HELP - Versa Max problem

[mitommy]

I have a Versa Max tactical, with an extension cap, giving it a capacity of 10 rounds. It has about 6k rounds thru it. I recently installed the extra power recoil spring (Wolff) and the extra power dog spring (XRail). When I reassemble everything I get an occasional situation where the bolt is extremely hard to pull (manually). Usually I have to "mortar" the gun in order to get it to extract. 

 

I removed the new springs and put everything back as it was and the problem still happens. I've looked everything over and cannot see what the cause might be. Any thoughts? 

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by mitommy

[mitommy]

70+ views and no thoughts / suggestions?

[GunCat]

Which ammo are using?

 

Is the problem with fired rounds only, or also with extracting a live round?

[adamge]

Depends where the bolt is when you say it gets extremely difficult to move.  If the bolt is still in battery, it can only depend on things like the bolt lugs, barrel locking lugs, bolt cam pin, bolt cam track, bolt carrier cam track, bolt carrier slides in receiver rails...

I would suggest checking the surfaces of your bolt lugs for wear, uneven surfaces, rough surfaces, folded over corners... anything that would make it hard for the bolt lugs to twist out of the locking lugs.

[fastshooter03]

Have you replaced the junk remington parts like the cam pin?

 

 

[adamge]

fast, list of parts that should be replaced please?

[mitommy]

UPDATE:

 

The problem occurred with dummy rounds (made with Fiocchi hulls) and even with empty chamber. I took the bolt apart for closer inspection. The cam pin was all chewed up. I replaced it with one for a Benelli M2. It was better, but still had an occasional problem, but only with the dummy rounds. I then switched to dummy rounds made from Federal hulls. Ran 10 magazines full with no more problem.

 

I went to the range & ran 50 rounds of Federal bulk pack ammo with no problem. So, it looks like the problem was both the cam pin and the Fiocchi dummy rounds.  While I hav the trigger group out I noticed the hammer looked beat up.  I've ordered a M2  hammer and hammer spring. Also I've read that I should replace the extractor. So, I ordered one of those too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[adamge]

Another point of wear I've seen on a VM with some use, the pistons can start to mushroom where they contact the bolt carrier.

[Chriswakey]

1 hour ago, adamge said:

Another point of wear I've seen on a VM with some use, the pistons can start to mushroom where they contact the bolt carrier.

I've noticed that on mine and it's on my to do list next time I strip it to get the grinder on them and clean up the mushrooming.

[JAF1680]

We have ended up with issues from dummy rounds that get all chewed up and they will even start sticking in the tube or when they are trying to feed.  My wife gun was having issues and we figured out it was only during practice because a few of the shell heads had started to get burrs.

[oak hill]

On 8/10/2017 at 12:28 AM, mitommy said:

70+ views and no thoughts / suggestions?

 

Trade it in for something else......  you asked 

[wolfvsgoat]

Why did you change the spring?

[fastshooter03]

Sorry I forgot about this post.  I still have the stock lifter but most else is Benelli/RCI parts and I even made some new pistons of my own design.

I've been trying to use the VM in Open for years and it seems to want to work only occasionally.

I've been slowly replacing parts out including the shell release which is from a SBE.  The SBE piece is much nicer in design and needs only one spring.  But...it must be a little different in width as to where it sits in the receiver.  The main problem seems to be the shell doesn't want to kick out hard enough every time to sit in the right spot on the rear of the lifter.  The easy fix was stronger mag tube springs which helped but didn't fix.  The action basically stops trying to feed a shell even with a XP recoil spring-push forward and go....  I started measuring and it seems the shell rim was basically too tight(as in no clearance with the shell release pushed as far as it will go) against the shell release and opposite side of the receiver.  

After cycling shells by hand and watching where on the release it was getting caught, I started grinding material away from the side of the shell release to make clearance.  This has helped with the hand cycling but I pretty much ditched for the year at that point.

I've talked to other people that have had this type of feeding problem and they ended up changing out the whole trigger group which fixed it for them.

So even though the SBE shell release is a nicer piece I don't recommend using it unless you want to open up another can of worms.

I will try again in spring 2018 but I don't think it will run 100%.  My 930 has worked about 98% over the years but I don't put a lot of rounds thru it.

 

Nick

 

 

[Dannybot]

I have also noticed negligible peening if the bolt face of my Versamax.  This can easily be sanded off and polished.  I check the bolt face fir deformation whenever I clean it, and have to sand/polish every year or two, but I only manage to make about six matches per year.