll probably find out it wasn't anything all that complicated.

Phew...I like this one!!! lol
Thats what I thought and when I took it in, they said they had experience with the BLR so I just wanted to stay in the safe side and let them look at it

[magic99]

I suggest you be very reluctant to disassemble (or hire someone to disassemble) your rifle until you have tried everything else to resolve the problem.
I took it in and they are going to let me know if they have to disassemble it, Hopefully they dont!!!
IMHE,The BLR is not a Winchester or Ruger that can be rebuilt using a nail and a rock, they only go back together one way and there are many reports of people being unable to re-time them easily or quickly. You may end up with a box of parts or a big invoice for gunsmith’s time. Make sure your gunsmith has done this many times before and knows how to do it properly. I have completely stripped and assembled every other firearm I own, but my BLR has never been disassembled in the 40 years that I have owned it.
Thats what I heard and thats why I hope it doesnt have to be disassembled
Im hoping its just a bad box of ammo
You do not say what year your BLR is or where it was made. My pre 81 308W BLR has a very small chamber, and I used SB (small base) dies for many years as rounds would not chamber smoothly if loaded with standard dies. My gunsmith told me this was quite common in lever and semi-autos as they lack the caming force of a bolt.
I believe its made in the late 80's and I cant remember where is was made
If you cannot find a SB FL sizer die, I would be happy to size some brass for you which you can then reload with a reduced powder charge to perform a ladder test for pressure and function. You could also purchase a box of factory reduced load ammunition if you prefer.
Thanks for this offer, I will keep in mind!
I also suggest you talk to Torfi @ TSE or other gunsmith with a Hawkeye borescope (http://www.hawkeyeblue.com/page/page/3326819.htm) and ask them to inspect your chamber and locking lugs and to measure your headspace.
Thanks I will look into this
If your problem is unsolved after all this then disassembly may be necessary with the previous caution.
Good Luck, YMMV[/QUOTE]