[RabidHobo]

Hey guys,

I just got an A1 in the mail( ) , but im having a tough time getting it going, I am having problems with the bolt sticking, and it seems like it doesnt want to return. I can lightly get it started with my finger and it goes right back. I feel like i am missing something.


I replaced all the ram orings(mine happens to be rebuildable, idk if thats normal or not) and the solenoid seems to be venting properly and working fine. dwell at 8, and i have moved it both up and down.

Questions:

unlike many markers i have used before this ram seems to move a lot more freely, i looked in where the ram itself moves inside the housing and the bore seems to be slightly tapered in the middle of the stoke then tapering back at the end of the stroke. Is this normal?



Does anyone have a clue where to get a new valve seal for a standard (spring) valve pin?

I got it for a steal, so I dont mind having to spend some money on it.

i will be more than thankful for any help!

[dr.strangelove]

Bolt stick is most often due to breech seal adhesive swelling. Remove the breech seal, scrape out all of the old adhesive, and reglue it with a bit of super glue. Worn detents are also a common cause.

The A1 ram does move freely when degassed - nothing to worry about.

You can find a spring return cup seal at www.pbsports.com

[Scooby187]

....if Dr Strangeloves suggestion doesn't work, Turn your ABS up (i don't even remember if the stock board has it honestly).
it could be one of two other things (that i've dealt with anyway)
Your breech could be over tightened, or
you may need to add shims to your LPR. (if this is the case, the bolt usually sticks forward, prompting the ram to keep the valve open and you'll hear a leak down the barrel)

[dr.strangelove]

The stock board does have ABS, but that's designed to compensate for minor FSDO. If the bolt's actually sticking it's pretty much always a mechanical problem.

[RabidHobo]

Originally Posted by Scooby187

....if Dr Strangeloves suggestion doesn't work, Turn your ABS up (i don't even remember if the stock board has it honestly).
it could be one of two other things (that i've dealt with anyway)
Your breech could be over tightened, or
you may need to add shims to your LPR. (if this is the case, the bolt usually sticks forward, prompting the ram to keep the valve open and you'll hear a leak down the barrel)

My lpr is around 60, should it be higher?
My breech seems pretty free, it has slack to move around when the bolt is moving forward.

Why would increasing my dwell on my first shot (abs) help?

Thanks for your help, im pretty new to the A1 platform.

[dr.strangelove]

57-60 psi is the perfect range for the LPR. Your breech should have about 1mm of slack up/down and side/side. Raising your ABS setting generally won't help with bolt stick. Start with the breech seal, move to the detents, and if the problem persists, post back and we'll help you from there.

[RabidHobo]

Originally Posted by dr.strangelove

57-60 psi is the perfect range for the LPR. Your breech should have about 1mm of slack up/down and side/side. Raising your ABS setting generally won't help with bolt stick. Start with the breech seal, move to the detents, and if the problem persists, post back and we'll help you from there.

Thank you for all the help.

[Scooby187]

... I'm not going to disagree with you Dr., because it's clear that you know what you're talking about...
but...
Increasing your ABS will increase the amount of air given on the first shot, I haven't had to use it myself on any of my popit driven markers (a1 included) but I've found it useful with spool valve markers...

[dr.strangelove]

Raising ABS will temporarily increase the dwell setting, which controls the amount of the time that the solenoid stays activated, and consequently how long the ram stays in the forward position. It doesn't change the pressure or volume of air actually driving the ram though. It's useful for overcoming temporary FSDO caused by the inertia of sitting o-rings (especially, as you say, in spool valve markers where there are so many dynamic o-rings), but with the A1 series guns, if your bolt is actually sticking it generally won't be effective unless the cause of the bolt stick is your dwell being too low in the first place (in which case you should raise the primary dwell setting for a permanent increase rather than the ABS which only activates a period of inactivity).

[RabidHobo]

Originally Posted by dr.strangelove

57-60 psi is the perfect range for the LPR. Your breech should have about 1mm of slack up/down and side/side. Raising your ABS setting generally won't help with bolt stick. Start with the breech seal, move to the detents, and if the problem persists, post back and we'll help you from there.

finally went home this weekend, i reglued my breech seal, it was a little tight. i have that 1mm slack in the breech and the bolt is still locking forward. i still think it might have something tp do with the ram housing. if i push the bolt back manually a little bit, it finishes pushing back. The ram housing has some taper in it on the ID where the ram slides. it gets rreally loose at the end of the stroke. Is that a normal thing? or is my ram housing just worn out? ive never encountered a ram housing with a weird taper like this, typically (impulses/bushys/timmys/egos) dont seem to have this taper. it bad enough that when i put an oring to make it seal there, its too tight on the ram return. the solenoid and such is working, ive tried a shorter dwell and a longer dwell. My lpr and hpr are what i was told to set to.

