Author Topic: Tight latch? (Read 1655 times)

PartsMan · « **on:** September 11, 2007, 07:50:45 AM »

My barrel latch is hard to release after shooting.
Could this be making it shoot bad?
I have checked my latch engagement. It looked pretty good.
It will lock up tight on a .0015 every time and on a .0020 if you snap it a little.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** September 11, 2007, 08:04:59 AM »

Some of mine do that too, but they still shoot good, I'd contact Gordon at H&R and ask his opinion.

FWIW, it usually happens with hotter loads, the 300WSM did it as does my 280Impr.

Tim

Mac11700 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 11, 2007, 08:15:10 AM »

Measure your latch engagement...then smoke the shelf prior to shooting those loads...See if it has increased... Is this happening with all of your reloads..or factory too...

Mac

PartsMan · « **Reply #3 on:** September 11, 2007, 08:16:44 AM »

You know it may just be with the Light Mags.
I don't remember if it was hard before.
I'll measure again tonight.
I really want this thing to start shooting soon. $:-\$

PS no reloads

Hofs01 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:03:02 AM »

please forgive me but can someone please explain to me what "smoke the shelf" means?

Scibaer · « **Reply #5 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:20:03 AM »

Use a match or lighter to put a coating of smoke on the shelf. the latch will scrub off the smoke "blackining" and you can see where the engagement is...
there are other things like lipstick or chalk that works for this too..
glenn

cwlongshot · « **Reply #6 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:50:05 AM »

I have had this happen twice, on two different rifles. Both times it was TOO much engagement. What I mean is the shelf was too far back, allowing the latch to rotate farther in its axis into an area where the polishing wasn't as good. Hope you can understand this explanation...

You/I could have added a shim to move everything back into better relationship. I choose to try the barrel on different receivers and lucked out as both fit better of other receivers.

CW

PartsMan · « **Reply #7 on:** September 11, 2007, 11:32:38 AM »

I ran out to the truck at break and smoked the latch.
My latch is engaging about .070 which is in line with the less than .080 in barrel fitting faqs.
Also the latch is self feels very smooth.
The lug on the other hand is a little ruff.
I have all ready smoothed it up some to get full engagement left to right.
I'm afraid to take any more off.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2007, 12:24:30 PM »

You could try a temporary shim made from a feeler gauge blade on the shelf to see if it still does it, then you'd know if the latch engagement is too much or not. I don't think that's the issue, but each rifle can be different, it could also be a soft latch, one of the fixes reported by some after a repair has been made is "reharden catch" which is what H&R calls the latch. I'd call and see what Gordon says, it would be good info to learn, too.

It could also be frame flex from too hot of load. The 300WSM barrel did that, after the shot, there was a perceivable gap tween barrel and frame right at the top where it's the widest and easiest to see, what happens is the case head thrust causes the frame to flex enough that it puts the latch in a bind when the case expands to the rear then jams the action slightly open against the spent case. You'll be able to see the gap if you look for it before you break it open, look for a gap at the top from the side, I've never measured it, but I'd say it's .001"-.002".

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2007, 04:35:22 PM »

I am going to call customer service tomorrow.
I give up. My 25-06 shot MOA and my 223 will shoot clover leaves,but this thing will not shoot.

I shot it again tonight after work. (18 rounds Hornady light mag)
The "group" was 6" wide and 10" tall.
When I took the fore end off the verticle string went away.
I never had two in a row within 4" of each other.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2007, 07:11:57 PM »

Quote

I shot it again tonight after work. (18 rounds Hornady light mag)

Well...no wonder...I don't know but of only a couple of Handi's that will shoot the light mags worth a durn...Try another brand...

Mac

trotterlg · « **Reply #11 on:** September 11, 2007, 07:12:11 PM »

Verticle is lock up/forearm/rest position. Horizontal is most likely trigger technique or how you rest your cheek. Larry

PartsMan · « **Reply #12 on:** September 12, 2007, 03:12:35 AM »

I have tried every brand I can get within a 2 hour drive.
80 rounds and four different loads.
I have tried every fore end technique I can find including none.
All shots were off of the same bench and bags that my 223 handi will shoot ragged holes and it has a stiffer trigger.
Not to mention the 25-06 barrel from this receiver shot -1" from the same shooter and rest.

I am not the problem!

