Ruger fires when bolt handle touched

[Three Bears]

Saturday as I loaded a round to check extraction in my Ruger M77, Mark II .223 stainless... as I load a round and closed the bolt the rifle fired(was in the utility room). I can barely hear and the bullet went thru the walls and outside. Lift bolt handle, work bolt and when bolt handled is pushed down it will fire or lift handle, put on safety, push knob down, take off safety and push down on knob and gun fires.... Contacted Ruger and they are sending a bow to ship it back to them. Anyone had this problem? This could have been real bad..... ears are still ringing.

[ftut]

I've got a Ruger 77 that will fire when you move the safety to fire, after pressing on the trigger with the safety on. This gun is several years old so I've never thought about sending it back to Ruger. I've never tried pushing on the bolt but I will now.

[Multigunner]

Good heads up on the use of dummy cartridges when checking any sort of action functions.
Handloaders have no excuse for not having dummy cartridges for this purpose.
One can always sacrifice a factory cartridge by pulling the bullet, dumping powder then firing the primer and reseating the bullet.
Best to remove the spent primer since otherwise one might mistake a misfired cartridge for the dummy round, a second strike can often fire a misfired cartridge.

[square butte]

ftut - Contact Ruger- They Will fix your gun for free.

[thegatman]

Wow I have a Ruger just like that. I will have to bring it to the range and try it. I have dummy rounds for all my rifles to check if they seat.

[dragon813gt]

And I opened this thread thinking someone typed Ruger instead of Remington by accident ;)

[Multigunner]

An added caution when using homemade dummy rounds, always crimp the bullet in tight and bonding it in place is a good extra precaution.
Brandon Lee died when the bullet of a dummy cartridge, used for a head on shot to make it appear the revolver was fully loaded, became struck in the chamber of a revolver, when a blank cartridge was then inserted and fired the stuck bullet was propelled with lethal force and killed him.

A dislodged bullet from a dummy round can also cause a bore obstruction and cause a Kaboom.

[pietro]

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AFAIK, The firing problem's usually caused by a malfunctioning sear - whether it's just sticking in partial contact from oil/grit, or it's broken, worn or has been fiddled with in an attempt to ease trigger pull.


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[wallenba]

I've got a Ruger 77 that will fire when you move the safety to fire, after pressing on the trigger with the safety on. This gun is several years old so I've never thought about sending it back to Ruger. I've never tried pushing on the bolt but I will now.

They should take it back no matter how long you've had it, or even if you bought it used. Think about it from their perspective. They built it, it's defective, they would be liable no matter who owns it or when.

[grampa243]

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AFAIK, The firing problem's usually caused by a malfunctioning sear - whether it's just sticking in partial contact from oil/grit, or it's broken, worn or has been fiddled with in an attempt to ease trigger pull.


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+1 and it can happen to any bolt gun.

+1 to making dumbies up for testing.

[Artful]

Glad no one was hurt - unfortunately you have suffered some hearing damage - remember once you have that ringing it's a sign of damage.

Remember your safety rules - as familiarity breeds contempt
1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

When using or storing a gun, always follow these NRA rules:

Know your target and what is beyond.
Be absolutely sure you have identified your target beyond any doubt. Equally important, be aware of the area beyond your target. This means observing your prospective area of fire before you shoot. Never fire in a direction in which there are people or any other potential for mishap. Think first. Shoot second.

Know how to use the gun safely.
Before handling a gun, learn how it operates. Know its basic parts, how to safely open and close the action and remove any ammunition from the gun or magazine. Remember, a gun's mechanical safety device is never foolproof. Nothing can ever replace safe gun handling.

Be sure the gun is safe to operate.
Just like other tools, guns need regular maintenance to remain operable. Regular cleaning and proper storage are a part of the gun's general upkeep. If there is any question concerning a gun's ability to function, a knowledgeable gunsmith should look at it.

Use only the correct ammunition for your gun.
Only BBs, pellets, cartridges or shells designed for a particular gun can be fired safely in that gun. Most guns have the ammunition type stamped on the barrel. Ammunition can be identified by information printed on the box and sometimes stamped on the cartridge. Do not shoot the gun unless you know you have the proper ammunition.

Wear eye and ear protection as appropriate.
Guns are loud and the noise can cause hearing damage. They can also emit debris and hot gas that could cause eye injury. For these reasons, shooting glasses and hearing protectors should be worn by shooters and spectators.

Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs before or while shooting.
Alcohol, as well as any other substance likely to impair normal mental or physical bodily functions, must not be used before or while handling or shooting guns.

Store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.
Many factors must be considered when deciding where and how to store guns. A person's particular situation will be a major part of the consideration. Dozens of gun storage devices, as well as locking devices that attach directly to the gun, are available. However, mechanical locking devices, like the mechanical safeties built into guns, can fail and should not be used as a substitute for safe gun handling and the observance of all gun safety rules.

Be aware that certain types of guns and many shooting activities require additional safety precautions.

Cleaning
Regular cleaning is important in order for your gun to operate correctly and safely. Taking proper care of it will also maintain its value and extend its life. Your gun should be cleaned every time that it is used.
A gun brought out of prolonged storage should also be cleaned before shooting. Accumulated moisture and dirt, or solidified grease and oil, can prevent the gun from operating properly.

