Early frame trouble

[Possum]

I just bought a 17XXX serial numbered blue frame.  When I tried to mount my 30-30 barrel to the frame
it would not lock up. Seems like there was something in the frame making
contact with the lug where it should not be.  When I say it won't lock that means, with the forearm off, it will not even come close to shutting.  The three oct barrels it came with all work perfectly.  Has anyone had experience with this? Is there some kind of conversion I have to have done to make it work with other barrels?  The only difference I see is there is a small ridge on the 30-30 barrel on the bottom of the lug about half the way on bottom.

All the other posts I see are about frames that won't release after they are shut.  This one has trouble before I get to that point.

[doc-and]

Check the locking lugs on the Octagon barrels and compare them to the ones on the 30-30 barrel.  That would be the first place to look. Also Check the the Octagon barrels to see if they have a one piece or the newer two piece locking lugs.  

doc-and

[myronman3]

read through this and see if the information here is your problem.  it was mine and the advise offered was enough to solve my problem.  with my one barrel,  when i would close the action, you could hear that it wasnt locking up.  
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=18883

[RonF]

Possum, I think you have a different problem.  I think your 17xxx frame has the old - and I mean OLD, read original - style trigger guard, the one with no trigger stop screw in the back.  If that is true, then your frame will only accept barrels with flat bottoms below the locking lug.  I'll bet your 30-30 barrel has a stepped lug bottom and that those octagon barrels have flat bottoms.  If that's the case, you need to send your frame in to Fox Ridge for the "easy open" conversion.  This updates the trigger frame pivot point and makes it easier to open, but, more importantly, you get the new style trigger frame which allows stepped bottom barrels to be used.  I could be wrong about all this, but I have a 14xxx frame and earlier ones that won't take stepped barrels and a 42xxx frame with the newer, not newest, style trigger guard that does accept them just fine.  I think this is your problem.

RonF

[Possum]

Ron, I believe you have a winner.  You have described the problem better than I could. The 30-30 barrel does have a "stepped lug bottom" and the others are smooth.  That is the only difference I see.  The frame does not have the trigger stop screw.  What you are describing makes sense.  Now I just have to figure out the best way to get the frame back to TC.  Do I ship to the factory or to Fox Ridge?    I mean, is Fox Ridge the factory repair shop or is is a "custom shop" and the factory still has it's repair shop.

[RonF]

I don't know.  Give T/C a call using the phone number on their web site and ask them is all I can suggest.  I think you are going to have to pay for the conversion ($55, I think) but don't know for sure. Good luck!  Let us know what happens and if they agree that this is the problem.

RonF

[Possum]

Okay, I took the frames from the barrels and compared the Oct barrels to my other two newer barrels.  The only difference is on the bottom of the barrel lug, on the chamber end, there is a difference with the slant of the lug.  The older barrel has a sharper angled cut to the lug than the newer barrels.  

Then if you compare the newer 2XX,XXX frame to the older 17,XXX frame you will see two slanted parts down in the receiver.  These are different also.    The older frame parts looked like they have a slight curve to them and the newer ones are straight.  The older Oct barrels will lock up in the new frame which tells me these slanted parts are the culprit.  I assume they replace these when they switch out the trigger guard assembly with the easy-open conversion.  

Thanks for all the help and I am now going to contact T/C about shipping it in.

[Possum]

Thanks to everyone for all the help.  Bug, thanks especially for all the detailed info you e-mailed me.

[RonF]

Possum, are your problems solved now?  If so, what did you do?

RonF

[Possum]

I called this TC this morning and the repair manager said it was the locking bolt and the roller that was not engaging properly with the old frame.  He suggested I upgrade the frame with a conversion for $55.  

I am not sure if I want to convert it or not.  I may look at 4 different barrels tonight to see if the locking bolt and rollers are different.  If they are , I don't see why I can't switch out the bolt for a different one and check the lockup.   With four barrels to choose from, I ought to find one where the locking bolt assembly would work.  All I want is for the 30-30 barrel to work with this frame.  Any other barrel I would use with my other frame.  

I did look at them briefly this afternoon and found that 3 are the split locking bolt type and one is the solid bolt type.  What is weird is that the solid bolt will lock up with both frames.  I am going to take a good look at it tonight.