Workbook

If your bolt will not drop into place, but will close with moderate pressure, you may not want to risk

breaking the locking shoulder by removing it again. Apply liberal amounts of lapping compound to

the bolt locking surface and the locking shoulder, and with a case in the chamber (no extractor) slam

the bolt home repeatedly. Note that I wrote "a case" and not "a live round." Do not use your gauge.

Go to the range and fire your completely assembled single shot rifle with liberal amounts of lapping

compound and with the gas at the lowest setting (0 or 1) until the parts lap into place and make it a

self-loader again. Usually 10 - 20 rounds. Use only U.S. factory ammo for this "shooting in.". A

high primer on a reloaded round, in conjunction with short headspace, can cause it to fire before it is

fully chambered (out-of-battery) with catastrophic results. Do not fire unless the bolt closes all the

way. Usually, the force of the bolt snapping forward from its fully retracted position is enough,

while the cycling action of a fired round is not. If a fired case sticks in the chamber, do not stomp on

the cocking slide handle. Hold the handle and slam the butt of the rifle on the ground.