Have a b14 hunter 6.5. Get it set up mounts scope etc. Decide to cycle a couple of rounds just to check function. Damn thing won’t eject rounds. Pull the bolt out, looks like they forgot to install an ejector spring. Did a little internet research and seems this is not isolated. Email Bergara, going to send in the bolt. 3-4 week turn around really!!! They should fix it most rickey tic and overnight it back to me.

That fucking blows.

I was very close to pulling the trigger on a Bergara a couple months ago, but held off after reading about some similar QC issues.

They still seem like a good value though.

I bought a new HMR in 6.5 last summer.  The first time I took it to the range, 3rd round down the barrel during my barrel break-in......Sheared the extractor off clean.  I was pissed, called Bergara within a minute sitting there on the bench and let them know I that I hoped that my rifle was a limited issue.  And that if this ends up being a common problem, they wont stay in the HMR building business long.

I asked for a extractor and to have them mail it to me.  But they told me that since the gun was brand new I would need to send it back to them.  I asked the wait time ETA and was told 2 to 3 weeks and I had to pay the shipping to them.  Maybe I am just a asshole, but I lit them up and called them some unique names in that moment.

They then agreed to mail me the replacement spring / extractor / bearing.   Got it a week later and installed it in 5 minutes.  I have since fired well over 1000 rounds and haven't had a single issue.  The rifle is very accurate and has been very reliable since.  Go Figure.

I found a video on how to remove the firing pin. It kind of showed the bolt face and it looks a lot like a 700. If that was true I would just bring it to a gunsmith and have him put a new spring in.

ETA: Or do it yourself. They're not that hard. However, if you're unsure if you want to a gunsmith is always a good option.

Mine is going back soon due to extraction and feed issues. Sometimes the empty case neck will jam against the inside of the receiver ring. Other times it does not like to feed from the magazine. Accuracy is good even if I have .80-.100 jump into the rifling! I asked the guy (they sent me replacement extractor and ejector springs) about the excessive free bore. His reply was "whats free bore"? I'd sell it and buy a Tikka, but hate the stocks on those guns. Mine is a 6.5 as well.

Another issue I found in extremely short time I cycled a few rounds is it seems to want to feed the catridge into the bolt raceway instead of the chamber.

Not making excuses for them, but most of your semi-custom guys are chambering with "looser" dimensions to account for all the different COALs the rifle might see.  I was told by a well known maker that if I sent him a round I regularly shot, he'd set the barrel up for it.  Otherwise, he'd send the dimensions that go on a "rack" rifle.

They are Spanish, after all.

The feed and extraction issue happens with hand loads and factory loads. I am gonna ask them if they will set the barrel back to give me a tighter chamber, but I doubt they will.

My LRP Elite has been awesome and is shooting 1/4 inch groups at 100yds out of the box with Hornady ELD 140gr

That's what I did when I pulled the bonehead, oft repeated, snafu that many perform of not removing the ejector inside a clear plastic bag on my Savage 11 6.5CM.  Spring and ejector shot off across the shop...found ejector but not spring.  My local gunsmith buddy and I searched through his spring box and found several that would fit.  I would just test fit springs until I found the right tension, diameter, and length that would work.  In fact I found the perfect one that ejected my empty a few inches from the rifle instead of kicking it off the bench and into the weeds.  I'm almost glad I lost the original now, and my reloaded brass appreciates it.

I'd be hesitant to send a rifle or bolt in just for this issue.  Any decent gunsmith can have you up and going in no time and for cheap in most cases.

I was at Cabela's today and took a look at a Bergara and immediately saw the problem and actually recreated it in the store. The store clerk was shocked when the bolt dropped out and into my waiting hand. The bolt will not fall out if the gun is cocked and the safety is on because the bolt won't open. I then bought a Winchester Model 70 Featherlight in 30-06. Winchester went back to most of the pre 1964 design except that they use a drop in trigger very similar to a Timney and an aluminum floor plate instead of steel. The Featherlight is the 22" barrel and weighs just under 8lbs. It's made in Portugal and the craftsmanship is excellent.

Perhaps Bergara should take a lesson from Winchester and use a 3 position safety so you can unload the gun with the safety on. The bolt cannot be removed until the safety is off, the gun de-cocked and bolt catch depressed.

I'll probably get rid of my Grendel now and hunt with the .308 and the 30-06.

wat

Thats why I quit buying Remingtons. In the end the Bergara is a Remington with a better barrel. If I'm buying/building a push feed rifle it's either going to have a detachable magazine (center feed) or be chambered in a round made from the .308 or .30-06 case. Those cases have enough taper to promote good feeding. The 6.5 Creedmoor doesn't.

Can you describe the problem in more detail? The bolt fell out of the gun? Broken bolt stop?

It really seems like the three or four dudes that had a problem with their Bergara came here to shit on them.

Ive searched their reviews for some time and not found anything else like this. Thats why I bought this brand.

My bolt is strong and secure, no problems even when i try to forcibly remove the bolt.

Sure, I opened the bolt then grabbed the rifle to pass it off to the clerk. I purposely grabbed it where I would be depressing the bolt release which is pretty easy to do. So, if you imagine yourself hunting in dense brush, with an unloaded rifle and the safety off.. Weird but might happen with an inexperienced hunter.. you could catch the bolt and open it then when you grab the rifle it could release the bolt and it could drop out.

It's not like this is going to happen to everyone and certainly less likely to happen to an experienced hunter but if you compare it to a Win Model 70 you'll see that it is far less likely to happen with the Win, in fact I couldn't make the Win do it at all.

Do you have issues with side bolt releases on other rifles?

I agree that this thread seems to be a spot where the handful of people who've ever had issues with a Bergara found a place to share their tales of woe.

