Ishapore 2A bolt stuck closed

[NVGuy]

I picked up a Ishapore 2A a few months ago. The bolt was stuck closed. I was able to get it open. I took it apart and began cleaning it up (lots of cosmaline on it). Today i got around to finish cleaning it and assembling it. Once assembled the bolt operated as expected a couple of times. I engaged the safety and tried it. The cocking piece moved forward to half cock position (?) and now i cannot get the bolt to move. It is stuck in the closed position. I a pretty sure I had the safety installed in the correct position. I cannot get the cocking piece to budge either. I removed the safety but that did not do anything. I am not too experienced with these rifles so any help on resolving my issue would be appreciated.

[BVZ24]

On the MK 3 and similar, you can't open the bolt if it's on the half notch. The safety is only able to engage on cocking piece on uncocked and cocked, not the half notch. You need to get The cocking piece to full cock, and it should open. Not many parts could prevent rearward motion of the cocking piece but it could be the firing pin. Perhaps it's bound up in the bolt body or bolt head. Pending other suggestions, you can get to the firing pin set screw from the outside, remove it, and turn the firing pin with a pliers from the half inch of it you see from half cock. Beware of marring the surface, if you chew it up it may no longer be usable. You should be able to remove the cocking piece this way. If the cocking piece itself is bound, the firing pin will not be able to be turned once it reaches the bolt face.

[Alan de Enfield]

Why / how was it originally stuck ?
What ammunition have you been using ?

The Ishapore 2A was originally manufactured using an inferior grade of steel (that was thought to be, in fact, a higher grade) resulting in the body/action distorting and jamming the bolt in almost ever firing. They returned to the original British specified steel and the performance was better but it still failed the proof testing, so rather than admit failure and lose face, they changed the proof-testing requirements until it passed.

Source :

Extract from “Gun Digest 33rd Anniversary 1979 Deluxe Edition”
Article Author : Mr A G Harrison
Qualification : Former ‘Proof Master’ of the ‘Rifle Factory Proof House, Ishapore, India’


Remember that this 2A rifle was tested and designed for the 144-150 grain NATO round of the time, and not the latest heavier, hot rounds, and definitely not the M118 'Special' or commercial heavier bulleted 308.
A heavier bullet is going to increase pressure.

This rifle is operating 'on the edge of failure' with anything else apart from the original 60s spec NATO 7.62.

[Sapper740]

This rifle is operating 'on the edge of failure' with anything else apart from the original 60s spec NATO 7.62.

Thank you for the timely advice! I have a 2A that, although I knew wasn't safe for .308 Winchester or hot handloads I considered safe for any and all 7.62 NATO. Fortunately, around the same time I bought the 2A I also picked up 2,000 pulled 147 grain M80 projectiles so to date I've only replicated M80 loads. I won't be experimenting with anything else.