Hi guys, I'm looking for some opinions on this firing pin. Without going into too much detail I just want to know if you think that the obvious asymmetry (zoom in) is something that could cause issues with light strikes. I feel like it's dragging and binding on the bolt body. I'm getting way too many clicks and with 3 different primers.
Firing Pin Issue?
- Thread starter noremorse92
- Start date
Honestly man, I can't tell. I just know that a brand new custom action shouldn't experience on average 20% light strikes between 3 shooting sessions and primers. I cant say ive tried 'everything' but it doesn't look right to my eyes.
What brand/model of action is this firing pin out of?
It looks like shit.
Somebody molested the hell out of it at some point after manufacturing (. . . .unless Tactical Rifles.net started back up and is making actions now.)
The color variance makes me think it has been heated. Like really hot for some reason.
It was so hot that they actually experienced some of the material being ablated away from the torch blast (see inside yellow box above). Even more importantly, I would bet money that the composition of the remaining material in that area is altered. I would guess it is now brittle and prone to a stress crack/failure.
It also looks like it has been unevenly ground or aggressively wire brushed. I say unevenly because it appears to have some really distorted geometry to the point I would predict a failure somewhere down the road.
All that being said, the tip of the pin looks to be in good shape.
Even though the firing pin looks like it was made from scratch in some cave in Pakistan, that may not be the source of your ignition problem.
After looking at this altered part, I would question any of the other work to the point I would double check everything else about the barreled action.
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This. I would check the headspace (maybe just a bit too much?) and replace that firing pin and the spring.
How many primers have you popped?
There's heat marks and the tip looks less than round.
By popped, do you mean pierced/blown?
If it is a new action with only 3 range trips and barely getting ignition, I'm betting he comes back with a "zero" answer .
Standard chambering or improved variant of some sort ?
I ask because I made a bone head mistake one time with the first rifle I set headspace on. In my case it was my 243AI. I had been led to believe you used a standard go guage to headspace an ackley which I found out later was only sort of true.
Anyway, I headspaced it tight on the go guage and with factory ammo I had a good slight crush when closing the bolt. Fired a whole box of factory ammo just fine. The problem came when I resized some more once fired (in a straight 243win) brass for further fire forming. I sized down too much and I had excessive headspace leading to light firing pin strikes just like the OP.
Headspace verified good to go ?
Measured fired cases against the ones that didn't go boom ? Based on my own experience that's where I'd look.
I ask because I made a bone head mistake one time with the first rifle I set headspace on. In my case it was my 243AI. I had been led to believe you used a standard go guage to headspace an ackley which I found out later was only sort of true.
Anyway, I headspaced it tight on the go guage and with factory ammo I had a good slight crush when closing the bolt. Fired a whole box of factory ammo just fine. The problem came when I resized some more once fired (in a straight 243win) brass for further fire forming. I sized down too much and I had excessive headspace leading to light firing pin strikes just like the OP.
Headspace verified good to go ?
Measured fired cases against the ones that didn't go boom ? Based on my own experience that's where I'd look.
My cousin had a gun that had a similar issue.
Turned out the firing pin hole in the bolt was not drilled at a 90 degree angle to the bolt face. Forget what angle it was, but was causing the firing pin to drag/bind.
Turned out the firing pin hole in the bolt was not drilled at a 90 degree angle to the bolt face. Forget what angle it was, but was causing the firing pin to drag/bind.
Yep.
I'm thinking the answer is the same, yet that's what it sort of looks like.
I have a Cooper that is almost an exact match, thanks to some bad Remington 7-1/2s.
Thanks for the feedback guys, Terry in particular.
I don't want to name any names as it is unprofessional to do so before bringing it up with the manufacturer and giving them a chance to rectify it. Suffice to say they're fairly well known.
I haven't popped any primers but I've had issues with light strikes from day 1. Depending on brand 10-30% are not firing. Accuracy with the rifle has been fairly disappointing but not terrible, hovering around the 1moa to 1.25moa mark with 10 different bullets. I withhold my judgement on accuracy until ignition issue is sorted out. It feeds extracts and ejects very well thankfully.
I don't want to name any names as it is unprofessional to do so before bringing it up with the manufacturer and giving them a chance to rectify it. Suffice to say they're fairly well known.
I haven't popped any primers but I've had issues with light strikes from day 1. Depending on brand 10-30% are not firing. Accuracy with the rifle has been fairly disappointing but not terrible, hovering around the 1moa to 1.25moa mark with 10 different bullets. I withhold my judgement on accuracy until ignition issue is sorted out. It feeds extracts and ejects very well thankfully.
Looks like a kelbys pin, if so they should get you taken care of.
Edit, also Mac bros
Edit, also Mac bros
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It's not a kelblys. I wont reveal the manufacturer unless I can't get it resolved by them.
One other thing to check.
Make sure the FP assembly isn't dragging on the trigger as the sear releases.
Make sure the FP assembly isn't dragging on the trigger as the sear releases.
Your firing pin will travel slower than it should, plus it should leave a drag mark across the top of the sear bar.
It happens, but it's not very common
It happens, but it's not very common
Yes sir, I assumed that went without saying - but good call nevertheless.
Me too, but there are some that take things very literally.
I've reached out to the manufacturer with a neutral message with my findings and thoughts on the matter. Ball is in their court. I've bought 2 boxes of FGMM to test a known quantity this weekend. I'm also doing a full clean of the rifle as it is now and verifying torque settings on fasteners.
If it has a cocking piece that is held to fp with a crosspim, like a rem700, I've saw that crosspin break/drift out and drag on bolt shroud. It caused random light strikes and took awhile to diagnose. The trigger drag is harder to diagnose and one reason I prefer bix.
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