This is the bolt from a Bergara B-14 HMR. It has a total of 60 rounds through it. On round #60, it didn't extract/eject the casing. On examining the bolt, I noticed something amiss....



So what would do that? I was shooting IMI 168gr HPBT Match ammo.

Could have been caused by something like a case rupture or pierced/blown primer. What did Round #60's brass look like? Any damage or deformation to the case or primer? Anything amiss with that shot, like a different report or an unexpected puff of gas from the receiver?

Alternately, were you loading rounds from the magazine, or just single-loading them into the chamber and closing the bolt? I don't know about that particular rifle model, but some firearms can break the extractor after repeatedly closing the bolt on a single round in the chamber, especially controlled-feed rifles. (However, based on the extractor spring, this looks like a push feed bolt, which are generally okay with closing on a round in the chamber)

Magazine fed, and no, nothing unusual about the shot.

It certainly could have been blown off by a ruptured cartridge or other overpressure situation, but you probably would have noticed something other than the failure to extract. (How difficult was it to get the fired case out of the chamber?)

My guess is it was a mechanical failure of some sort. Whatever holds the extractor in the bolt might have just broke, but it could have been an out of spec part or something similar.

I needed to get a cleaning rod down the barrel to get the case out. Just a tap really.

Used Bergara USA's contact form to shoot them a message. Guess I'll just have to wait and see. Otherwise, I love this rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
Just a tap really.

I believe, then, that it was just a problem with the extractor itself or the machining of the slot that holds it in place in the bolt.

So a closer inspection shows those bits of shorn metal....parts of the extractor. Read a bit online about crappy springs being the culprit of some issues with the Bergaras, but not sure how that would trash the extractor like that.

Anyway, a call to Bergara USA and they are sending me a new spring, detent and extractor.

Looks like a Savage style extractor, which is flat and has a dimple on the back and is held in by a spring and detent bearing. It installs/removes by just pushing on it. Real easy for it to just fall out if the spring is weak, the force from it camming over a rim can knock it off the detent.

My guess is it got loose, stuck out part way, then cycling the bolt jammed it against the rails and tore it up. Make sure the little piece isn't rattling around in the lug recess or magazine box.