Mac11700 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 12, 2007, 04:23:31 AM »

I would say it is time to call the factory...Ask to speak with Gordon...and tell him what you have done...and shot..and the suggestions from here you have tried...Tell him how good your other barrels on the same frame ? are shooting...so it isn't a frame issue.....Ask nicely...and see what he suggest...he most likely will have you send it back in and they will replace the barrel for you..Barrels can be bad...even if every thing looks good from the start...some just won't shoot...no matter what you do..

Mac

PartsMan · « **Reply #14 on:** September 12, 2007, 04:48:41 AM »

I called customer service.
They were very helpful and very straight forward.
No BS or questions at all.
"If it won't shoot 2.5" groups at 100yd send it back and we will repair or replace it"
Now my favorite Brown "toy delivery service" truck is going to take my rifle away.
I am sure they will make it write.
My only fear is we won't get this straight before November 17.
Deer season is my main reason for owning this rifle.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #15 on:** September 12, 2007, 05:05:36 AM »

It is a factory fitted barrel or a used barrel that you fitted?

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #16 on:** September 12, 2007, 06:48:31 AM »

Quote from: quickdtoo on September 12, 2007, 05:05:36 AM

It is a factory fitted barrel or a used barrel that you fitted?

Tim

Factory fitted this year.
Plus, I got to thinking and I haven't had the gun quite two years yet so It should be covered too.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #17 on:** September 12, 2007, 06:56:35 AM »

You're good to go, they'll even fix used older guns that members have bought 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand!! ;)I don't recollect them ever denying warranty service after the 1yr warranty period.

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #18 on:** September 18, 2007, 06:13:56 AM »

Tracked my rifle. It was signed for at H&R this morning.
$:-\$ I hope all goes well.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #19 on:** September 18, 2007, 06:19:33 AM »

Hopefully you'll have it back in 10 days or so.

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #20 on:** September 27, 2007, 07:51:07 AM »

I called H&R. I'm not very patient.
She said my rifle is done and the shipping dept. has it.
Should ship out tomorrow.
Not to bad they had about a week.

She didn't know what had been done but there will be a description in the box.

handi243 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 27, 2007, 09:35:17 AM »

They probably put on a new barrel i hope this one does better for you i never seen a caliber as picky as the 7mm08's.

PartsMan · « **Reply #22 on:** September 28, 2007, 03:44:13 AM »

I was kind of hoping it was not the barrel.
Over $100 invested in break in.
Of course if the barrel was bad I want a new one.

For the most part I just hope it wasn't something simple I could have fixed.

PartsMan · « **Reply #23 on:** October 04, 2007, 07:57:18 AM »

IT'S BACK!!!!!

Any idea how big that black circle is?

d_hiker · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2007, 08:17:45 AM »

Did they tell you what they did to it to fix the problem? New barrel?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2007, 08:29:24 AM »

I resized the pic so the holes are ~.284", the black circle is 2" in diameter, I also changed the width to height ratio so it's round.

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #26 on:** October 04, 2007, 09:16:00 AM »

I don't now what they did. I will look it and the paper work over tonight.

Thanks quickdtoo.
Not a great group but minute of deer out past 300yd.
Much better starting point than before anyway.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #27 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:02:48 AM »

It's a nice group, I'm sure you can improve on it with ammo selection, specially after you start reloading for it!!

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #28 on:** October 05, 2007, 08:48:35 AM »

This is hard for a grown man to admit so be gentle.

Judging by the paper work and looking the rifle over,
they just shot it.

This is just a theory,
but it seems as though the first ammo I tried in it
now shoots fine after breaking in with some expensive stuff,
and shipping it half way across the country.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #29 on:** October 05, 2007, 08:58:26 AM »

That's not hard to accept, bores change as they break in, it's a lot more obvious with a rimfire since so much more ammo can be sent down range in a range trip or two, I've changed ammo more than a couple times in all 4 of my 17hmrs as the barrels settled down, usually one of the first I tried that originally didn't shoot good, became the best shooting of all once a couple hundered rounds had been shot.

My 223 Ultra didn't shoot the 45gr WWB ammo well until I had about 80 rounds down the bore which was after I polished the bore, but I knew from everyone's experience the WWB ammo was good stuff, it was....eventually, so I stuck with it.

Tim