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Rdb changes or upgrades from factory.

14K views 38 replies 12 participants last post by  IamScotticus 
Okay. I just got my RDB back from Keltec today. It says on the slip:

Replaced bolt assembly, firing pin, firing pin spring, and rivets on riveted sear bar.
Works @ +5 gas setting.

I looked at my bolt. It looks the same as it did before. There is even the same yellow "brassy" looking wear marks on the bolt face as if it's been shot a bunch. I doubt a new bolt would look that way.

Did they even do anything to my rifle?? Maybe they were feeling lazy and just sent it back to me without working on it, while saying that they did? I mean, UPS said they received the rifle on the 11th, and I just got it back today. They had it for less than 10 days.
 
Well a while back my extractor pin walked out after a range session.
So I called and told them so. The rep sent me out a new extractor pin.
But recently I was feeling a bit uneasy about it.
It still bothered me. I called back and the rep told me that they really shouldn't be sending out parts. Better to send the rifle in and have it fully evaluated. So that's why I sent it in.
 
On a related note. I stripped down the rifle, but have been having a difficult time removing the bolt cam pin. The firing pin retaining pin and firing pin have been removed. But the cam pin seems like it doesn't want to come out. It wiggles, and I can get it to move a few millimeters out, but it won't come out any further. It wiggles free, but won't fully leave the hole. I am wondering what's going on. It's too slick for me to get a good grip on. I'm using my finger nails.
 
I sent it in because the extractor pin fell out. That's not a good thing to have happen, and thus requires repair.

And ofcourse I didn't shoot it. I just got it back in the mail from Keltec. The first thing one should do is strip it down, check to see what has been done/changed/repaired, and to clean and lube it.
 
Anyhow, I'm having difficulty removing the bolt cam pin. There really arn't any ridged surfaces to grab. And since there is a small bit of oil on the parts, it makes it slick. There is no way to punch it out since there is no hole on the other side. I am trying to use my fingernail to scrape/pull it out, but aside from that, I am unaware of any other methods to remove it. Does anyone here have any advice?
 
I'm now beginning to worry that they reused the old cam pin from the old bolt, and that's why it might not be sliding out so smoothly in my "new bolt" (if they did indeed put a new one in). Would they reuse the old cam pin, or would they fit in a new cam pin that is designed with the new bolt in mind?
 
You seem to believe that I don't understand what I'm doing when in fact I do very clearly know what I'm doing.
When I first bought this rifle, I read through the manual cover to cover twice, and then made sure I was proficient in all use of the rifle, as well as field stripping and reassembly.

I have shot this rifle numerous times before sending it to Keltec, and I take apart and clean the rifle each time afterwards.

It is foolish to not strip and insect a rifle once it is returned from repair and service. As you already stated, they test fire the rifle before shipping it back to you, and they also do not clean it. You should always clean a rifle before firing it, if it was not already clean.

Some of you say that I should just shoot the rifle immediately after receipt?? It is always wise to take it apart and inspect it. The fact that this is a point of contention is completely absurd to me.
 
Frostburg, I do not know why folks around here are giving you a hard time. Post #4 now has a link showing the bolt differences. As far as if you should have shot it or inspected it, I would have done the same as you. I too would have wanted to see what they had done to my rifle. This is KelTec after all, and they have been known to do some strange things.
Thanks, I missed that post. It seems I do have the updated bolt (the hole for my extractor pin is D shaped like in the photo).
I am still, however, having trouble removing the cam pin. I called Keltec and they told me that they tightened the tolerances to prevent the cam pin from falling out. They said their techs use a set of pliers to remove them. I tried using the needle nose pliers on my leatherman, but they keep slipping. I think I am going to have to buy a set of rubber gripped narrow point channel locks or something in order to grab it. Ugh. I just want the damn thing out already so I can scrub and oil everything, lol
I feel dumb that I havn't gotten it out yet, but due to being busy helping a friend move, I havn't gone digging to find a better tool just yet.
 
Okay. I managed to get the cam pin out lol. I used a pair of channel locks from my tool box. Got the interior of the bolt carrier scrubbed and oiled, as well as the entire bolt and cam pin itself. I still havn't removed the extractor for cleaning, and I probably won't until later. It feels tightly in place. Although I do like to remove the extractor for cleaning on every bolt when it's new. After that, I don't bother until many many rounds later.
 
Thanks for referencing my contribution. However I have an update.
My piston came out of the tube. The weld filled stamp wasn't enough. And this was within the first 100 rounds of very gentle slow bench shooting.
My advice is to always make your piston a point of inspection. I don't know if it walked out gradually (which would prevent lock so I would have noticed that) or if it let go in one shot.
I have given KT two options: provide a piston that is manufactured in such a way that this failure is impossible or pin & weld the piston in the tube. If I can't get this Im out of the RDB.
Wow, when did this happen? How recent is your RDB? Let us know what Keltec does about this and if they abide by either of your two options. This is very concerning for me.
 
Iamscottasus, you are the only person that has had this happen that I know of, which sucks sorry to hear about it. Curious though, while I am not saying your design improvement proposal doesnt have a point, what I am interested in knowing is what do you feel are the chances your specific RDB just had a badly manufactured piston assembly? Also, where specifically do you see where this might become an issue on all RDBs if it is indeed systemic to the design?
Mike, the piston popping out is a known issue. I have heard weeks ago of people reporting this issue on a different site, and even on a video review. In fact, it has always been something I have been concerned about. Keltec needs to address this issue and develop a reliable fix for it. If Keltec does so, by either pinning and welding the piston in place, or some other means, I will certainly send my RDB in to have this procedure completed.
 
My idea of a bolt release won't work. There's nowhere to leverage it. Might have to take the entire rear end apart to see if there's a way to better design it.
That sucks. Whatever you do, I think many people would be extremely satisfied with such a fix. It has always been my highest priority. I like my speed reloads to be speedy by hitting the bolt release immediately upon fresh magazine insertion. I really wish Keltec had the forsight to make a better design about this when they started. I'm kindof wondering why they did not. Did they never consult with any military personnel in regards to their design?

My thumb can find the bolt release pretty quickly even while not looking when at the range, but fine motor skills degrade under pressure, which is why the military teaches combat troops to use the heel of the palm to bump the bolt release paddle on their M16/M4s, as to lower the chance of missing the bolt release in the midst of an engagement.

Being able to quickly reload a weapon is critical in a fight. The longer one delays returning fire, the more one is allowing the enemy to more effectively attack your position.

Using the charging handle is fine most of the time, but can cause problems with chambering in non-ideal situations since the bolt release was not used. Also, one can accidentally fail to pull the handle fully to the rear to fulfill the procedure. Also, this is slower, which can be problematic in CQB where the margin for error is significantly lower, where one may have gone empty in a one-on-one face-to-face confrontation within a structure.
 
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