Fluting pins 101. -Least, my take on fluted pins anyway.
ITS A GIMMICK.
1. A certain amount of kinetic energy is required to crush a primer cup into its anvil and "squish" the priming compound to initiate ignition within the primer. Less than what is required may result in it going off, but it will not be as hot/intense as one that's had the shit smacked out of it. This has been witnessed by me on more than one occasion with the US Palma Team and XXX number of ACC Highpower shooters.
2. Lock time: In the 1900s the Creedmoor matches in upstate NY were all the rage. It was the equivalent of the Super Bowl back then. The sporterized 1903 Springfield as a force to reckon with. The lock time on those are measured with an hourglass when compared to anything fancy or cool. In spite of this, if you look at the V count and the overall shot plots, they are not all that dissimilar from what we see today. When you compare then/now, today's elevation is a bit better and the overall group size is smaller, but the guns still shot very well. So, I offer this for consideration:
- Better projectiles
- Better optics
- Better powders
- Better brass preparation
- Better barrels
- A much better understanding of what an accurate rifle requires
- Much, Much, MUCH better machining resources
- Much X10 better methods of monitoring conditions through spotting scopes and weather stations. Those guys had flags and little else.
Now, pile all that together and bounce it off of the performance gain derived from lock time. Think about it... Now think about it from prone or supported positions. If you can't hold with a pile of tactical pillows supporting your position or while sprawled out on the ground. . .I'll stop there before I really offend someone.
3. When you go putting the "Jenny Craig" to a striker pin you lighten it with the hopes of being able to accelerate it faster so that it takes less time to reach the primer and produce the spark to get the fires lit and send the bullet on its way. When you reduce mass, it does take less effort to accelerate it and it will cover the distance in less time. However when you lighten it, now you must increase that speed by a considerable amount in order to get the kinetic "wack" required to produce the same impact energy you had prior to the "diet". You're now relying on the spring material and an extension type coil spring will only go so far. You can increase the wire diameter to produce more lbs/foot energy, but guess what? The spring is now heavier and it has to move just like the striker pin does. That's putting a hammer to your own dick. You just went round-robin and got nowhere.
Another option is bumping up to a high energy spring material like silicon/chromium steel. That's expensive and it still won't get you there.
The last option is a Bellville washer. They are extremely high energy, but the price there is they don't compress worth a shit. You'll be adding a good 2" to your bolt handle to make it livable and with everyone flipped out these days about bolt rotation effort and whatnot, it's a sure way to get exactly where you don't want to be.
The better solution:
Don't fuck with anything! The stuff is doing its job as is I promise you. The titanium/aluminum pins made by whoever. They are junk. I've replaced more than I've ever installed for people that learned the hard way.
If you have money to burn, spend it on gas and bullets. You'll be a much better shooter in the end and you'll keep a few more hairs on your head I promise. Unless you're on the early am relays at Perry (High Master Card type folk) or standing on the block at a World Cup, Pan Am game, or the Olympics, ERASE the word lock time from your vocabulary. Seriously. The only time it really gets to be an issue is in the offhand when your hunting for X's and pencil eraser sized groups.
Vertical stringing in shot plots can suck ass to try and sort out. That's exactly what light strikes cause.
Hope this helps.
