ruger carbine bolt locks open

wayneinFL · January 11, 2005, 07:36 PM

I have a Ruger carbine in 44 mag., not the Deerfield carbine, but the older version, SN starts with 102.

I don't have the manual in front of me- please correct me if I use part names like "thingamajiggy".

I bought this used and fired it once. I pulled the action and barrel off the stock to clean it. When I did two screws fell out. I found where the screws went- one slotted screw at the rear of the receiver, and one allan screw at the front of the mag tube- I think it's the assembly with the gas piston. I put the screws back in and cleaned and oiled everything.

After I put it together, it would not cycle ammunition- the bolt would lock to the rear when hand-cycling, as if the magazine were empty. I don't think it ever did that before.

What's wrong?

DT Guy · January 11, 2005, 08:42 PM

Never even handled one, so this is a SWAG*: did you somehow trap the the piston with the screw or or reverse it?

Good luck!

Larry

*SWAG=Scientific Wild-A$$ Guess

samoand · November 1, 2005, 08:41 PM

I'm having same exact problem - if it is a problem indeed. I picked up a 44 mag at a gun show, never shot it yet; played with blanks though and observed identical behavior. Is it the way it's supposed to work? Perhaps the chamber needs that burst from a real cartridge to induce feeding from the tube, and so it will act differently when actually fired? Too bad I won't make it to rifle range any time soon. wayneinFL - or anybody else - did you find out anything? -Cheers!

Rimrod · November 2, 2005, 11:22 AM

But lets see. Samoand use real ammunition. Wayne I have two books on disassembly/reassembly of that rifle, neither of which is very clear. The one does however mention the hole in the magazine tube and they say to install a nail in it to ease reassembly, but it doesn't stay in the gun. They both do say that the gun can be tricky and left to a competent gunsmith.

Good luck,
Rod

fhp490 · November 2, 2005, 11:05 PM

you can view or download your manual here

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firear...ctManuals.html

wayneinFL · November 2, 2005, 11:12 PM

Quote:

wayneinFL - or anybody else - did you find out anything?

You know I keep meaning to take it out to the range to see if that happens while firing, but I just haven't got around to it.

Of course, the range is closed due to hurricane damage, so it's not going to happen this weekend.

Quote:

They both do say that the gun can be tricky and left to a competent gunsmith.

That's probably what I'm going to do, if it doesn't work.

Quote:

The one does however mention the hole in the magazine tube and they say to install a nail in it to ease reassembly, but it doesn't stay in the gun.

Bear in mind I posted this in January. It's all a little fuzzy. The hole I put the allan screw in was threaded, and, IIRC, there was another hole elsewhere. I wouldn't have messed with anything but when I pulled the action from the stock, those two screws fell out on the kitchen table. They had been lying there for some time; that's the way it came from the previous owner. I simply put the screws in where they fit.

samoand · November 3, 2005, 10:15 AM

hmm... it appears that it's a fairly rare rifle - if even a competent bunch here holds their silence. I'll make sure to report the results when I get around to taking it to a range. -Best regards!

samoand · November 10, 2005, 04:12 AM

Greetings all! Mine works fine with live ammo; cycles them just as expected. I won't go into speculations as to why hand-cycling causes different behavior. - Best regards.

akles · November 17, 2005, 08:49 PM

The bolt will stay locked open untill the release in back of
the loading gate is pushed in that is how mine works

January 11, 2005, 07:36 PM	#1
wayneinFL Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2004 Posts: 1,944	ruger carbine bolt locks open I have a Ruger carbine in 44 mag., not the Deerfield carbine, but the older version, SN starts with 102. I don't have the manual in front of me- please correct me if I use part names like "thingamajiggy". I bought this used and fired it once. I pulled the action and barrel off the stock to clean it. When I did two screws fell out. I found where the screws went- one slotted screw at the rear of the receiver, and one allan screw at the front of the mag tube- I think it's the assembly with the gas piston. I put the screws back in and cleaned and oiled everything. After I put it together, it would not cycle ammunition- the bolt would lock to the rear when hand-cycling, as if the magazine were empty. I don't think it ever did that before. What's wrong?

January 11, 2005, 08:42 PM	#2
DT Guy Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Posts: 959	Never even handled one, so this is a SWAG: did you somehow trap the the piston with the screw or or reverse it? Good luck! Larry SWAG=Scientific Wild-A$$ Guess __________________ He who fights and runs away had better run pretty damn fast. Government, Anarchy and Chaos

November 2, 2005, 11:22 AM	#4
Rimrod Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Behind enemy lines Posts: 1,309	Never owned one or worked on one. But lets see. Samoand use real ammunition. Wayne I have two books on disassembly/reassembly of that rifle, neither of which is very clear. The one does however mention the hole in the magazine tube and they say to install a nail in it to ease reassembly, but it doesn't stay in the gun. They both do say that the gun can be tricky and left to a competent gunsmith. Good luck, Rod

November 2, 2005, 11:05 PM	#5
fhp490 Member Join Date: September 30, 2005 Posts: 32	Ruger you can view or download your manual here http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firear...ctManuals.html

November 17, 2005, 08:49 PM	#9
akles Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2005 Posts: 12	ruger carbine bolt locks open The bolt will stay locked open untill the release in back of the loading gate is pushed in that is how mine works

November 1, 2005, 08:41 PM	#3
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	I'm having same exact problem - if it is a problem indeed. I picked up a 44 mag at a gun show, never shot it yet; played with blanks though and observed identical behavior. Is it the way it's supposed to work? Perhaps the chamber needs that burst from a real cartridge to induce feeding from the tube, and so it will act differently when actually fired? Too bad I won't make it to rifle range any time soon. wayneinFL - or anybody else - did you find out anything? -Cheers!

November 3, 2005, 10:15 AM	#7
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	hmm... it appears that it's a fairly rare rifle - if even a competent bunch here holds their silence. I'll make sure to report the results when I get around to taking it to a range. -Best regards!

November 10, 2005, 04:12 AM	#8
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	Greetings all! Mine works fine with live ammo; cycles them just as expected. I won't go into speculations as to why hand-cycling causes different behavior. - Best regards.