Carbine Not Firing

[MAG176]

Hello, new member here. My Father gave me an carbine ,Underwood barrel dated 8-43,flaming bomb.type 1 barrel band,flip sight,crossed cannons and the whole nine yards. I found out about these things one this forum. He has owned it for maybe 40 plus years, doesnt quite remember. Any ways I chambered a round and pulled the trigger and the hammer dropped but did not fire. No dent one the primer.
If I hold the barrel down I can see the firing pin, turn the barrel up and it slides back in the bolt. Does this sound right. Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,Mark

Information

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[FTD1167]

The Firing pin should be free floating, sounds like you could remove bolt and give it a good soak clean
and oil.

[imarangemaster]

Firing pin channels inside the bolt are favorite places for dead cosmolene to collect. The firing pin should move freely, and when the bolt is head front is tipped down, the firing pin should protrude from the bolt face. I got one in a trade that the firing pin did not move at all. I stripped it down, soaked it with liquid wrench, and cleaned it out with pipe cleaners. Worked perfect after that. It may also be that the bolt is not rotating all the way into battery, and the cross bridge in the receiver at the back of the bolt is not allowing the firing pin forward to prevent an out of battery discharge.

[MAG176]

Thank you for the quick replies. I will start with a good cleaning and take it from there. The bolt does seem to be closing all the way. Thanks again,Mark

[frankderrico]

Mark try gun scrubber from both ends. I think you'll see a lot of crud washing out......Frank
How far does the firing pin project?

[jimb16]

Sounds to me like the bolt isn't closing completely. If the firing pin is moving freely, but the primers aren't dented, then the hammer isn't hitting the firing pin. I'd guess at the extractor being so cruded up that it isn't riding over the rim until the hammer hits the back of the bolt. If he cleans it thoroughly with gun scrubber, it will probably cure the problem. If not then he needs to take the bolt apart and remove the plunger and spring for a complete cleaning.

[MAG176]

I just found out how to field strip the carbine on this site. Only had it a few days. Ill pull the bolt out and give it a good squirt of gun scrubber. If that doesn't do it Ill take the bolt apart and clean it throughly. Should probably just because. Hi Frank, the firing pin protrudes about 1/32 of a inch. Thanks again for the replies.
Mark

[imarangemaster]

It could be a headspace problem caused by dried crud in the chamber, preventing the case from going all the way into the chamber. If it is, you can soak the chamber with brake cleaner and scrub with a 38-40 caliber bronze brush. You can also take an empty case, flair the case mouth, soak the chamber, and tap the case in. The flared case mouth will be tight and help cut the crud out. I have used this method when a .45 Colt has been shooting 45 Schofield black powder loads and foul the chamber.

[painter777]

MAG176,
Using/Having a bolt tool would be priceless now and down the road.

FWIW,
Charlie-painter777

[capecodder]

I recently had a very similar situation with a friend's CMP Inland. The last time he shot it, he sprayed the bolt with a cleaner, dried it and oiled it.
It then sat for about 8 months. Apparently there was some old cosmoline inside the bolt that was loosened by the cleaner, then dried again.
The firing pin was very sluggish, and primer strikes were very light - not enough to fire. We disassembled and cleaned the bolt, but with no previous experience with bolts, it took a long time to disassemble and reassemble it.
I would first follow the other advice to soak it thoroughly, clean it, etc.,
as getting that very small plunger back in place was a challenge.