Anschutz model 64 EJECTION FIXED!!!

[Trent]

I posted this in the Anschutz forum on RFC but I am not sure if everyone here is a member over there too, so I thought I would repost here too.

I bought a Weatherby XXII (Annie model 64), and was introduced to the spectacularly weak ejection. After some searches on here I was met with the fact that Anschutz isn't as infallible as I had understood.

I poked and prodded and studied the bolt, extractor, case retainer and ejector. I also have a Savage that is nearly identical to the Annie 64 bolt/extractor design. It ejects like a champ. I read through nearly every thread here in the Anschutz forum hoping to find an absolute fix... turns out it wasn't that easy.

So I started studying the bolt face and the location of the ejector. The ejector is in the same place as nearly every rifle in production, so that isn't a problem. Then I started looking at the "over pressure" vent that is machined into the bolt face at about 10 o'clock.



If you compare that to the location of the ejector you will see that they are DIRECTLY across from one another. If you remove your bolt and place an empty case under the extractors and pop the case out as it would if the ejector hit it you will feel the case pop up THROUGH the gas vent! What this does is cause all the energy to be lost and the "FLING" power disappears and the case just kind of plops out of the chamber area. It is amplified by the fact that when the ejector hits the back of the case it is pushing out AND up on the case.

So I set out to attempt to fix the problem in a non-permanent way in order to test my theory. I removed the extractors and wrapped black tape around the bolt in order to create a dam and I filled the bolt face with modeling clay to create another dam. Then I filled the gas vent groove with a drop of acraglass bedding compound and let it cure.




OH! You want to know the results. I now have an Anschutz that throws shells with authority and it always throws them fully clear of the chamber and out to the right of the rifle!! Prior to this VERY simple change 99% of my fired cases were actually ejecting up and out to the left of my rifle and the other 1% were not ejecting at all and would just flop back into the chamber area.

This is the ONLY modification that I made. I have not changed or modified my extractors. All I did was fill the gas vent.

Now for the safety clause. If this little groove truly is a over pressure "vent" then that is something to consider before you fill yours. My thoughts on it were this... absolutely NONE of my rimfires have any form of pressure vent. In my 30 years of shooting rimfire rifles I have NEVER had a case rupture. Lastly, I feel that the void (or "vent") in the bolt around the rim of the cartridge actually creates an unsupported and weak point in the design which may actually allow a case to rupture. (That last comment is purely speculation)


My Weatherby/Anschutz 64 now ejects like a CHAMP!!

[BCloninger]

Congratulations on finding a fix! Plugging the vent hole is a danger since the gas from a rupture may now vent entirely into the firing pin channel and, if that channel extends through the bolt, into your face. On the other hand, the gasses may dislodge the epoxy plug and vent properly.

Other rifles do have gas vents, typically drilled through the receiver to intersect the ejector cuts in the bolt.

[Evelio Mc Donald]

Man, I have handled quite a few Rimfire rifles of all different brands, and I have never seen a bolt face with that groove on it.
I am curious if anybody out there have one similar to the one in the picture.
Evelio.

[Bob259]

Man, I have handled quite a few Rimfire rifles of all different brands, and I have never seen a bolt face with that groove on it.
I am curious if anybody out there have one similar to the one in the picture.
Evelio.

I too was curious Evelio... so I went and pulled my 1416 out, as it has a 64 series action, and it's bolt face is identical. But I never had any ejection problems like described.

[Trent]

Congratulations on finding a fix! Plugging the vent hole is a danger since the gas from a rupture may now vent entirely into the firing pin channel and, if that channel extends through the bolt, into your face. On the other hand, the gasses may dislodge the epoxy plug and vent properly.

Other rifles do have gas vents, typically drilled through the receiver to intersect the ejector cuts in the bolt.

The way I look at it, if a case ruptures the gas is going to go out the completely open bottom of the bolt rather than that tiny opening that the groove provides once the bolt is locked up against the barrel. The Anschutz 64 is a solid bolt at the rear so no chance of gas escaping to the rear.

I am not entirely convinced that the groove is a over pressure vent anyway. There are far too many places for gas to go in the event of a case rupture. I still have a notion that it is a loaded chamber indicator. When the bolt is closed you can see the case if one is in there.

Out of twelve rimfires I own, this is the only one that has anything of this sort. I have zero concerns with it being a safety issue, but then again that is just me. If anyone feels that it is a concern then I encourage them to not make this change.

Also, if anyone has any literature that defines this groove (from Anschutz) then please do post it's intention.