The said Taper is tight toward to the return and really sloppy at the end of the stroke. im thinking thats whats going on, is that the ram isnt sealing, and air is bypassing the ram.

any help would be awesome.


-Tony

[dr.strangelove]

There's a really easy way to tell if the sticking is from the bolt or the ram itself: Open the rotobreech, remove the bolt, hold the rotobreech securely, and fire the gun while looking down into the ram chamber through the bolt pin slot. If the ram itself sticks forward, the problem is your ram.

As far as "taper", the ram does have a rounded front due to the end cap being crimped into place. The hammer, if it is a Magno or newer ram, will also be conical. The piston will have more play when it is open than retraced, naturally, but it shouldn't be significant.

[turnburglar]

I HAVE to ask..


Is this stick only happening when you try to air the marker up?

For whatever reason, every a1 I have owned, the bolt had to physically be held to the rear before activating an air source. Ie : put finger in feedneck, hold.bolt to rear. Air up marker.

Reason I ask is because iv seen alot of people fumble with this and then think something is wrong with the marker.

[RabidHobo]

Originally Posted by turnburglar

I HAVE to ask..


Is this stick only happening when you try to air the marker up?

For whatever reason, every a1 I have owned, the bolt had to physically be held to the rear before activating an air source. Ie : put finger in feedneck, hold.bolt to rear. Air up marker.

Reason I ask is because iv seen alot of people fumble with this and then think something is wrong with the marker.

It doesn't leak when I air it up, when I shoot it, the bolt locks forward and when I push the bolt back a little bit it will reset. But I know it's not ball detents or anything causing that stick, because I can point the marker down and the bolt will slide forward until the ram rests on the valve pin.

[dr.strangelove]

Originally Posted by RabidHobo

I can point the marker down and the bolt will slide forward until the ram rests on the valve pin.

If you're talking about when the gun is degassed, that's normal. If it's doing that when it's pressurized then you've got a big problem.

Follow the steps I outlined above to check the ram.

[RabidHobo]

Originally Posted by dr.strangelove

If you're talking about when the gun is degassed, that's normal. If it's doing that when it's pressurized then you've got a big problem.

Follow the steps I outlined above to check the ram.

I think I've done everything you mentioned. I was talking about when it's degassed. I can find nothing odd besides the ram housing being really loose towards mid stroke. By loose I mean the ram moves really free after midstroke

[dr.strangelove]

Degassed, that's normal. It will readily fall forward.

If the ram doesn't stick forward while gassed up and firing with the rotobreech open then the bolt stick is caused by something in the upper tube - bolt, breech seal, detents, breech rods, etc.

[sibby]

I have been fighting this for a few weeks and in my case it was definitely the breach seal coming unglued and pushing the breach upward when fired. At first I did not beleive this was the problem because I re-glued the breach seal and the problem persisted. After two more attempts at completely gluing down the seal, my bolt stick was fixed. It does not take much upward protrusion of the breach seal to cause a problem. That is at least what I learned the hard way.

[RabidHobo]

Originally Posted by dr.strangelove

Degassed, that's normal. It will readily fall forward.

If the ram doesn't stick forward while gassed up and firing with the rotobreech open then the bolt stick is caused by something in the upper tube - bolt, breech seal, detents, breech rods, etc.

Originally Posted by sibby

I have been fighting this for a few weeks and in my case it was definitely the breach seal coming unglued and pushing the breach upward when fired. At first I did not beleive this was the problem because I re-glued the breach seal and the problem persisted. After two more attempts at completely gluing down the seal, my bolt stick was fixed. It does not take much upward protrusion of the breach seal to cause a problem. That is at least what I learned the hard way.

I will make sure I glued it good.

Doctor, this is the best idea in the world haha. Why did I not think of trying it with the breech open arggggg.

I don't have air at the moment I will have to wait until I go home. (Parents own paintball place lol)

[Winnebago]

1) dry fire with roto-breach open (as doc described)
2) if no bolt stick with #1, take out the breach seal and dry fire.
3) if no bolt stick with #2, then it's the breach seal. if bolt stick with #2, then probably detents. hell... take those off too for giggles and grins.