(Safety)
1.How would you safely clear the feed source, chamber, and barrel of ammunition and potential obstructions?
Starting by making sure the rifle is on safe, I would then push the locking lever
and breach the barrel from the action face. Because this is a single shot brake action rifle, I
would inspect to be sure a round is not still in the barrel and I may use a bore light to be sure
the barrel has no obstructions in it. Once I am sure it is clear of ammunition, I would continue
my work.
2.In addition to clearing the firearm of ammunition and obstructions, is there any other serious damage that you might inspect for prior to moving forward with the troubleshooting process?
Yes, in clearing the firearm I need to push the locking lever to breach the barrel. If this is not in good working order, you will not be able to open the firearm to ensure it is clear of ammunition.
(Initial Inspection and Diagnosis)
1.What action type is the firearm in question?
The H&R Ultra chambered in .223 is a Break Action, Single Shot rifle.
2.What is the most likely type of failure (failure to fire, failure to feed, etc.) the customer is
describing? If more than one type of failure is equally likely, list them below.
Because the customer said it is not ejecting the spent casing I would look at the lifter bar and its parts to ensure it is not dirty or broken. I would not begin to look at things like the firing pin because the customer said it fires but just that the issue was ejecting.
3.What test(s) might you perform to verify the customer’s complaint? Why would you choose
this method over others?
I would more likely use snap caps chambered in the rifles caliber to recreate the customers complaint. This is the safest way to do this because it uses the same type of ammunition but is inert and will not fire if a mistake was made. If it will not eject the snap cap, then I will be able to see what has gone wrong with the rifle.
4.How might the various tests you could perform yield different results in this situation?
Because the snap cap will not fire like live ammunition, I may not see the casing expand in a worn out bore and I would not see the problem in testing. If everything works fine using snap caps, I would then move on to a live fire test to see if the issue is reproduced. Once fired I can inspect the casing for damage that may show me the issue.
(Detailed Assessment)
1.What do you feel would be the leading issue causing this platform to experience the type of failure you identified (i.e., breakage, wear, debris)? Why do you feel this way?
In my experience it is usually a dirty firearm that creates the issue. The customer stated that he had fired this for years which means he has had it for a long time. This may not necessarily mean a worn-out barrel because it is a single shot firearm and I suspect it hasn’t been shot to excess. My guess is that they have no idea how to disassemble those parts and the lifter bar that extracts the fired casing is stuck from carbon build up.
2.If a component were damaged, what component would be most suspect? Why?
The lifter bar itself may have been rounded off after years for use and it may be slipping the rim of the casing and not ejecting it. This would probably be the first thing I would check after clearing the firearm.
(Post-inspection and repairs)
1.Assuming the auto eject assembly was the cause of the malfunction, in a short customer
summary, describe the type of failure, what components caused the malfunction, the
components you removed/replaced, and the tests that were performed to verify operation:
After taking the time to clear the firearm of ammunition and obstructions I was able to start looking at the componence of the firearm that specifically deal with the ejecting of spent casings. Upon doing so I noticed your auto eject assembly was stuck and not moving to eject the casing. After disassembling it and cleaning the components it began to move as it is supposed to. In the final phase of working on the firearm I looked for broken or worn parts. It is possible your lifter bar has been rounded off from years of use and I may recommend replacing it for a more reliable ejection.
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