Bolt Hold-Up

[oakrisearms]

Greetings,
I have a bit of a problem with a 1944 National Postal Meter carbine.
The bolt (a flat type) will not lock when the magazine is in place (empty or loaded)
The bolt stops approx 0.05" from locking.
If you push down on the bolt, it frees up and locks.
The carbine is in very good overall condition, has had new springs etc. and there is nothing that my examination shows that points to the cause of this failure
Can the collected wisdom of Milsurps.com solve this dilemma???
Many thanks....

Information

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[floydthecat]

Little more info. Did this just start, or has it been this way? New springs indicate you have tried to correct it, but didn’t help?

Is the bolt closing but not rotating or not closing?

[oakrisearms]

The carbine is new to me, supplied by a company who I do a lot of business with.

Went through all the usual checks and remedies

The bolt holds-up just before it would normally start to rotate to lock

[floydthecat]

OK, so for all intents and purposes....to you it’s always been this way. We don’t know if it ever worked in it’s current configuration. The top round or the follower is applying pressure on the bolt, which it will. Look for burrs in the receiver where the left bolt lug runs or anywhere else where lugs interact with the receiver or the slide. Check the face of the loaded bolt to insure the extractor is not proud of the skirt. Examine the barrel-skirt and bolt face for any rubs.

[browningautorifle]

I'll bet the operating slide has a burr or is hanging up, check the little lugs that run underneath the barrel. Maybe an obstruction up front. Try to hand manipulate the bolt into position without the slide, then operate the slide without the bolt...look for rough spots.

By the way, what brand of "New" springs did you install?

[oakrisearms]

Thanks Jim (and Flydthecat), the slider nailed it. I swopped the one from my Winchester and it cycles and locks perfectly! I now have to try and find a replacement slider, which won't be that easy as I am in England! Thanks again for your help guys!!

[imntxs554]

I'll bet the operating slide has a burr or is hanging up, check the little lugs that run underneath the barrel. Maybe an obstruction up front. Try to hand manipulate the bolt into position without the slide, then operate the slide without the bolt...look for rough spots.

By the way, what brand of "New" springs did you install?

Jim, I'm not sure how long ago this was, but some person had the same problem and he couldn't get the Bolt to feed properly . He finally gave up and either was going to sell it or he found a older gunsmith that he took it to and he found out that whoever had it before or longer seen the Receiver was kinda out of line because of either by overtightened it while using a Rear Sight Tool trying to remove it or installing it and then it had bent a little. After doing some measuring he did noticed the bottom of the Receiver was out of whack and would not let that Bolt work like it should, but after being fixed it fed perfectly.

[painter777]

We have quite a few English members.
Maybe one will reach out.
You could also try a WTB and list your location.

Good Luck,

PS: Look for burrs on the bad slide's tabs, you may be able to file them off.

[DaveHH]

Oak: In the UK aren't Carbines required to be single shot weapons and thus are modified accordingly?
D

[oakrisearms]

Correct Dave, self loaders were banned in 1988, so all we can have are straight pull versions with the gas system permanently disabled. Some folk from lands west of the Atlantic call them neutered, but I'd rather be able to shoot a single shot Carbine, or Garand or the FN-49 I recently acquired, than not to be able to own and shoot these historic rifles at all!