Need Expertise Please To My Mystery

[Rare Breed]

everyone need your help please. i have a beautiful custom mauser in 375 H&H. On my last Africa hunt this year i shot it with Federal Premium ammo with Swift A Frames. After a shot suddenly despite practicing with it for months I could not get the bolt open until later. i thought it was a one time thing. today after using my Quick load to make some rounds for my leopard hunt i loaded 73.5 grains of IMR 4350 coming in at 2500 FPS at way under max PSI and after just two shots suddenly i struggled to close the bolt on the next round. to be clear, i was loading only one round at a time. i might understand if i had 4 loaded but one at a time. i have no idea what could cause this.
so greatly appreciate the great expertise far above mine on AH. what is going on please?

 

[Dirtdart]

To be clear, you met excessive resistance on the forward stroke OR the downward turn of the bolt handle after a round was chambered?

 

[Rare Breed]

great question and thanks…i can always push the bolt forward…i cannot then push the bolt down. also in Africa after firing a shot the bolt would not open…today after the shot it was hard to open the bolt but could with a little hand force

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Rare Breed, can you please upload a photo of the rifle action with the bolt open please ? And who was the builder ?

I have seen a Westley Richards Mauser in .458 Winchester Magnum which would not have it's bolt open after being used with Winchester Super Speed factory loaded ammunition (500Gr round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids and 510Gr soft points).

 

[Berettaco]

hi @Rare Breed
1. This happened with factory ammo and with reloaded brass?
2. Are you loading into the magazine to feed the round?

 

[Rare Breed]

Hunter-Habib i will send you a photo. Berettaco, no, i would push it down into the magizine then load it. Yes happened with both factory and hand loaded ammo

 

[Rare Breed]

Gun built by Ed DeLorge

 

[Rare Breed]

Also just found out I probably need to get barrel realigned. My Z5i runs out of clicks to center which is not the scopes fault…it most likely is a barrel slightly misaligned

 

[AimSmall]

But you practiced with the rifle before your trip? How many practice rounds?

Not likely realigning the barrel, more likely a scope mount..

 

[WebleyGreene455]

Rare Breed, is this similar to your issue?

https://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/e0kjie

Could be your bolt needs a strip-and-clean, something might be gunking it up or slightly misaligned.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

But you practiced with the rifle before your trip? How many practice rounds?

Not likely realigning the barrel, more likely a scope mount..

I agree. Likely didn't get the holes lined up when drilled into receiver. Can be fixed with shims. One piece or two piece mounts?

 

[Hogpatrol]

Check for a carbon ring in the chamber. This could cause higher pressure/hard bolt lift. Mounting issues on the scope problem.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Get a 28 gauge shotgun brush and clean the chamber. See if that helps. How long ago was this rifle built?

 

[Rare Breed]

Here you go everyone…it is a custom mauser is it not a mauser action?

But you practiced with the rifle before your trip? How many practice rounds?

Not likely realigning the barrel, more likely a scope mount..

Please explain…interesting i had a scope ring screw bugger on me and had to have my gunsmith use his press to remove. new screw no problem. they are engraved rings

 

[Rare Breed]

But you practiced with the rifle before your trip? How many practice rounds?

Not likely realigning the barrel, more likely a scope mount..

probably 50

 

[Rare Breed]

Wrong rifle…my apologies. i had about 20 rounds shot through it given comfortable and with a different Z scope MOA accuracy

 

[Hogpatrol]

Swap the rings, front to back and see if the problem persists.

 

[Rare Breed]

Rare Breed, is this similar to your issue?

https://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/e0kjie

Could be your bolt needs a strip-and-clean, something might be gunking it up or slightly misaligned.

wow…i want to see but link is not working for me my friend!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Swap the rings, front to back and see if the problem persists.

I was about to suggest same. Maybe it's camera angle but the rear ring looks higher?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Lastly, did you have Ed build this gun or did you pick it up second hand?