[ppkny]

Here's a picture of my ans 64 msr. It shows the vent slot also and I've never had a eject problem in the 10 years I have owned it.


ppkny

[Trent]

For some odd reason not everyone has this problem. Mine was severe, and this is the only change that I have made and it now ejects just like all my other rimfires.

[AZRifle]

I have a large number of mine are ending up back in the chamber and needing to be cleared by hand during a match. Mostly with the 1808ms and some with the 1712. Most of them that do fall back I can ignore and they spit out as the bolt is being closed but, some get wedged in the opening instead. I am not certain if it is interaction with the scope that causes it, I have not made a point to study it. I do know that a local shooter has made a complaint about it directly to Anschutz regarding the same problem with his rifle, I am not sure which model.


Jerry

[Bob259]

I have a large number of mine are ending up back in the chamber and needing to be cleared by hand during a match. Mostly with the 1808ms and some with the 1712. Most of them that do fall back I can ignore and they spit out as the bolt is being closed but, some get wedged in the opening instead. I am not certain if it is interaction with the scope that causes it, I have not made a point to study it. I do know that a local shooter has made a complaint about it directly to Anschutz regarding the same problem with his rifle, I am not sure which model.


Jerry

Jerry, I think you'll find with your 1808 and 1712, as I did with my 1808 and 1712's, that it is the case bouncing off the bottom of the scope tube back into the action. That was what was happening on mine. I just tip the rifle now and they eject fine by missing, or hitting at a different angle the bottom of the scope tube.
Bob

[Trent]

I have a large number of mine are ending up back in the chamber and needing to be cleared by hand during a match. Mostly with the 1808ms and some with the 1712. Most of them that do fall back I can ignore and they spit out as the bolt is being closed but, some get wedged in the opening instead. I am not certain if it is interaction with the scope that causes it, I have not made a point to study it. I do know that a local shooter has made a complaint about it directly to Anschutz regarding the same problem with his rifle, I am not sure which model.


Jerry

Exactly. The cases are popping UP through the groove instead of OUT to the right. Some of them will hit the underside of the scope and fall back in. On mine 99 out of 100 would actually pop out to the left under the scope and fall between my hand and the stock. I should say... they dribbled out to the left. Now they all fling out to the right completely clear.

Folks that are lucky enough to not have this problem must have just the perfect combination of manufacturing tolerances working in their favor.

What I have read is that Anschutz's fix for this problem is to tell their customers that they need to pull the bolt back SHARPLY in order to get the cases out. In other words, you must slam the bolt to the rear in order to generate enough energy to flip the case out in order to overcome the real issue. I don't know about anyone else but I don't like beating my bolt against the trigger mechanism just to get a case to eject.

Anyway. This was an EASY fix and hopefully it will help out a few others. It is imperative that you remove your extractors. The last thing you want is for any epoxy to wick down into the extractor area and lock your extractor to the bolt. That would be a terrible situation.

[AZRifle]

You explination from Anschutz is exactly what the person I was refering to got in response. He was not operating the bolt sharply enough.

Oh Well!

Jerry

[rogersptl]

I do not believe the trigger is the bolt stop. Therefore a sharply worked bolt should not damage any part of the trigger. Of course there is a certain amount of 'reasonable force' to a 'sharply worked' bolt.

[Trent]

I do not believe the trigger is the bolt stop. Therefore a sharply worked bolt should not damage any part of the trigger. Of course there is a certain amount of 'reasonable force' to a 'sharply worked' bolt.

True, it is hitting the bolt stop. Same deal though, I shouldn't have to beat my bolt against it just to get moderate ejection. Every other rifle I own I can pull the bolt as slow as I want and the case will SNAP out. You are right that the bolt is not hitting the trigger.

[AZRifle]

If I had to guess... Most of the people shooting these types of Anschutz rifles are competing with open sights and do not run into the problem we do with the scopes interfering with the ejection of the spent casing.

Jerry

[edgehit]

I haven't heard too many people complain about 64 ejection and I'm happy that this rifle found a fix. My 64 bolt faces don't have that groove. But the 1710 and 1712 have an ejection problem. I've looked at this enough to conclude that the cheap-o stamped extractor hook isn't holding the case strong enough to offset the opposite side. We need to convince Volquartzen to manufacture a run of exact-edge extractors to replace the stamped POS that Anschutz put on their overpriced 54 sporters. I would buy a VQ extractor tonight if it was offered because I'm convinced this is the problem.

As for the theory that the 54 action is made for shooting open sights, think again. The target models have the extractors located at 10 and 2 o'clock. Completely different from the 3 and 9 o'clock grasp of the sporter bolt face. I'm seriously considering just using the right side extractor and leaving the knuckle hold at home.