Hello, I'm new here so please bear with me if I make any mistakes.
I purchased an M1a Scout/squad, on Jan. 6 of this year. With less than 100 rounds through it, I noticed an issue I am concerned about. When I retract the op-rod and bolt, the "hump" on the top front of the bolt contacts the top of the receiver, under the stripper clip guide. If I have an empty magazine in the rifle, the contact is more severe, I really have to pull it back quite firmly to get it to cycle all the way back. If I insert a loaded magazine, even with only 3 or 4 cartridges, with the bolt closed, the upward pressure of the cartridges on the underside of the bolt is severe enough that I cannot manually cycle the bolt all the way back. I returned the gun to the dealer, and their gunsmith polished down the wear mark on the back of the hump and radiused the underside of the top of the receiver . There is still slight contact if I have no mag in place, heavier contact with an empty mag in place, and with a loaded mag in place, I still cannot cycle the bolt all the way back to chamber a round. If I insert the mag with the bolt locked open, I can then chamber a round and the rifle seems to function properly.
Is this contact in this area normal? When the gun fires, the bolt is driven back quite rapidly, this contact would seem to be severe. I am concerned that over time this contact may weaken the top of the receiver or the roller lug on the bolt that the op-rod pushes against, or affect other areas of the mechanism.
After calling them, the rifle is now on its way back to SA for evaluation, they paid the shipping.
Any insight you folks could offer will be greatly appreciated.
I purchased an M1a Scout/squad, on Jan. 6 of this year. With less than 100 rounds through it, I noticed an issue I am concerned about. When I retract the op-rod and bolt, the "hump" on the top front of the bolt contacts the top of the receiver, under the stripper clip guide. If I have an empty magazine in the rifle, the contact is more severe, I really have to pull it back quite firmly to get it to cycle all the way back. If I insert a loaded magazine, even with only 3 or 4 cartridges, with the bolt closed, the upward pressure of the cartridges on the underside of the bolt is severe enough that I cannot manually cycle the bolt all the way back. I returned the gun to the dealer, and their gunsmith polished down the wear mark on the back of the hump and radiused the underside of the top of the receiver . There is still slight contact if I have no mag in place, heavier contact with an empty mag in place, and with a loaded mag in place, I still cannot cycle the bolt all the way back to chamber a round. If I insert the mag with the bolt locked open, I can then chamber a round and the rifle seems to function properly.
Is this contact in this area normal? When the gun fires, the bolt is driven back quite rapidly, this contact would seem to be severe. I am concerned that over time this contact may weaken the top of the receiver or the roller lug on the bolt that the op-rod pushes against, or affect other areas of the mechanism.
After calling them, the rifle is now on its way back to SA for evaluation, they paid the shipping.
Any insight you folks could offer will be greatly appreciated.