mg42 bolt won't disengage barrel

[c310pilot]

Its like its jammed or something, ideas anyone?

[FKpt.Fritz]

try pushing the rollers on the sides of the bolt in with your fingers while pulling the bolt back.

[c310pilot]

The barrel is in the receiver so I can only push the left side.

[Bil]

I am assuming there isn't a round in the chamber-take off the flash hider and cone,then 'bounce' the gun on something hard,like a block of wood.[holding the gun with the butt in the air]It may take several tries to loosen it up.This has worked for me before.It is scary when the bolt sticks and you realise you only have access to one side! Let us know if this works. ---bil

[c310pilot]

well I banged it so many times and so hard that the 4x4 split. and yet no luck

[Bil]

Have you removed the buttstock and spring?Try a bunch of lighter bounces-it took a while on mine,you are trying to make the rollers loosen and retract. ---bil

[c310pilot]

butt, buffer, spring, grip, flash hider, all removed. I have bolts on my barrel gate not rivets so that has been slid forward to ease access to the left side rollers. Sprayed some wd40 on the rollers to help lube and bounced it like and still no luck..

hummmmmm

[mauser]

had this problem also ..the ejecter bar had sliped to the side and was holding the firing pin wedge against the rollers ,moved it back to the center and hit the barrle guide on floor ..worked for me

[c310pilot]

I am off on a four day (pilot stuff) so I can't get to it right now but I will try the ejector bar when I get home and post an update.

[JBaum]

When trying to get the ejector bar back in place, hold the gun upside down, that way you have gravity helping as you shake the gun to try to get the bar back in place. The buttstock and recoil spring should be out of the gun.

If it won't go back in place, you can try a hammer on the ejector button, to see if you can bend the ejector bar enough to give it a little slack so it will move.

When all else fails:
According to the MG42 armorer's manual, it may be necessary to remove the pin that holds the feed roller in place (drill it and drive it out), so that the ejector button will come off and release the ejector bar. The rollers can't release the barrel extension if the ejector is out of place and has fallen behind the firing pin holder.

[c310pilot]

Thanks for all the good info guys. I will try all of the above when I get home Friday and post an update. This is the second time this has happened to me but the first time in came undone after alittle tweaking. I am hoping I didn't bend the ejector all to hell and back after banging on it so much. I have a feeling I could be looking for another ejector friday evening

[JBaum]

An ejector bar is a part that you should have a few spares of anyway.

[c310pilot]

"According to the MG42 armorer's manual, it may be necessary to remove the pin that holds the feed roller in place (drill it and drive it out), so that the ejector button will come off and release the ejector bar. "

I got to thinking. How can you access this if the bareel and bolt are stuck in the receiver? I can't go look at mine.

Anyone care to post some pics please?

[tomcatshaas]

it's talking about the feed roller at the top rear of the bolt. Not the locking rollers at the front.

TC

[Bil]

Is this still possible with the SA conversion? ---bil

[JBaum]

Bil, if "this" means that is it possible for the ejector bar to get wedged, sure it's possible. It would only take a cracked piece of steel in the bolt head or body, a piece of a brass shell, a chip from the recuperator piston or cam piece ramp, a piece of stick or a pebble that bounced up through the ejection port, or anything else to jam the firing pin holder in the forward position. Once the holder is stuck, the bolt is stuck until the firing pin holder can withdraw rearward.

Trouble? yes, but not unmanageable given the understanding of how the gun works.

Playing with a hooked piece of wire for a while, or at the worst, drilling out the feed roller pin will be all that is necessary to unstick it. Then determine the cause if possible, and reassemble the gun.

[Bil]

Wrong 'this'! I already know that anything that can go wrong probably will. The 'this' that I was refering to was removal and access on a converted bolt.As you know,besides the fun factor,there is quite a differance! ---bil

[c310pilot]

I am still having problems. I am also not swift on this posting pics in threads thing. I was trying to post a pic of the bolt diagram so we can discuss this more in depth.


Part 4 is loose and slides back and forth
Part 5 ? How can I get to it to move it around?
Part 2c seems to be jammed and I thought it should have some play in it.

????????? now what?

[c310pilot]

UP DATE:

I was unable to get part 5 (ejector actuator) to move so I ended up drilling 2A (feed-stud) out. Once two 2A (feed-stud) was out then 5 (ejector actuator), 7B (bolt-extension), and 2C (ejector button) fell out of the bolt and thus everything else (rollers, firing pin, etc) came out. Everything is free and clear now.

I have the MG42 “spoon” style ejector actuator. I figure like everyone said that the actuator shifted or had debris which caused its failure. I examined the actuator and found no damage or debris so I figure a shift occurred.

I am trying to fully understand how the shift can occur and how you can access the actuator while the bolt is assembled. I tried using wire but the feed stud doesn't allow much room to work. From the other end it’s all but inaccessible.

[JBaum]

"Rollers fell out" I hope that's a misstatement..... The rollers should not fall out of the bolt head. Get another ejector bar. It may be a bit short. It cannot be bent.

To post a pic, click on :Browse", select the location on your hard drive for the picture and click "Add the file". It will upload to the board. Then click "Submit".

Check your bolt while it's out of the gun, and see if/why the ejector bar slid to the side.