wobblinwheel

Wow, Butters, how'd you bend the barrel back like that?! (tee hee)

I ordered a new spring for mine a month or so ago, and it is DEFINITELY stronger (stiffer). I highly recommend you getting a new one. The original "cleaning" video on the Umarex/Colt website (used to) say turn the screw all the way in for Hi-velocity ammo, and all the way out for standard. I'm almost sure the springs were weaker back then. With the old spring, I used to set the spring at 4 turns when shooting Aguilla Sub-sonics with no problems. With the new spring, they will "stovepipe" at that setting. Have to back the spring all the way out to shoot them now.

The tool I'm referring to is a .22 caliber chamber "finishing reamer" for semi-auto pistol & rifle barrels. The "pilot" is the part of the reamer that "guides" the reamer straight into the chamber, kinda like a drill bit. It appears the chambers on the earlier Colt barrels were more like European "match" chambers, which have a tighter taper to them than standard "American" semi-auto .22's, which are looser to accommodate rapid-loading of a wider range of ammo. The Colt barrels also have a smaller bore diameter and a more rapid twist than most American rifles (which is a good thing), hence the need to turn-down the pilot. Since I have reamed the chamber, all ammo I've tried now chambers easily, without "sticking". Unfortunately, I feel the "positive" features of this barrel are potentially negated by the possibility of irregular "tensioning" of the flash suppressor, each time it's loosened or removed. This is why I almost never loosen it unless it's absolutely necessary. Heat can also affect the tension on the barrel due to expansion, which also affects accuracy, but at least now my rifle goes BANG more often now than it used to!

Yeah. It's called "Accu-Wedge". A HELL of a lot more expensive than the few bucks it takes to buy a whole pack of these assorted "stick-on pads". These work on AR's as well.

Also, right after you install the pad, the rear pin will require a little "persuasion" to push it in. This will get easier after the pad conforms to the gun. The same pad has been in my rifle for almost two years, without any slop. If it does get sloppy, I will just replace the pad. Kinda like "Accu-Wedge" used in AR's.

My rifle developed the same problem. See the pictures. The package of stick-on pads comes from Wal Mart. Use the "clear" rubber ones (thin), and be sure to clean the area behind the plastic "buffer" really good with alcohol before you apply the pad. This will remove slop between upper and lower, AND make pins much tighter!

Well, I finally got the "pilot" on my .22 chamber-reamer turned-down so it would fit the bore on the Colt. The reamer is designed to finish the chamber to the same specs as most "American" semi-auto's. Seems to be the EXACT dimension as a Ruger 10/22. (which will shoot just about anything). the results have been VERY GOOD so far. The rifle will chamber and fire EVERYTHING that I had trouble with before. I have found the biggest failure-to-fire issues involved bullets that would "stick" in the chamber and cause light-strikes. These problems seem to be eliminated. Remington golden bullet, CCI Velocitors & Subsonics, Blazers, all seem to work fine now! Also, I can detect NO change in accuracy. I'm beginning to really like my "I can shoot any kind of "junk" rifle!!

Who did you talk to? Speak to the Service people, or the "resident gunsmith". He sent me a new spring and firing pin, and also said he thought he had "most" of the parts for a new bolt. I wish I could remember his name, as he was very helpful. I think if you talk to the right guy, you can get anything you want. Remember, be as "Politically Correct" as possible.

I had some much clearer pics, but they wouldn't upload because they were too "big". I hope you can get the gist of the larger size and depth of strikes on the rim. These were fired in an EXTREMELY dirty rifle that started to sound like dragging a brick on concrete when I worked the bolt! Still no misfires. Seems the firing pin has surely reduced "light strikes" to nearly "0". If I only had access to correct steel, and machining capabilities, I could improve it even more.

Here's a few of about 500 with no failures. I know, not very clear.

Is your flash-suppressor tight? Make sure it is. Make sure your pistol grip is tight too. Long allen wrench that came with the rifle I think fits the grip bolt.

Just installed my newly re-designed firing pin. A friend of mine welded a bead over the chisel-pointed end of the pin and extended the hammer-end of the pin. After custom-filing the longer pin as to eliminate the inertia action of the pin (the hammer actually now "drives" the pin into the rim, eliminating the need for a pointed firing pin), I have rapid-fired 60 rounds of Winchester M22's and over 200 rounds of Remington Golden Bullet bulk (yep, that's what I said) and NO failures! I gathered up all the brass and verified that each shell had a nice dent in it, about TWICE the size as it was before. Now I just have to keep an eye on each end of the pin to make sure they're not being "peened" by the impact. Not sure how hard the welded ends actually are. Anybody know a good way to harden the ends without making them brittle? The performance seems promising so far, as these bullets were quite problematic before the change! I am hoping to eventually create a more "tolerant" rifle from one that was once "finicky".

cmscoltm4, it would be interesting to find someone with some Remington "Golden Bullet" bulk ammo you could try. They won't shoot in ANY (older) Colt that I have heard about. I'm really curious if they would shoot in your rifle. Wouldn't recommend you buy them though, as they have an unusually large bullet diameter. My brother is machining-down the pilot on a .22 cal. chamber reamer so it will fit the "match" barrel (smaller bore dia.) on the Colt. This "finishing reamer" is the same size as a Ruger 10/22 chamber, which will shoot just about anything. I don't suspect this would affect the gun's accuracy, as the bore on the Colt is smaller and has a more rapid twist than most American rifles. In other words, I think you are lucky to have gotten a newer rifle!

