[charlie sterner]

Awhile back a guy came in the shop with an older Rem 700ML. Tried to sell it to us (loaded). Our insurance won't allow us to deal with used MZ's for liability reasons so he said it was a "POS" and just gave it to us...with a Leupy 3-9 on top! I saw it when i came in that night and asked about it. Boss said take the scope off, leave it here to sell and take the gun home with you...so I did!

Tried as I might, I couldn't get the dang plug out. He had the "nut" rounded off badly. I boogered it up even further. I did get the bolt apart and found that the blowby from the 209 primers had corroded the spring inside the bolt, and that's why the gun would not fire. I had an old 700 spring, cut it to length (model 7 size FYI) and put it back together. It works now! But I still had that damn breech plug in there.

I picked up a wheeler action wrench (the kind that goes around the reciever, this receiver has no lug, or should I say the barrel is threaded into the lug area). Last night with a little effort I managed to get the barrel off without dorking it up too badly.

Today at lunch, I took it to my machinist friend. He looked at it for like 2 seconds, took it from me and walked over and got about a 3/4 inch nut out of the bin and proceeded to the welder. He welded the nut onto the existing breech plug, let it cool a bit and hit the nut with an air impact wrench. Popped that sucker right out! I'd have never thought of that one!

Unfortunately, I think the barrel is TOAST. I had to get the nut out to see, but it definitely looks BAD. No worries, just throw money at it right? A guy over on Saubier will install/time a new takeoff he has leftover from a smokeless conversion and upgrade my boltnose to the new 209 style sealed breech for $100 plus $100 parts. Parts are on the way! I've wasted more money than that before on guns.

 

[T.D.C.]

Charlie, I understand completely. You get into a project and it is "Damn the torpedo's and full speed ahead". The attitude being it ain't gonna beaten me. I have lost count on the number of great deals the next guy got.

 

[charlie sterner]

yeah, I need another MZ like I need a hole in the head but I'll still have <$200 in it plus the scope and rings. I currently have 3 in-lines, plus this one and 2 flinchlocks. Might have to thin the herd.

 

[JRinKY]

My oldest son Jackson is the "Bolt Getter Outer" man at the Toyota plant where he works. I have seen him get broken bolts out that I thought were impossible....trained by the Japs, he said they will work all day on a bolt if necessary. Skruske, he says "Whatever you do, dont let Rick work on it first."
Muzzle Loaders? Couple around here that boys have discarded....Charlie, you want another one?

 

[Kentucky Fisherman]

I've wasted more money than that before on guns.

It was worth reading this tale just to reach this line and realize there really is such a thing as Brotherhood of the Gun. And as a bonus I got a good tip about welding a new nut to a mangled one in order to get it out.

Thanks, Charlie.

Carpman

 

[Dean in Colo.]

Not sure what company makes a welding rod called extractor rod. But you can lay a nut over the hole where a bolt is broken off down inside and stick the rod in and let it burn out and fill the nut with weld, let cool down some and turn the broken bolt out of the hole. Works good the few times I've tried it, sure there could be times it won't too.
Shane can probably give more info on this kind of work than me!
GOD BLESS. Dean

 

[charlie sterner]

Yeah I sure would never have thought of that Dean.

Well, I got home thinking the barrel was trash, but the hard headed, cheap guy that I am decided to run a rod and brush thru it. Danged if it didn't clean up pretty good. There's some corrosion in the first inch of barrel, from the breech, but that's where the powder column sits. Shouldn't affect accuracy any, and the fire from the powder burning will likely burnish it out. Just have to keep it oiled up between seasons, but it's stainless. Shouldn't rust or get any worse. The rest of the barrel is pretty danged shiny. I already have the proper 209 conversion kit and breech plug coming, so i think when it gets here, I'll install it and screw the barrel back on and see how it shoots before throwing another $100 at it.

 

[koger]

Charlie those guns shoot black powder really good, especially with maxi balls. I zeroed 2 2of them last fall, with 100gr 2ffg and a .50 cal 390 Lyman slug that I mold, basically a copy of the Hornady Great Plains slug without the hollow base. I put a veg fiber wad under the lubed slug, and both shot a ragged hole at 100yds for 5 shots. They shoot BH 209 pretty dang good with the Harvester brand crush rib sabot's and .451 300 gr plastic tip slugs made by Harvester, try 100 grs by volume!

 

[LarryDScott]

Charlie if dont want or need another ML,
you have got the makings for a bench gun.
A 700 Single Shot SS action. I wouldn't
waste that on a ML. Just sayin. LDS

 

[charlie sterner]

Larry, that's out...this action has no lug cutouts in the front for the bolt lugs. It's threaded right up to the ejection port. It's the older version 700ML, first gen. The new 700LRML's would work though.

 

[ShaneG.]

Yep welded a few nuts on rounded or broken bolts before to pull them out. I usually try to get my mig gun in there to weld it or just a plain 7018 rod.

We were redecking a semi trailer and it had self tapping torx head bolts in it and after breaking a few bits on the impact we learned if you take a big drift punch and beat the bolt straight down....without messing up it up to where your bit won't fit....a lot of times it will shock it enough to let them pop loose.

Sometimes its just easier to point to the machinest and tell them it's got threads go talk to him.

 

[george in KY]

the most accurate muzzel loader i ever owned was a 700 1995 or around about then no bullshit 1/2-3/4 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards....fix it !