Old "Leatherneck" .22 rifle

[fatelk]

I've got this old .22 rifle, an H&R Leatherneck model 150. It's never functioned quite right so long as I've had it, two magazines, both the same. It jammed when chambering a round; every time for some ammo, and very rarely with CCI Minimags. I've tinkered with it off and on but never seriously enough to really figure it out. I fiddled with mags, springs, cleaning, adjusting, etc..

Well, the other day I had it out again and was looking it over closely. I noticed that the bolt was a little on the rough side, well not particularly rough, just not machined quite as smooth as one would think it should be. I cut a strip of 320 sandpaper and polished it, then a strip of 600 grit, then 1500. It was absolutely shiny and smooth by the time I was done. It cycled much smoother, not the slightest drag.

I took it out today and it ran like a champ with whatever ammo I tried. It's funny how that works. I wonder if this old rifle has been jamming up since the 1950's when it was made?

[pietro]

.

Most likely was - nice work !

I'm a fan of the "back to basics" approach first, when diagnosing a gun's issues.

I'm also glad you restored it's functioning - now go shoot the snot out of it !

.

[nagantguy]

Well we know have time to dig out those old “never quite right” projects I’m very glad you’re was simple, and now works as it should, And your instinct was correct any place metal moves on or in metal it out be smooth.
One of my best simple fixes lately was a magazine that had gone sideways and I figured spring and follower so I replaced those and the mag still would hang up the follower would stick in the mag body at about the 10th round.
Looking closer I noticed a dent in the magazine body, I took an old cutting board and cut a piece that very tightly fit inside the magazine with spring and follower out and used a sodden dowel and tapped chunk of wood through and it popped that little dent/crease right out now the magazine is back to running 100%.

[Thin Man]

When I was a teenager a close friend had one of the H&R family - either a General or a Leatherneck. It belonged to my friend's father who passed away and his son inherited it but the magazine was absent. The father had a bad habit of hiding small items like magazines and my friend never could find a replacement mag anywhere. Came the time several years later I was spending a bit of time in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area where they have many small, local gun shows. After looking through a few of those shows I found TWO magazines for the friend's rifle and bought both of them. When I handed them to my friend he was the happiest I had seen him in years, so happy I would not even let him pay me for them. I got that gift to him about 30 years ago and he still has the rifle and mags.

[pietro]

.

That's what a real friend does - good on you TM !

.

[TNsailorman]

Another "attaboy" to my fellow East TN neighbor. I like stories like that. james

[reivertom]

I did the same thing with a P11 Kel Tec that was rough feeling and had a stovepipe every now and then. They call it a "Fluff and Buff" where you slick down every place metal rubs on metal, except the aluminum frame parts. After I did it, the thing felt like a different gun and hasn't had a FTF since.

[Texas by God]

Pics of the H&R or it didn’t happen��