I haven't shot it yet, however when I finished cleaning it, I tightened the two action screws down very sung, as they were loose from the store. I am told that if they are loose it can affect accuracy.



After doing this, I went to make sure the action cycled properly, and when I slammed the bolt forward, one of the locking lugs on the bolt hit the magazine feed ramp and jammed the bolt into the receiver. I didn't realise this at the time and I was pretty tired and hungry, so I just kept shoving the bolt handle forward sharply until I gave up. Then I tried to pull the bolt backwards and it was stuck in there pretty good (duh). When I tugged on the bolt handle with most of my strength the bolt assembly finally came backwards all the way and hit the bolt stop really hard. When I finally figured out why it was jamming up, I loosened the front action screw forward of the magazine. After loosening the screw a few turns, the action seemed to cycle normally.



What I am wondering with this is:



1) Are there commercially manufactured spacers to fit under the magazine/trigger guard that will lower it enough to resolve this problem?



2) Could I have damaged the rifle when I was shoving the action back and forth when it jammed, as described above? If so, what parts in the action could I have damaged?



3) Is it normal for the bolt handle to have a significant wobble to it when the action is closed? It appears to open the action with relative ease by just pushing up on it (with the         striker cocked. Also, when I closed the action and shook the rifle upside down, it did not unlock the bolt lugs but the action rattled).
I appreciate you patience with me, I'm really a noob to the military bolt-action rifle scene. All I have
ever purchased has been NIB guns that are of recent manufacture.




-Mike

ive never removed the screws on my M44, but you obviously have too long of a screw in the front if its hitting the bolt while snug.

the front screw is suppose to be TIGHTENED down real tight FIRST, then you snug the rear screw last, not too tight. this is the proper procedure so you dont torque the action wrong.


when the bolt is cocked, it should pop up really easily with you nudge the handle- i can do mine with my pinky. but after firing it, the bolt takes a full grasp to move.


are you sure its the bolt body / action rattling? though mine does that a bit also when cocked.

my floor plate rattled, some heavy duty wheel bearing grease solved that.

Its not the screw thats hitting the bolt, its the feed ramp portion of the magazine thats sticking up through the reciever.



I will try the method you mentioned regarding the tightening down procedure of the action.



I have heard that some of the surplus rifles come with shims to fit in there to solve this problem, however I didn't see any one mine when I took it apart.

After you loosened the screw and it seemed to work, you should have re-tightened the screw to see if that was what is causing the problem. If this re-occurs then I think you have narrowed the issue down. I have never had to use spacers on any of my surplus rifles.

Try to tighten with bolt engaged. You Can use an old trick, remove the barrel from the stock, place the top cardboard from a matchbook in the barrel channel near the crossbolt. Re-assemble. You were talking shim, well cardboard is a great shim and a matchbook usually is the correct thickness, will last forever, and is very cheap!. I have many U.S. rifles that utilized them from the original user. jp