USGI snake bite...this forum knows my history:)

So the problem:


After 100rds or so today, roughly 15% of the time I would have the bolt assembly fail to fully lock in place, or seat. Not like last time with LP strikes, but where somehow there isn't enough "ummmp" to occasionally bring it all the way home.

This causes me to lower the mag, rack the bolt to rear, and let fly home in order to seat the round. Then I reengage the mag.    

NO FTF, NO LP strikes, NO STOVEPIPES, or other malfs, just the occasional lack of the bolt fully seating.


Any thoughts my carbine gurus?



Honestly gents, the vast majority of people I speak to at ranges, or in gun stores all say the same thing, USGI carbines sure are cool little guns......BUT MINE NEVER RAN perfect, or fine.   Then on the forums, somehow eveybody's carbine is a sewing machine.   

This whole aspect is only making me more sure in my thoughts, that the vast majority of carbine owners, new and old alike shoot these guns very, very little. Most write off the crap reliablility, and overall archaic tech in favor of it's history, their own personal history with this firarm, or that it's just a fun gun to shoot and it's no biggie if it hiccups.


This isn't a knock, or a negative as I'll always own carbines now, and will always love them in what ever capacity thet fill in my collection, but at this point......it's the design really even for it's time, let alone 70yrs later with worn rifles, and almost non existant parts except for the "correcter" market since those again don't need to function perfect many times based on what I'm learning from correctors, and my first carbine.


Lastly, cause I like all my theads to have a pic or two:)




Still looking to find out what this code or mark means on my SA potbelly stock in the normal location for a rebuild code.   Two have suggested Naval Ordnance code, perhaps Naval Ordnance Pensicola - 51 (number being the possible year??)

He Wayne, Thanks a bunch for weighing in with your great expertise on these carbines.....

RE: Lube... I thought of this too, and use both Hoppes Elite grease, and ALG GO Juice (Rem oil type) in their respective locations.   Applied liberally, and leave just a nice thin layer over all the parts so that it doesn't impair operation, or sling oil all over me, and the wood stock.


As usual, your on point....as the bulk of my shooting is indeed with Monarch. That said, I ran a 10-15 rds of USGI ball to confirm it was just weak ammo. It did it on one occasion with the full power USGI lake city ammo.   The Monarch is just so convient, cheap, clean, and accurate.   Just wish they made it true full power, but then again, Serbia or similar countries of manufacturer are notorious for underpowered ammo so I don't expect this to change.


I agree with you in regards to any machine or tool can fail, that said.....I'm still waiting on numerous LMT, Colt, and KAC AR15s...along with every single HK handgun I've ever bought.     I too would expect failures on even the best 1911s, goes with the territory to be a "1911 gun"


I know you shoot your carbines, as I really appreciate your collection especially. Perhaps one day when your tired of that ugly tiger stripe mix master in your safe, you'll send it to me for disposable. That was an awesome looking rifle even in the safe.

New2brass wrote: http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/topic3696_post24272.html#24272

Well you just made my night Dan, honestly! I'm so glad I've found this place.

Dan you are easily one of the most knowledgable persons on a single firearm's history that I've ever come across. Easily on a savant level.

Can't believe you found some more concrete info for me, especially that pic! If you guys only knew how much I've spent googling, and reading odd stuff like archives just for a single clue.

I had similar problems in a commercial carbine, turned out to be a combination of three things. 1. I had a worn mag well in the trigger housing, replaced housing. 2. I was using cheap ammo, and old GI surplus, started using name brand ammo. Finally I was getting closer, 3. I started using only USGI mags, now the guns shots with no more problems, ran 30 rounds through it none stop with out one hick-up.

Well the effort of trying to meet some specific USGI carbine friends paid off significantly today when a new friend I've meet through these forums and I met up at a local WMA range this afternoon to shoot carbines, and a few other guns together.

Well since the last time I've posted in this thread, I've tried this rifle 3 more times, and every time out, 10-20% malfunction rate always due to the bolt not fully seating the new round.    

I figured after today if I saw my friends NPM carbine run great, I'd ask to borrow his bolt in a last ditch attempt to figure out this second carbine.   

Reason I wanted to do this was because after thinking it was based in the recoil spring, or commercial ammo aspects, I thought more about it and came to the conclusion that my extractor might be to stiff, or some other defect that's preventing it from seating over the rim.    

The spring it came with was broken at the bottom coil, and I replaced it with what was a "NOS USGI" replacement spring that felt stiffer but I figured it was close enough or that was what a new one should feel like.

So anyways, his carbine ran through three 30rd mags flawlessly (but his carbine was finally taken out of action due to his rear sight popping off), I replaced my bolt with his.....and loaded a new mag with 15rds on monarch, and boom my first full mag through a rifle that was flawless, as I normally only load 5 at a time for reliability testing.   I run one more full 15rd mag though it with his bolt, and again a flawless shot mag.   So that's 30rds that were free of my very specific problem. I couldn't go more than 5-10rds before after several hundred rounds without having my malfunction show up before the bolt swap.

So it's in the bolt....however is it the spring, or is it somehow the bolt? I really don't want to buy a new bolt for this carbine.    




I just got the preban Chicom AK in the middle, and it ran flawlessly. It's made in China in the 80's, surely I can get my American made USGI carbine to run reliably. The AR up top hasn't ever had a failure of any type after a few thousand rounds.   

I told my new carbine pal today that I'll always have an affinity for these special little rifles regardless of my thoughts on their design with respect to reliability.   That said, I could never trust these USGI carbines more than a mil spec AR, or Commie AK with my life, or those I care about.