Cleaning you Steyr - a cautionary tale

[jmc67]

Thought I would post this in case it ever happens to anyone else. I was cleaning my Steyr SBS .308 a few days ago. I recently got a Tiptons chamber and action cleaning set and decided to give that a whirl. Now, I came to put the bolt back in, and, clunk, it stopped about 1cm from going fully in. Oh bugger I thought, what have I done now. So bolt comes out and I start thinking, "have I done something to the bolt by accident". So a quick look online and I find how to disassemble the bolt. Apart it comes and back together, with me being non the wiser as to the problem.

Anyway 20mins of head scratching and Internet surfing with me thinking the damn thing would have to go back to a specialist and I came across a YouTube post from someone talking about the same problem and giving a reason and a solution. Turns out my Steyr has a set of bushings towards the front of the chamber which, ARE FREE TO ROTATE. Of course when I cleaned the action I managed to rotate the bush and as a result the damn bolt wouldn't go in. Anyway 2mins with a torch and the chamber cleaning kit and I managed to get the bush back in he right orientation. Heart attack postponed for now.

Here's a link to more info in case it happens to you....

http://www.steyrscout.org/steyrtip2.htm#Collar

[pe4king]

I did the very same thing last year very frustrating, a good heads up for others though.
You would think that Steyr would highlight this problem.

[jmc67]

Indeed it took a bit of finding. And blimey, I proof read my post but not the title (I forgot my 'r'). Can we have an edit button please....

[ovenpaa]

I had to make a 'stick thing' for a Steyr owner once for just this reason, apparently he head to take his rifle to a gun shop to be told what was wrong first time.

[snayperskaya]

Indeed it took a bit of finding. And blimey, I proof read my post but not the title (I forgot my 'r'). Can we have an edit button please....

And the cautionary "tail".........

[Blackstuff]

I'm more impressed that you managed to disassemble AND reassemble a Steyr bolt! (Assuming the SBS is similar to the SSG 04). I took mine to bits out of curiosity and 3 shooters and 2 RFD couldn't put it together again. It ended up going back to Austria and cost me £60

[ovenpaa]

I have not worked on the SSG 04 however I do routinely dismantle my SSG69P1 bolt apart for cleaning and always have to fumble a bit to get it back together, I really should write some notes on it. Is the 04 a rear locker?

[Alpha1]

I have never managed to pluck up the courage to dismantle my SSG bolt.

[jmc67]

I haven't tried it yet (since dismantling it), so have yet to see whether it does work, although I have run it through a couple of times with a Snapcap and everything clicks and behaves as it should. It took a bit of brute force to take it to bits and get it back together again, so hopefully I haven't damaged anything. My rifles called a Steyr SBS, which I believe from info I got from Steyr is similar to the Pro Hunter one (the SBS was a model with a short lifespan from what I can find, although the name refers to the bolt setup - Safety Bolt System). I had visions of having to send to back to be rebuilt, so fingers crossed it does work.

[snayperskaya]

My club has a Steyr Tactical Scout as a club gun, I took the bolt out of it one day and it just seemed to fall to bits!.It took an age to get it back together again