The rifle is a Remington 700 VSSF with a Jard trigger but otherwise factory standard.
Calibre .17 REM
I bought the rifle new circa 2005 for what you folks would call Varmint shooting at 200-300 yds (max) and sort of zeroed it at 250 yds.
I say ‘sort of zeroed’ because I found the grouping very unsatisfactory, even at 200 yds.
My local gunsmith’s opinion was that factory ammunition (I think only Remington make was available at the time in this country) was never going to produce the results I was looking for and hand loads was the only route to take.
I used to hand load up to 1996 when ownership of hand guns was banned in this country and prior to that for my self loading rifles until they were banned in 1988. As a result I had sold all my reloading equipment.
On being told I’d have to hand load and buy new tooling, I inhibited the rifle and put it away along with 100+ Remington .17 REM 20gr Premier Accutip-V Boat Tail #PRA17RA.
Then I heard Norma had come out with a 20gr .17 REM V-Max #20143022 with good results and bought some.
De-inhibited and strip cleaned the 700 and started on the Norma .17 REM. Up until yesterday had shot 42 rounds without incident but not looking at grouping. (longer story!)
Yesterday I put a box of 20 rnds of the Remington .17 REM through and had groups as bad as I recalled ‘back in the day’. You could also argue, what do you expect from 10+ year old ammunition.
Then I started on the Norma, this time look for results. The 5th round was in the centre of what was a circa ¼ MOA group.
The 5th round was the last because when it went off, it sounded different, some thing bit my face and the bolt wouldn’t open.
I’ve ordered some shooting glasses.
I managed to open the bolt with the gun still mounted and looked at the ejected cartridge. Far right in the photo.
Looking down the neck, I can see light behind the tricorne anvil.
The photo shows a Remington case, two Norma cases and the Norma case with pierced primer. All factory ammo fired that day.
I have Andy MacDonald’s ShortMarker system which gives fps at the target, The offending round 2886 fps slightly above the 2882 fps average.
I chambered another round but whilst the bolt appeared to cock normally, pulling the trigger didn’t fire the cartridge, again the bolt was stiff to open and the chambered round showed no firing pin mark.
Pulled the bolt out and nothing looked amiss.
Chambered another round with the same result.
My immediate assumption was a broken firing pin.
I’ve stripped the bolt and there’s nothing I can see wrong with it. Pin is complete.
I re-assembled the rifle and now it dry fires perfectly.
I’m not trying a live round until my glasses arrive.
So, my thoughts are:
1. The primer material was thin and the struck piece blew back out.
2. What I felt strike my face was blow-back gas and maybe very small particles.
3. The missing small piece of primer was lodged somewhere which stopped the full release of the firing pin and made the bolt difficult to open.
4. My stripping of the rifle dislodged the debris but being so small, I never saw it.
Comments please.
Jonathon
PS I have started hand loading this year for my new 338 Lapua Magnum and the kit has cost more than the rifle!
Calibre .17 REM
I bought the rifle new circa 2005 for what you folks would call Varmint shooting at 200-300 yds (max) and sort of zeroed it at 250 yds.
I say ‘sort of zeroed’ because I found the grouping very unsatisfactory, even at 200 yds.
My local gunsmith’s opinion was that factory ammunition (I think only Remington make was available at the time in this country) was never going to produce the results I was looking for and hand loads was the only route to take.
I used to hand load up to 1996 when ownership of hand guns was banned in this country and prior to that for my self loading rifles until they were banned in 1988. As a result I had sold all my reloading equipment.
On being told I’d have to hand load and buy new tooling, I inhibited the rifle and put it away along with 100+ Remington .17 REM 20gr Premier Accutip-V Boat Tail #PRA17RA.
Then I heard Norma had come out with a 20gr .17 REM V-Max #20143022 with good results and bought some.
De-inhibited and strip cleaned the 700 and started on the Norma .17 REM. Up until yesterday had shot 42 rounds without incident but not looking at grouping. (longer story!)
Yesterday I put a box of 20 rnds of the Remington .17 REM through and had groups as bad as I recalled ‘back in the day’. You could also argue, what do you expect from 10+ year old ammunition.
Then I started on the Norma, this time look for results. The 5th round was in the centre of what was a circa ¼ MOA group.
The 5th round was the last because when it went off, it sounded different, some thing bit my face and the bolt wouldn’t open.
I’ve ordered some shooting glasses.
I managed to open the bolt with the gun still mounted and looked at the ejected cartridge. Far right in the photo.
Looking down the neck, I can see light behind the tricorne anvil.
The photo shows a Remington case, two Norma cases and the Norma case with pierced primer. All factory ammo fired that day.
I have Andy MacDonald’s ShortMarker system which gives fps at the target, The offending round 2886 fps slightly above the 2882 fps average.
I chambered another round but whilst the bolt appeared to cock normally, pulling the trigger didn’t fire the cartridge, again the bolt was stiff to open and the chambered round showed no firing pin mark.
Pulled the bolt out and nothing looked amiss.
Chambered another round with the same result.
My immediate assumption was a broken firing pin.
I’ve stripped the bolt and there’s nothing I can see wrong with it. Pin is complete.
I re-assembled the rifle and now it dry fires perfectly.
I’m not trying a live round until my glasses arrive.
So, my thoughts are:
1. The primer material was thin and the struck piece blew back out.
2. What I felt strike my face was blow-back gas and maybe very small particles.
3. The missing small piece of primer was lodged somewhere which stopped the full release of the firing pin and made the bolt difficult to open.
4. My stripping of the rifle dislodged the debris but being so small, I never saw it.
Comments please.
Jonathon
PS I have started hand loading this year for my new 338 Lapua Magnum and the kit has cost more than the rifle!
