Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,493
- 4,678
Rather than distract any further from the thread about the nice new .375 H&H Weatherby, I thought I'd start one on rifle reliability. As shooters and handloaders, we're often fixated on rifle accuracy but seldom is there a single word about reliability... So, here are some observations, over the decades. Stuff I've seen or experienced in person:
Marlin 336 lever action .30-30: Action locked up, open, when the loading gate screw backed out a bit. That surprised me! At least it was a simple fix: screw the danged thing back in, tighter!
Ruger Number One, 7mm magnum: extractor failure. Rifle would shoot just fine, but wouldn't extract the fired case. Local gunsmith unable to fix. Ruger replaced the extractor quickly and for free.
Remington 700 trigger/safety issues including firing when NO FINGER is on the trigger. Ya, I've seen it. Fix the danged trigger! Replace it or just keep it real clean and check it out. I have Remington triggers on my four Remington rifles, and have no problems despite very hard use on one of them. Worth remembering that Remington 700's remain in very wide use in our various branches of the military, in harsh conditions.
Accuracy International: The "heavy duty" British built rifle that many SWAT teams turned to after the Remington trigger issue was publicized. Good rifle, but we found that operating in a real dusty environment, the bolt would cease to function rendering this Very Expensive bolt action rifle inoperable.
Winchester Model 70: Feeding issues... Ya, I've seen this on several, all of which were the vaunted "controlled round feed" version with that big ol' extractor. In each case, tuning the extractor helped, as did paying close attention to holding the handloads very closely to factory spec overall length. Interestingly, the push-feed version of the rifle never gave me any problems. Might also be of interest that famous African hunter Harry Selby used a .458 Win mag, Winchester Model 70 push - feed for many years, with no complaints. That was his stopping rifle for dangerous game. At least that's how I recall the story - but no - I wasn't there for that! :wink:
Mauser 98 and commercial versions: Again, safety and feeding issues... Similar to what I've seen on the Winchester Model 70... Plus, there are some really clunky safeties on some of those, and no, I'm not enough of a Mauser guy to know which safeties the problems were with.
Mossberg - the newish bolt action they're making. Sling attachment point in the synthetic stock broke when it fell over, as my buddy took it out of his gun safe. He brought it to me, but I couldn't fix it. I believe Mossberg gave him a new stock for it.
Reliability is crucial, in my mind, more important than accuracy. Most rifles are reasonably accurate, but if it doesn't go BANG... We've got a problem.
In some forms of competition, rapid fire strings and fast reloads are required. I'm thinking NRA Highpower and PRS as well. During those stages its common to see shooters racking that bolt hard and fast, over and over and over....
With Dangerous Game - it is of course imperative that the rifle be 100% reliable or... the hunting guide probably isn't getting a tip when his hunter gets trampled or eaten! :shock:
In war... I think we all understand. Rifles MUST work. BTW, in my time in The Corps, our M-16's proved superbly reliable. I understand that there were problems in Vietnam days, but.. from my pretty heavy experience in desert, jungle, mountains... the M-16 has grown up and become a very reliable rifle.
For law enforcement/SWAT - I think we all understand that the rifle absolutely has to work. At a hostage situation, it's imperative that the shot not go off until it is necessary, and that when it does, it's accurate and another shot is rapidly available.
Heck, even for us hunters, after deer or elk or whatever... We want that rifle to work perfectly!
What do you do to make sure your rifle works? And what reliability issues have you seen with rifles?
Thanks! Guy
Marlin 336 lever action .30-30: Action locked up, open, when the loading gate screw backed out a bit. That surprised me! At least it was a simple fix: screw the danged thing back in, tighter!
Ruger Number One, 7mm magnum: extractor failure. Rifle would shoot just fine, but wouldn't extract the fired case. Local gunsmith unable to fix. Ruger replaced the extractor quickly and for free.
Remington 700 trigger/safety issues including firing when NO FINGER is on the trigger. Ya, I've seen it. Fix the danged trigger! Replace it or just keep it real clean and check it out. I have Remington triggers on my four Remington rifles, and have no problems despite very hard use on one of them. Worth remembering that Remington 700's remain in very wide use in our various branches of the military, in harsh conditions.
Accuracy International: The "heavy duty" British built rifle that many SWAT teams turned to after the Remington trigger issue was publicized. Good rifle, but we found that operating in a real dusty environment, the bolt would cease to function rendering this Very Expensive bolt action rifle inoperable.
Winchester Model 70: Feeding issues... Ya, I've seen this on several, all of which were the vaunted "controlled round feed" version with that big ol' extractor. In each case, tuning the extractor helped, as did paying close attention to holding the handloads very closely to factory spec overall length. Interestingly, the push-feed version of the rifle never gave me any problems. Might also be of interest that famous African hunter Harry Selby used a .458 Win mag, Winchester Model 70 push - feed for many years, with no complaints. That was his stopping rifle for dangerous game. At least that's how I recall the story - but no - I wasn't there for that! :wink:
Mauser 98 and commercial versions: Again, safety and feeding issues... Similar to what I've seen on the Winchester Model 70... Plus, there are some really clunky safeties on some of those, and no, I'm not enough of a Mauser guy to know which safeties the problems were with.
Mossberg - the newish bolt action they're making. Sling attachment point in the synthetic stock broke when it fell over, as my buddy took it out of his gun safe. He brought it to me, but I couldn't fix it. I believe Mossberg gave him a new stock for it.
Reliability is crucial, in my mind, more important than accuracy. Most rifles are reasonably accurate, but if it doesn't go BANG... We've got a problem.
In some forms of competition, rapid fire strings and fast reloads are required. I'm thinking NRA Highpower and PRS as well. During those stages its common to see shooters racking that bolt hard and fast, over and over and over....
With Dangerous Game - it is of course imperative that the rifle be 100% reliable or... the hunting guide probably isn't getting a tip when his hunter gets trampled or eaten! :shock:
In war... I think we all understand. Rifles MUST work. BTW, in my time in The Corps, our M-16's proved superbly reliable. I understand that there were problems in Vietnam days, but.. from my pretty heavy experience in desert, jungle, mountains... the M-16 has grown up and become a very reliable rifle.
For law enforcement/SWAT - I think we all understand that the rifle absolutely has to work. At a hostage situation, it's imperative that the shot not go off until it is necessary, and that when it does, it's accurate and another shot is rapidly available.
Heck, even for us hunters, after deer or elk or whatever... We want that rifle to work perfectly!
What do you do to make sure your rifle works? And what reliability issues have you seen with rifles?
Thanks! Guy