The rifle is brand new, always been a bit stiff but I figured it was settling in. It got to the point Sunday when I was shooting a string of shots that it almost wouldn’t open. Box ammo, I then tried just dry fire and it was the same. My friend next to me also had a brand new AXSR and I then tried his and realized mine has been way to stiff from the word go, I had been cleaning and oiling it thinking it was breaking in and meanwhile he hasn’t touched his and it’s smooth as butter. After swapping his FP to mine it runs fine, in my bolt, in my rifle. I did take the action off mine to adjust the trigger and had to remove a trigger screw to get to the first stage length of pull. If that affected it in such a way that it has a stiff bolt lift I got no time for a “Mercedes rifle” in my life and I’ll get AI to fix it and I’ll sell it. I doubt this is the case bc it runs fine with my friends FP assembly. As far as firing pin protrusion I haven’t measured but I don’t think there is any, no noticeable shiny spots either. Although heavy oiling of the pin assembly and bolt ramp helps it significantly. Something is just a bit tight.