CZ 457 lilja barrel failure to extract

[Frank2533]

I have a CZ 457 with a lilja barrel just installed. I was having a big problem with extraction issues. I ended up shimming to .390 and was able to get tenex to extract 100 percent of the time. I shot about 150 to 200 rounds with no issue. I then packed up and was about to head home then my buddy showed up and asked shoot a few rounds.

After my buddy started shooing the gun failed to extract after every shot. We shot about 50 rounds and never seemed to get it figured out. I cleaned the bolt and all the other components. Nothing seemed to make a difference.

Any tips or tricks to figure this one out will be fantastic. Thank you.

 

[Frank2533]

I have a CZ 457 with a lilja barrel just installed. I was having a big problem with extraction issues. I ended up shimming to .390 and was able to get tenex to extract 100 percent of the time. I shot about 150 to 200 rounds with no issue. I then packed up and was about to head home then my buddy showed up and asked shoot a few rounds.

After my buddy started shooing the gun failed to extract after every shot. We shot about 50 rounds and never seemed to get it figured out. I cleaned the bolt and all the other components. Nothing seemed to make a difference.

Any tips or tricks to figure this one out will be fantastic. Thank you.

 

[Frank2533]

Well I fixed my problem. Just thought I’d throw out my solution for anyone who may ever have this happen. So the firing pin was smashing the rim and wedging it so tight the extractors wernt able to hold on the the rim for extraction.

I took a drimmel file and sized down the firing pin to the point where it was only leaving a small pin head indention on the round. Now I get perfect extraction.

In the photo you can see the shell with the stock firing pin and the one on the right is with the modified firing pin.

 

[KnowNothing256]

Thanks for posting the fix!

 

[Klay23]

Well I fixed my problem. Just thought I’d throw out my solution for anyone who may ever have this happen. So the firing pin was smashing the rim and wedging it so tight the extractors wernt able to hold on the the rim for extraction.

I took a drimmel file and sized down the firing pin to the point where it was only leaving a small pin head indention on the round. Now I get perfect extraction.

In the photo you can see the shell with the stock firing pin and the one on the right is with the modified firing pin.

I had some similar ejection issues and ended up being that some of the ammo brands it just didn’t like from a headspace standpoint. I did not want to file down anything but adjusted my headspace a little bigger and it helped. I stay with Lapua and sk and don’t have issues.

 

[Frank2533]

Yeah I had adjusted the headspace down to the 38 never did fix the problem. I definitely prefer lapua as eley shoots to fast for my liking.
I just have such a hard time getting lapua to lot test. Lapua needs to step up there game

 

[bwall57]

I had some similar ejection issues and ended up being that some of the ammo brands it just didn’t like from a headspace standpoint. I did not want to file down anything but adjusted my headspace a little bigger and it helped. I stay with Lapua and sk and don’t have issues.

So sad to see that you are having problems. May be you should buy a .043" GO gauge for $40 and follow the instructions. Its easy to get it set correctly and eliminate problems. Playing with head space that is less than .045 is a waste of time. Clean the chamber every 250-300 rds and keep the extractor point sharp. The extractor spring clip is the weak link in the design. CZ's will operates with any ammo if the HS is set correctly. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

So sad to see that you are having problems. May be you should buy a .043" GO gauge for $40 and follow the instructions. Its easy to get it set correctly and eliminate problems. Playing with head space that is less than .045 is a waste of time. Clean the chamber every 250-300 rds and keep the extractor point sharp. The extractor spring clip is the weak link in the design. CZ's will operates with any ammo if the HS is set correctly. Hope this helps. Good luck.

So instead of measuring the action and calculating the shims needed as in the Lilja instructions, just use GO guages like head spacing a CF rifle?

 

[bwall57]

Well I fixed my problem. Just thought I’d throw out my solution for anyone who may ever have this happen. So the firing pin was smashing the rim and wedging it so tight the extractors wernt able to hold on the the rim for extraction.

I took a drimmel file and sized down the firing pin to the point where it was only leaving a small pin head indention on the round. Now I get perfect extraction.

In the photo you can see the shell with the stock firing pin and the one on the right is with the modified firing pin.

Wow damaged the firing pin. Follow the Lilja instructions and use the gauge instead of following the BS found on YT videos. The instruction also tell you to clean the chamber. Did the pin dent on barrle flange?

 

[JG26_Irish]

My Lilja bbl Sako quad was doing the same thing. I what I found was a big ass carbon ring in the throat of the chamber. It is chambered so tight that if dirty can hang up with some ammo. I had shot several hundred rounds the week before without cleaning. Detail cleaning and bore scoping until done solved this issue.

 

[RTH1800]

Every Lilja barrel I ever had was a failure in some way. Sorry, but that is a fact.

 

[RTH1800]

Sorry you had that experience. We had one installed on a rem 40x and it was a absolute killer barrel. Used it for br for many years with great success. Barrels are just like the ammo game you never know what you're going to get even in custom barrels.

They must shoot, hold many records. Just my bad luck I suppose.

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Too late I guess, but I wonder what a ‘lighter’ whack of the firing pin on the case rim would do to MV? Don’t some 22lr actions use two firing pins and big ones at that to ensure consistent ignition and repeatable firing?

 

[JeffreyD]

This is an older thread but since I was looking at this issue on my new Lilja 1 inch barrel, thought I would read the thread. I too was having extraction issues and head space wasn't the issue. I forgot about it for a time as I decided to do the firing pin mod for more consistent ignition. Interesting to me was the more focused imprint on the rims after the mid and a small improvement in SD on the chrono. But I also had no failure to extract so maybe there is something to this. I only had trouble with Eley Tenex and Wolf Match. No issues with SK or Lapua.