Sgt. Saywut Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 I have a Winchester 1897 takedown model, made in 1956, that I decided to disassemble to do a thorough cleaning. I’m glad I did, because even though the ‘97 is in very good shape, it was dirty! Got it all cleaned up and greased/oiled, and I put back together all the major parts. When I re-inserted the barrel and locked it in place, I brought the slide back to test it, and promptly got the action stuck. I can move the slide back and forth about an inch, but the carrier will not go fully into battery, so I can’t even remove the barrel to get the carrier back out. The travel forward hits a hard stop, while going backward it gets tighter till it eventually stops. I tried removing the pin and screws holding the carrier in place, and the trigger assembly, and even the left-hand ejector spring, but to no avail. The action slide hook screw is a new one, and I confirmed it’s still intact. Next week, I plan to take the ‘97 to a gunsmith in OKC who works on those critters, but I wanted to see if you folks had any suggestions for getting the action to work again. I hope it won’t invole that remedy of drilling a hole in the receiver... Pics below showing the extent of travel of the bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 By any chance did the action bar get tweaked (bent). It doesn't take much to cause it to lock up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Saywut Posted November 16, 2017 Author Share Posted November 16, 2017 If it did get bent, it would be at the end inside the action, where I can’t see it. The part I can see still looks straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tell Sackett SASS 18436 Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 I did this same topic a couple weeks back. Mine is locked up too. Same way yours is. I'm taking it to someone who works on them this weekend at a match. My conclusion: something inside broke, or foreign matter got into it somehow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudflat Mike, SASS #20904 Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Push the bolt all the way foward with your thumb. Push up on the carrier until it locks in place. Lower the hammer using the trigger. You should now be able to take the front end off. When you re assemble it, make sure the hammer is down before you twist the front end onto the reciever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Saywut Posted November 16, 2017 Author Share Posted November 16, 2017 The problem is, the bolt stops hard and fast when I try to push it forward, such that the carrier doesn’t quite clear the rear of the underside of the bolt (see pic). It feels like something solid is preventing the bolt from going completely into battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodyMaverick Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 1 hour ago, Sgt. Saywut said: The problem is, the bolt stops hard and fast when I try to push it forward, such that the carrier doesn’t quite clear the rear of the underside of the bolt (see pic). It feels like something solid is preventing the bolt from going completely into battery. It looks like the right side extractor (the one you can see) may be hitting point on to the edge of the barrel and not going into the slot. I have one that will do this if there is not a hull on the face of the bolt spreading the extractors. If you have a little hook like a dental pick or a bent paper clip you can reach in and pull out on the extractor and see if the bolt will close all the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Saywut Posted November 16, 2017 Author Share Posted November 16, 2017 Got it! It was actually the left-hand extractor causing the issue. There was a piece of metallic debris in the pocket next to the barrel where the extractor goes while the bolt is in battery. It must have fallen into the pocket during the strip and clean, and the debris was causing the extractor to stop a hair short. Once I cleaned out the debris with an angled dental pick, the bolt closed normally. Thanks to Cody for putting the idea in my head, and thanks to all who responded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 3 hours ago, Sgt. Saywut said: Got it! It was actually the left-hand extractor causing the issue. There was a piece of metallic debris in the pocket next to the barrel where the extractor goes while the bolt is in battery. It must have fallen into the pocket during the strip and clean, and the debris was causing the extractor to stop a hair short. Once I cleaned out the debris with an angled dental pick, the bolt closed normally. Thanks to Cody for putting the idea in my head, and thanks to all who responded! Ya learned sumthin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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