Pre war Targetmaster

[Pofoo]

I just got a pre war Remington Targetmaster 510P. Single shot, factory peep sight. s,l,lr.
It is pretty beat up and doesn't always cock when cycling the bolt. The bolt always cocks when the bolt handle is raised, but sometimes it decocks when the bolt handle is closed home.
Any ideas as to what is wrong?

Anyone know how to break down the bolt for cleaning?

[kendog4570]

Decocking is most likely caused by dirty or mal-adjusted trigger components. If they are worn or broken, its a crapshoot to get it working right. I know a lot of folks have these in one flavor or another (510, 511, 512, 513, etc.) and they dearly love them, but they were designed as a cheap, disposable rifle, and have been obsolete for more than 50 years.
Try cleaning the trigger parts with a strong solvent to get any old gunk and dried oil out of there.

[donw]

it (the trigger) may be adjusted too light.

as kendgog4570 said...clean it very thoroughly and re-adjust the trigger.

its also possible the sear has worn excessively...it should be 'square'.

the 510 is very simple to work on. parts can be a little difficult to find at times though. www.gunparts.com usually has a good supply of the parts.

[kendog4570]

New parts are long gone. Bolt handles, the headspace component of these, were supplied in "A" thru "E". ALL of the A's B's and C's are long gone, but they have buckets full of "E's, which are useless. Some places make new Mfg parts but these are sketchy whether they work or not.

[Pofoo]

Thanks for the replies.
I got the bolt apart and everything looks fine.
I agree that it is probably a trigger/sear problem. I'll look into it.
Cheap rifle? I'm pretty impressed by the machine work on this little beauty.

[TRAP55]

Like Kendog said, the usual culprit is just grime.
After it's spotless and oiled, check that the sear pivot screw isn't too loose or over tightened. If I remember right, once adjusted at the factory they were staked in place.

http://stevespages.com/ipb-remington-510.html

[Pofoo]

Thanks all for the help.
I got the bolt apart-just 2 pins.
But, that firing pin spring is pretty stiff. Any recomendations on the easiest way to get it back together?

[TRAP55]

Any recommendations on the easiest way to get it back together?

Yes, grow two more hands.
I don't think there's an easy way to do it. An extra pair of hands to put the pins in place does help.

[kendog4570]

I told you to clean the trigger, not take apart the bolt.

Do push-ups.

[TRAP55]

I told you to clean the trigger, not take apart the bolt.

Do push-ups.

At least 50!

[kendog4570]

...Cheap rifle? I'm pretty impressed by the machine work on this little beauty.

Like I said...

...I know a lot of folks have these in one flavor or another (510, 511, 512, 513, etc.) and they dearly love them....

Lemme get my flame suit on....


The receivers are not much more than a Liberator pistol, and they have a fire control that doesnt leave much room for wear or re-fitting. The major parts that are nesessary to re fit them dried up LONG ago. They are kind of like a Marlin 60. When new they are great, but when the internals take on some wear, you'll go nuts trying to get them back to their former glory.
They are trainers and beginner budget rifles with a limited life span. I know some folks go through some witchcraft "tightening" the actions (in a vise!) and other blacksmith/shade tree gunsmith tricks to accurize them,and throwing a bunch of time into them, but when they are worn and broken, they are done!

If I had your bolt in my hands I could get it together, but I couldnt describe it here for the life of me.

[Pofoo]

Thanks again everyone.
There was a little crud in the 70 yr old bolt, so, overall I think I would take it apart again. That being said before getting it back together again. Guess I'll need another pair of hands or maybe a jig or clamp.

[kendog4570]

I'll check my manuals later and see if the bolt breakdown is in there.


Did you do your push ups??
TRAP55 let you off easy with 50.

[Pofoo]

OK bolt cleaned and oiled and reassembled. Went back together fairly easilly.
The bolt still decocks sometimes when the handle is turned down (cocks on opening). If I push forward on the trigger when pushing the bolt home, it stays cocked 100% of the time. So, I'm thinking that the sear doesn't stick up high enough. The trigger spring seems to be working correctly to keep pressure on the sear.
Questions
The trigger pivot pin is staked into position as mentioned above. Is this a ecentric to adjust sear engagement? Can I adjust the sear up to compensate for wear and catch the firing pin?
The sear, and many other parts, ARE listed as "in stock" at Numrich's gun parts co. Should I just buy another?
Or?

[Pofoo]

[QUOTE=donw;9781212]it (the trigger) may be adjusted too light.
its also possible the sear has worn excessively...it should be 'square'.

How would I adjust this trigger?