17 hmr marlin bolt

[pineburn]

Hi I am using my 17 for dispatching animals on my trapline. The trouble I am having is it will not fire when it is cold outside. If I warm up the bolt on the motor or exhaust pipe it will then fire. I have soaked it many times in solvent over night doesn't seem to help. Any suggestions.Thanks

[BoltAction9]

At what temperature does it start to not fire? How old is it? Bought new or used? Ever done it prior to this winter? Cold weather (-30) can wreak havoc on moving metal parts and cause it to stick to other surfaces but it shouldn’t be a problem still. If it’s happening in warmer temperatures then something is definitely not right. Unfortunately the only suggestion I have at the moment is take it to a gunsmith when it’s cold out and have him look at it. Something in the action is sticking in the cold, if it’s a new gun then I’d say a manufacturer defect but if it’s an older gun that has been reliable until now then I’d say something it worn out. I don’t have enough knowledge of the internal workings of actions to pick out parts that could be the culprit unfortunately but maybe more knowledge people will chime in.

[Groundhogger]

I'll first start by saying that I don't have the same requirements of my guns because I'm a fair-weather shooter for the most part, but, have heard people discussing this topic often. Obviously trapped moisture and/or gummed-up oil will cause failures in extreme temperatures. For that reason, I've heard of WD-40 being a decent option. ("WD" stands for 'water displacement' apparently) I've also read that some guys use graphite lubricants in extreme cold. On days when I've pushed it, the only preparations I've made were to thoroughly clean the action, make sure it's bone dry, then apply as little lubricant as possible...basically running it almost dry. The lubricant I used was white lithium grease wiped on for full coverage, then wiped off carefully making sure no thicker deposits are left anywhere. I also wear nitrile gloves so my fingers don't absorb what little lubricant I'm leaving on the metal.

[gitrdun]

It needs to be stripped down completely, wiped clean, inspected and assembled. No amount of soaking in anything will accomplish anything. The only lubricant that I would use is dry graphite powder.