The newer ones have definitely been improved in many ways. After talking to the tech guys at Umarex, I purchased a new bolt spring and firing pin. Firing pin seems to strike harder, and bolt spring is much stiffer than the old one. Works really well when it's backed all the way out. I'm modifying the old firing pin to hit even harder, and strike a bigger area of the rim. Haven't finished the "prototype" yet but it looks promising. They said the barrel (chamber) has been improved also. That will probably be my next improvement. Been told the new ones will even shoot REMINGTON! That would be great since a buddy of mine GAVE me two 500 round boxes of them! They won't even chamber in my old barrel.

It is (remotely) possible to have a stuck or deformed extractor that may have struck the rim hard enough to ignite the round. It does have to slide over the rim in order to hook the other side.

After owning my Colt M4 Carbine for a few years, AND reading reviews and watching UTube videos on "Tactical .22's", it has become awfully clear that one of the biggest problems that people have with these guns is FTF's or "misfires" as I call them. This became especially aggravating to me after buying a box of Winchester "M22" bullets from Wally=World (1000 rounds). They cost $45 a box and seemed to be a good deal, since I was in the mood for some open-sight, rapid-fire shoot'em up. Well, things went ok until the gun got a little "dirty" and the FTF's set in (as usual). I decided to pull the lead from some of the many "duds" that I had accumulated, and I discovered that the POINTED (chisel-like) end of the firing pin was "crumbling" the priming compound instead of "squashing" it (as it should). Anyone knows you have to SMASH the primer on a rimfire, not "punch" it with a pointed object! Then, under magnification, I noticed the strikes on a handfull of my spent cases varied from light pricks to deep gouges! No two the same. After disassembling the bolt, I discovered the problem: an "INERTIA" ACTIVATED FIRING PIN! I thought these were only used on guns with exposed hammers to prevent accidental firing with the hammer lowered onto the firing pin! The only FORCE behind the firing pin is the INERTIA from the impact of the hammer transfered to this little lightweight, stamped-out, POINTED little firing pin! I figured the chisel-point on the end of the pin was so it could put some kind of a "dent" in the rim. BUT NOT WHEN IT GETS DIRTY!! I remember as a kid, our .22's NEVER seemed to misfire. They had nice flat-on-the-end firing pins that were driven into the cartridge by the unstoppable force of the HAMMER! Every strike was big and DEEP! How many of these relatively unreliable brands of rifles have this setup? The firing pin in these guns is too LIGHT, has a SPRING pushing in the opposite direction, and the hammer mass and velocity is inadequate to do the job. Even minor variations in rim thickness can cause big problems! In case you don't know it, consistent ignition means consistent accuracy as well. Has anybody tried a different (longer) type of firing pin in these things? The pin needs to be FLUSH with the face of the bolt (no spring needed), travel mechanically limited as not to strike the cartridge TOO hard (and not to damage the breach from dry-firing), the striking-end should NOT be pointed, just flat. I think I'm going to try to make one, if I can find the right kind of hardened steel. Any ideas? I think this type of firing pin would be the equivalent of TWO of the current design (striking force and contact area). I know it will work, I just gotta build it.......

You might want to remove the flash-suppressor and check the "crown" on the muzzle. Any irregularities there can scatter your groups all over the place. Some of these guns are just being made too fast these days.

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Subject says it all. Wondering if it cycles in semi-autos? CTD has them for around $2.50 a box (50). Thinking with the adjustable spring, they might work in my Colt, as did the Aguilla "Sniper Subsonic", but they ain't so "quiet"! (a LOT of noise coming out the CHAMBER end.)

Yep. Look at the new Umarex catalog. 90 degree safety, FUNCTIONING dust cover. Also, from people who own newer versions, the chamber seems to have been enlarged to accept more varieties of ammo, and a stronger bolt spring is being used. Anna Dalton said that in order for me to use the newer safety cam, I would have to buy a new receiver so the "stamping" for the safety would match the lever position. BIG DEAL! Some kind "liability" issue, I bet.

If you can get the folks at Umarex to send you the safety cam for the newer models, problem solved! but they won't.

I think maybe the bolt spring setting may be determined by the age of your rifle. I get the impression that the bolt springs have changed over time (re-designed?). The first Umarex video said to adjust screw all the way in for high-vel. ammo. Then we were told by the factory to set them 9 turns in for H. V. NOW it's four! Go figure.....

Why might that be? Already did it on mine. Nothing but an aluminum tube threaded internally on both ends. what could POSSIBLY be the problem?

Just my opinion, but I would thing you might need that sight one day. I would much rather modify that bayonet lug than remove the fold-up sight! Also, you can disassemble the compensator by unscrewing either end cap. You may need to apply some heat with a propane torch to release the locktite. After removing one end, you could easily shorten the body of the compensator enough to screw it on. I'd rather modify the comp. than the rifle!