Feed/bolt issues

Not sure if this is a lvl 10 issue or not, so if this actually IS, my apologies.

Used RT classic, lvl 10, was leaking down the bolt. Bought new spacers, went down a half size (2.5 to 2, if I remember correctly) and the leak stopped.

Now, I find that the bolt doesn't seem to fully reset all the time. I might get 5-10 shots off and the next shot is a dry-fire. I physically push the ball into the breech (doesn't take much effort, ball plops right in) and it'll usually fire. Sometimes it'll vent (like it should with a ball that's not all the way seated), but next shot always fires.

I pulled the 2 out and put the 2.5 back in and we're back to the leak again. Didn't check to see if the ball hang was still there or not.

I've tried three different brands/quality of paint, and it doesn't matter.

I'd purchased and used a rebuild kit for the Classic (not lvl 10 rebuild kit).

Help?

Change the oring inside the carrier.

I had to add 2 shims to get my bolt to reset right because it had none

The ball hanging up is not a level 10 issue with it not resetting if the gun will dry fire. If the bolt resets such that the gun will fire, then the bolt is working without issue and you have another problem occurring. I would go back to the smaller carrier size to stop the leaking. If the gun dry fires and doesn't have bolt stick or a leak, then you have the proper size carrier installed.

When bolt stick occurs it prevents the sear from resetting and allowing the trigger to come forward. The gun will not fire in this condition.

Check the condition of the balls. Are they misshaped or enlarged? If you have to push the balls into the breach, then that is more likely the problem.

HolySokz: If you had to install shims to get the bolt to reset, then you most likely still have a minor bolt stick issue that will crop up at some point in time. Shims don't stop bolt stick issues, but do control how far the bolt needs to move to vent air if the bolt doesn't fire or release air but can't reset.

I'm not so sure the paint is the problem. When I eyeball it, when the gun won't let a ball load, the bolt looks a very tiny bit forward. If I push the ball into the breech and fire, the bolt is back where I'd expect it to be...it just randomly doesn't seem to be going back far enough.

When the ball won't feed into the breach and the bolt appears to be slightly forward, will the gun fire (assuming you take away the ball that is stuck)? If the bolt is indeed stuck forward such that the gun won't fire, then you are getting bolt stick and need the next larger carrier size.

A dry fire as indicated at the start of the post is typically a sound indicative of the level 10 bolt doing its thing and venting air after bouncing off of the stuck ball.

Are you using level 10 shims? You shouldn't have any installed. They have a tendency to move the bolt stem vent hole too close to the carrier oring which causes you to use a carrier size that is too tight in order to stop leaking. This will cause bolt stick issues. Also, have you checked for sear wear? A worn sear can allow the bolt to sit too far forward and also cause you to require a carrier size that is too tight for your setup. A missing rail bushing can cause similar issues.

I'll check the "fire if the ball is removed" thing this weekend...sadly, my scuba tank is fairly empty.

I *believe* it won't fire if the ball is removed, but I'll check.

Not using shims...I pulled those out when I was changing carriers.

One thing that strikes me as I'm typing this is that I *don't think* I put the new o-ring in the old, larger carrier when I was testing last time.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the old o-ring, on a 2.5 carrier has leaks...and the old o-ring in a 2.0 carrier doesn't, but sticks. Again, I'm going to re-test with the new o-ring to be sure...but what would my next steps be if I find that, say, the 2.5 carrier with either o-ring leaks but doesn't stick, and the 2.0 carrier with either o-ring doesn't leak but sticks?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigjuan

I'll check the "fire if the ball is removed" thing this weekend...sadly, my scuba tank is fairly empty.

I *believe* it won't fire if the ball is removed, but I'll check.

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That's most likely bolt stick due to a tight carrier oring.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigjuan

Not using shims...I pulled those out when I was changing carriers.

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Good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigjuan

One thing that strikes me as I'm typing this is that I *don't think* I put the new o-ring in the old, larger carrier when I was testing last time.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the old o-ring, on a 2.5 carrier has leaks...and the old o-ring in a 2.0 carrier doesn't, but sticks. Again, I'm going to re-test with the new o-ring to be sure...but what would my next steps be if I find that, say, the 2.5 carrier with either o-ring leaks but doesn't stick, and the 2.0 carrier with either o-ring doesn't leak but sticks?

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You do need to use the same oring in each carrier that you use. Its the oring you are adjusting. If the oring leaks in the larger carrier but not the smaller one, but the smaller one causes bolt stick, then there may be other issues at play. Try another oring and find the correct size carrier for it. A new oring may fix the problem because it will be a slightly different size.

When the larger carrier and oring is installed and leaking, push the bolt back a bit with your finger to see if the leak stops. If the leak stops, then your bolt is sitting too far forward, usually due to worn sear or perhaps your valve is sitting too far back due to a missing rail bushing.