I did have it successfully cycle once but I think that was a fluke

If it worked once, then it should be repeatable. If something broke or jammed, that should be identifiable and replaceable.

I took it to a gunsmith and he said that he thinks that the chamber where the fluting is contained was drilled too deep or perhaps the fluting has worn down over time.

I'm not familiar with the PTR-91, but its my understanding that a chamber gauge )either .308 or 7.62NATO) should have been able to determine the statement I highlighted as positive or negative within a minute. If I am right (and might not be), that tells me the gunsmith actually said, "I have no idea." The delayed-blowback action is unlike any gas-driven gun, and as such that gunsmith may just be unfamiliar with PTR-91s/CETMEs/G3s.

 

There are many potential issues with your rifle. I am not an expert, but I have some considerable experience with my PTR91, so maybe this will help. Maybe not.

1. Can you visibly see fluting the the chamber? When your cartridges are extracted, can you see the "burn marks" on the sides of your cases? I.e.:

2. If the fluting is present, and you have scorch marks on your brass, then have you checked bolt gap? Using an automotive feeler gage, measure the gap between the rear of the bolt and the front of the bolt carrier through the magazine well. The measurement should be near to .015", with .020 and .005 as the extremes.

3. If bolt gap is within spec, measure the gap between the nose of the bolt carrier and the charging handle, with the charging handle collapsed. The presence of a gap of some kind is critical, while the actual specs of that distance are not as important.

Let us know what you learned?

 

No worries. . . .you have one of the early JLD "bolt action rifles." They were great single shot models masquerading as semi-autos!!:lol:

And when you would call JLD and tell them your casings were failing to extract, they would say "you're full of it-you're the only one with this problem!:angry:

 

any update on this issue? You know, a good cleaning of the chamber may alleviate your issue.

 

Yes-clean the chamber after every shot!!!

 

As I recall,the first 3,000 or so PTR91's had really tight match chambers,and wouldn't handle milsurp ammo well.JLD repaired those that were returned under warranty,and subsequent rifles were built with more generous chamber dimensions.I don't know if that warranty still exists,since the company has changed names and possibly ownership,but give them a call.It might make you happy.

 

Just try using 308 ammmo. I have an early one and it had never jamed using 308 ammo. You can now buy federal fmj. as cheep as surplus.