Thompson Center Venture tight bolt

[Victor Cachat]

I spent my tax return on a T/C Venture in .308 Win and just picked it up today.

While cleaning and examining it, I tried using my go gauge and could not get the bolt to close.

Now the gauge instructions tell you to remove the extractor, but I don't want to go that far, so I tried with some new, unprimed brass.

I managed to close the bolt by getting the cartridge in the chamber and slamming the bolt home with more force that I would normally use.

The plunger moves easily enough, but the extractor is a little gritty.
I used some silicon oil and Trilube and they seem a bit less sticky.

Is this something that might just work out after a box or two of ammo?

[Flouncer]

I would say no, use will not increase the clearance of whatever it is that is causing the tight fit. The fact that you used unfired brass means it's not the throat. FWIW I have never had the issue you are having with any weapon ever. Hopefully one of our gunsmiths will give you a more substantial answer. Good luck. I thought TC test fired all their rifles prior to sale but I don't know where I got that idea ? Usually the gunstore at least checks out the weapon to see if it will chamber factory ammo before they hand it over. Just my experience and $0.02.

I am planning on getting a TC Venture in 30-06 and if it has this same issue it's going back. To someone somewhere.

[ar15barrels]

I spent my tax return on a T/C Venture in .308 Win and just picked it up today.

While cleaning and examining it, I tried using my go gauge and could not get the bolt to close.

Now the gauge instructions tell you to remove the extractor, but I don't want to go that far, so I tried with some new, unprimed brass.

I managed to close the bolt by getting the cartridge in the chamber and slamming the bolt home with more force that I would normally use.

The plunger moves easily enough, but the extractor is a little gritty.
I used some silicon oil and Trilube and they seem a bit less sticky.

Is this something that might just work out after a box or two of ammo?

The extractor usually won't matter.
I leave them in unless a gun is misbehaving while checking headspace and I suspect the extractor is the problem.
The ejector should be removed as well as the striker assembly so that you can feel how the bolt closes on the gauge without any of the springs effecting the feel.
This will also allow you to move the bolt front-back and see how much headspace the gun has on a GO gauge.
You should NOT need to force the bolt to close on new brass or ammo.
The fact that you saif you needed to tells me that the gun is QUITE a bit out-of-spec, not just a little bit.

[Victor Cachat]

After multiple closings and openings, and manually moving the extractor with a plastic pen, the bolt closes with a only a bit of stiffness.

Retracting the bolt is smooth as glass and there is no real resistance to rotating the bolt.

I'm leaning towards sticky extractor as the problem.

[MongooseV8]

Then my next step would be to remove the extractor and try your gage again. Eliminating one variable at a time should identify the problem.

[Victor Cachat]

Then my next step would be to remove the extractor and try your gage again. Eliminating one variable at a time should identify the problem.

I may have to do that.
I looked at the brass I used the last time I closed the bolt on a factory round and the extractor left a pretty good mark on it as it cammed over the rim.

I'm not clear on how to remove it at this point as there is no pin that I can see, unless it is a spring loaded retainer behind the hole in the extractor face.

[MongooseV8]

One thing to look for, if your headspace is too tight it can leave a ring around the shoulder of the brass after its chambered. So if you are seeing heavy extractor marks on the rim and no ring near the neck/shoulder junction thats a good indication there is something wrong with the extractor. Maybe some grit is trapped behind it, or there is a tolerance out of spec.

[Victor Cachat]

I was right about the extractor removal process and I took it out for a closer look.
I sent a picture to T/C with my explanation of the issue.

I don't think that ramp is supposed to have a valley in the middle of it:

[MongooseV8]

Nice. Quite possible your brass rim and extractor are getting hung up on eachother. Another mystery solved hehe.

[Victor Cachat]

Now I don't feel so bad that the rain is keeping me from the range for a few days.

[Victor Cachat]

(I was wrong. See post 20 for mea culpa.)

So, I did not get a response from T/C and started a chat with one of their service representatives on March 17th.

He said they would send me an extractor within 7 days.
I just got back from my mailbox with their envelope.

They sent me the spring!
The spring was NOT the problem.

So: 10 day waiting period, one week to get them to send a part, one week to get the wrong part.

[ElvenSoul]

Typically people send the whole gun back to the company

Typically TC has awesome customer service. Pretty sure they would have gone over your gun by hand and done some truing and custom fitting.

[Monster]

Typically people send the whole gun back to the company

Typically TC has awesome customer service. Pretty sure they would have gone over your gun by hand and done some truing and custom fitting.

It's no longer T/C that we once new it's S&W different breed of animal.

[MongooseV8]

It's no longer T/C that we once new it's S&W different breed of animal.

Yep.

[ar15barrels]

Pretty sure they would have gone over your gun by hand and done some truing and custom fitting.