Before cleaning your gun, make absolutely sure that it is unloaded.
The gun's action should be open during the cleaning process. Also, be sure that no ammunition is present in the cleaning area.

http://www.nssf.org/safety/basics/

[Smoke4320]

Glad you are ok (other than the hearing) and no one else was hurt ..
Ruger is a good company and will get you fixed right up ..rifle wise
again this post is a great reminder of safety safety .. it only takes a second of no concentration for a horrible accident to happen

[W.R.Buchanan]

This is caused by a trigger sear that is too far into the striker on the bolt.

On Mauser style actions when the safety is applied it lifts the striker off the sear. The safety has to lift the striker far enough off the sear that if the trigger is pulled it will reset and actually catch the striker when the safety is released.

If the striker does not get lifted enough then the sear cannot reset to it's normal position and when the safety is disengaged the gun will fire!

I ran into this problem when installing a Dayton Traistor Trigger assembly on my M96 Mauser. When the trigger is set up correctly everything works just fine.

Something sinmilar to this is probably what is wrong with your gun.

They will fix it.

Randy

[remy3424]

I will guess more than a few of us read this have ringing in their ears...continuously....loud music, tractors and gunfire as a youth is to thank for mine....and me being dumb. Sucks. Hope that Ruger doesn't have a 20 piund trigger when it comes back, if so it will be better than now.

[flounderman]

The problem isn't the rifle. Someone tried to adjust the trigger that didn't know what they were doing and the sear doesn't have enough engagement. I have never seen the need for dummmy cartridges. If you can slam the bolt closed and down, hard on an empty chamber, It is safe. Also put the safety on and pull the trigger with an empty chamber. If it doesn't go click and it doesn't go click when you take the safety off, it isn't likely to do it with a dummy or a loaded round. Someone either adjusted your trigger wrong or did some grinding and polishing. If you remove the barreled action from the stock and it still has the problem, it is in the sear engagement. If it works ok out of the stock, something in the stock is interfering with the trigger travel.

[Geppetto]

As I recall from reading Gunsmithing Rifles by Sweeney, the M77 mark II has very little to no adjustability from the factory. So if someone fiddled with the trigger, it would be by filing or grinding. Either could disrupt clearances between trigger/sear. If you don't want to send it in to Ruger, you may be able to buy an aftermarket unit and have it installed. I've used three M77 MkII's when I was younger and have tried and tested all of the various combinations of pulling trigger-turning off saftey-releasing trigger, etc that I could think of, and have never had any fail the testing. (was a curious kid as to the inner workings of triggers/sears/safeties).

Glad you and all surrounding folks are safe.

[Gtek]

I have cleaned more than a few Rem's out after the WD-40 generation. It like several other "oils" I have seen used the carrier evaporates and leaves what appears to be the equal to spar/cabinet varnish. The box type trigger assemblies are the worst for this. It becomes so gummed up it effects the sear engagement into cocking piece. My fathers buddy brought me his Rem and the sear was stuck all the way at bottom travel and would not even engage on close. One must be very careful putting Timneys in Mausers due to loose bolt in receiver, it can feel super and be on ragged edge and one day you lift bolt on a hot one in pipe and bang. Artful so kindly posted the ten rules, them and the ten other ones and hope for the best. We have a saying at work " Bullets and props only have to touch you" Gtek

[RoyEllis]

Glad you're OK, like was said above...get you some dummy cartridges to use function testing.

[Stephen Cohen]

Good heads up on the use of dummy cartridges when checking any sort of action functions.
Handloaders have no excuse for not having dummy cartridges for this purpose.
One can always sacrifice a factory cartridge by pulling the bullet, dumping powder then firing the primer and reseating the bullet.
Best to remove the spent primer since otherwise one might mistake a misfired cartridge for the dummy round, a second strike can often fire a misfired cartridge.

Exactly. Wounding or killing a family member will take longer to deal with than making a dummy round.

[nhrifle]

Glad there was no one hurt.

Good posts about the sears and trigger adjustment. I have seen quite a few rifles that go off when the action is closed, including a couple of Remingtons that made it into the news. Sears can wear out, but those that I have seen have had their triggers tampered with. I can't stress enough, if you are unsure of how to properly adjust a trigger, please don't. Have a chat with a good gunsmith. There are many options for a light, crisp, and most importantly, SAFE trigger.

I would definitely send the rifle to Ruger, they will fix it.

The newer style of user adjustable triggers are great. But, if anyone hears of a shooter thinking of adjusting one of the traditional style triggers, please convince them not to. I don't want another gun on my desk with a history of fatality because of AD.

[Beau Cassidy]

I had a Ruger Hawkeye do that on me. It started doing it on the range. I bought the rifle new and it had not been monkeyed with. Instead of sending it back to Ruger for another 10 lb trigger I bought a new trigger and put it in. Everything is fine now.

[opos]

Not a Ruger nor Remington but there are lots of the old Mosin Nagant's around and a "fix" for lightening the trigger pull is to install a shim under the sear spring....sometimes it's ok and sometimes it's not...the "test" is to cock the gun and bang the stock on the ground and see if the cocking piece dislodges and snaps the firing pin...I'd rather just have a little heavier trigger pull...man the home town gunsmithing on triggers is dangerous. I shoot lots of single action Rugers and have seen article after article on the "poor man's trigger job"...costs nothing...takes a minute to do and in my mind violates safety rules by altering a weapon outside the manufacturers specs by rank amateurs...I'm belt and suspenders cautious...and 75 with all my digits and hearing.

Really sorry to hear of anyone having difficulties and appreciate the postings I see...any of us can screw up and hearing of things makes me twice cautious.