USGI M1 Carbine – bolt not closing. Where to start?

[Aero Denezol]

Bolt fails to fully close on a cartridge. These are factory loads, not reloads. The bolt gets to about 85% and then doesn't rotate down that last little bit. I pull the trigger, and *click*, nothing. The primers are not dented at all. The extractor is not grabbing the rim of the case either (I had to unload the chamber by tipping the gun back).

Some additional info, mine is a round bolt, not a flat bolt type. Also, it was in white metal when I got it, so I had it re-parked per USGI specs. I have not shot it once since I bought it, so I don't know if it was broken before the work, or if the parkerization is causing something to bind up.

How would you go about troubleshooting this? Where to start? I do have an M1 bolt takedown tool, for what it's worth..

Many thanks in advance.

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[edzz]

Are you allowing the bolt to snap forward, striping a round from the magazine?

 

[Aero Denezol]

Yes.

I had one other M1 carbine before, this is the first time I have encountered this problem.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Does it close properly without ammo/mag inserted?

 

[arrowshooter]

Is your gas piston stuck out?

 

[oldcorpgunny]

The "thingy" is broken man. You know, the "thingy. Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a Vulcan gunsmith!

 

[JuglansRegia]

well, its either the ammo or the bolt, considering you got the bolt in the white, maybe it was a reject. If you take the bolt out of the rifle, will it properly hold a round by the rim?

 

[ron]

Extractor or ejector on the bolt is froze up? Remove the bolt you should be able to move the extractor and ejector with
a screwdriver. Or not

 

[Aero Denezol]

Does it close properly without ammo/mag inserted?

yep, sure does

 

[Aero Denezol]

Extractor or ejector on the bolt is froze up? Remove the bolt you should be able to move the extractor and ejector with
a screwdriver. Or not

that's the next step, bolt disassembly and function check.

I will update my results here

 

[Mikej]

watching....

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Main spring replaced yet?

 

[po18guy]

"In the white"?
Headspace.

 

[Aero Denezol]

I should probably clarify, not literally in white metal (as in brand new), but just so worn out it was almost down to white metal all over.

 

[Aero Denezol]

Main spring replaced yet?

I did order another recoil spring.. on it's way, will be here next week

 

[po18guy]

Has it been rebarreled? If it functions empty and not when loaded, it seems to be a headspace/chamber problem. Do you have a bore scope?

You might trim a fired case about .10" short and see if the bolt closes on it. Considering safety issues, prime that short case and see if the firing pin will then pop the primer.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Will it physically close on a dummy round? manually? by that i mean, insert the cartridge into the chamber and see if it goes all the way in. In fact, no need to even close the bolt at that point.

 

[po18guy]

that's the next step, bolt disassembly and function check.

I will update my results here

Who Parked it? Did they reassemble it?
Anyway, if you are doing R&R on the bolt, we'll know soon...

 

[Aero Denezol]

Just an update, for anyone who might be having the same problem.. I took the bolt apart and found that there was a lot of grit in the channels where the plunger spring and extractor spring go, causing them to bind. I assume this grit came from the refinish process, or was a combo of dust and oil from long-term storage. Anyway, when I attempted to remove the plunger spring for cleaning it broke into 3 pcs., proving the spring was brittle to begin with.

Fortunately there are a lot of spare parts still available for the M1 Carbine, so I was able to order some replacements. FWIW, this Carbine was never rebarreled. It still has a "W" for Winchester on the barrel, which matches the receiver.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

As you haven't been able to use it, it seems weird they didn't dismantle it for parking. The process causes that kind of residue to happen, but only after use and it shouldn't be much. It really sounds like it was parked in one piece - explains the spring too.

And yes, Wolff springs do a kit, i bought it earlier this year.