I don't see the issue with side release on the bolt. I just don't where there this will ever be an issue in the field - especially if the shooter is aware of the potential.

I am unclear why someone commented on not have a "third" position on the safety that allows the bolt to be cycled with the rifle on safe - other than perhaps a general mis-understanding of why many Mauser derived bolt action designs have a three position safety.    Some of the Mauser variants, including the Ruger M77, have a safety that not only locks the sear but also engages the striker so that it is mechanically captured. In that case, you do in fact need a center position that still locks the sear but allows the bolt to be cycled to clear the weapon.  That's not the case here, and the two position safety is sufficient as you can cycle the bolt with the safety on already, there's no need for third position.  The bolt release is very positive, yet easy to release and does not have the potential adjustment issues of the Remington bolt stop.

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I like my Bergara B-14 BMP just fine (and the adjustable comb prevents any loss of the bolt - you have to remove in order to remove the bolt for cleaning.   It shoots 5 shot groups in the .35 to .40 MOA range and the barrel is very stable, cold shots are not more than 1/4 MOA off the subsequent shots, and the POI doesn't shift as the barrel warms up.

It is long throated but actually much less so than Remington rifles.  It works well with 175-178 gr bullets as some, like the 178 gr ELD, are about .0202" off the lands when seated to magazine length, and others don't seem to mind the jump.   I've compared groups seated long so that they are .020" off the lands with the same load seated at about 2.860" OAL that would feed from the magazine.  In the case of 175 gr RDFs I had to seat them to 2.850" to get reliable feeding due to the sharp, but still hollow point design, but they were just as accurate as the .020" off the lands load.

My only complaint is that it does copper foul more than I'd like, but it's also only got 200 rounds through it so far, and its a lot less of a problem than it was just after barrel break in.

Not bashing Bergara by any means. Bought based on perceived quality. The rifle is not inexpensive as say Ruger or Savage. My beef is that something as rudimentary as cycling should not have been missed by qc. Also 3-4 week turnaround is tough. To Bergara’s defense the sent me a shipping label asap.

So...
Dude opens bolt, intentionally grabs it where the bolt release is while holding it upright. Bolt falls out. Someone is surprised by that? This is literally a non-issue and certainly not a tech problem.

You opened the bolt, pressed the bolt release and pulled the bolt out of the rifle. Then you were surprised the bolt came out of the rifle?

Were you also surprised when you chamber a round, turned off the safety and squeezed the trigger that the rifle fired? That is not a flaw, the rifle is working properly. On the BMP & HMR the cheek piece blocks the bolt anyway.

That's what I'm seeing.

Ha, last time someone called me dude I did the same thing I'm doing now... Laughing my ass off. I'm not even going to rebut your comment because it's so ridiculously ignorant.

Hang on.  Every Bergara I've encountered will cycle with the safety on.  Not sure I'm following your issues with the gun.  Yes, the bolt will drop out if you hold the rifle muzzlle up and depress the bolt release. Why is that an issue?

Interesting thread.  As a range officer that sees a lot of rifles, all I can say is that anyone I have asked about their Bergara is very happy with their rifles and I have seen some excellent groups shot by them.  Hopefully they can get some of the quality issues figured out.

I agree.. The Rifle is definitely a nice piece and I actually like the action a little better than the Model 70 I bought. All I was trying to do is see of there was any credibility to the OP's claim. The answer to that is yes, but only in conditions that would not normally be found during actual use. That said, for the OP, follow basic gun safety rules and your Bergara will serve you well.

My Bergara has been a joy to own. Virtually every load I've tried has grouped under an inch at 100 yards. The trigger is lighter than any factory rifle I have ever owned. The stock is totally adjustable. It comes from the factory with a bolt to action fit that can only be compared to a shimmed custom Remington. It accepts 5/10 round detachable magazines and it's threaded from the factory. $950.00 for my 6.5 Creedmoor.

I am a happy customer.

I picked up a Bergara in 6.5C and couldn't be happier. The rifle is very accurate and the stock is my favorite feature of the rifle.
I'd buy another for sure. I haven't discovered any issues or flaws to date.

Sorry to hear that OP.  I don’t think they are making the B14 action, whereas they definitely are making their Premier LRP action which I’ve had for over a year. I know the HMR and a few other B14 rifles have been extremely popular and they are clearly having trouble keeping up with demand at times. It’s helping grown their business but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them start focusing more on their Premium line in the next few years.

Most people here think they are all imported from Spain and that Dan Hanus (PWS Quantico ret.) isn’t hand fitting and building custom 0.20 MOA rifles in Georgia.  There is a HUGE gap in quality between the B14 and BPR line if rifles, but surprisingly not that big of a gap in price. I feel I raped someone by only paying $1700 for my BRP-17. However, there are still a lot of satisfied folks and impressive results with the B14s.

Loving my LRP. It’s fantastic and has about 25 rounds through it so far. This was the first 5 round group I fired, the remained were for sight in.
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Very nice.

Were you watching Battleship?

Very nice, I love mine as well. I’ve tried all the factory offerings and Hornady 140 ELD-M has been the ticket.

Lol I deff was! I haven’t tried anything but the 140 ELDM so far. It shoots so well I haven’t felt the need to push for anything else.

I just purchased the 300WM HMR, equipped it with Area 416 rails and Leupold scope. First shot, pulled the trigger: NOTHING.  The firing pin did not make a mark on the primer.  Tried several different rounds, no luck.  Just requested help from Bergara, we'll see how they handle this.  I've never purchased a new gun and it didn't go bang on the first try. Crazy.  I hope other people post any similar problems, so Bergara can improve.  I was going to purchase a 6.5 as well, oh well.

Bergara did post a "how to clean your bolt" video. Mine was super greasy, but alas it did not help.