Blanked my 1st Primer Today

[LCazador]

How much are you bumping shoulder? Sounds like improper die set up. Your bumping too much and slamming that case into the face of the bolt. Take your fired headspace sans the primer and then bump .002" from that!

 

[jcm24m]

Just try CCI 450 or 041 primers before you do anything else. Thicker primer cup would be a easy fix.

 

[LCazador]

For proper terminology, piercing is "blanking"! Partial blanking is what some folks call "cratering"! It's always been that way..

 

[hoz53]

How much are you bumping shoulder? Sounds like improper die set up. Your bumping too much and slamming that case into the face of the bolt. Take your fired headspace sans the primer and then bump .002" from that!

could have been— i only blanked one- my bump was .003. i adjusted that a little tonite so it is .002– whatever people want to call it a hole went all the way through the primer. i felt stuff hit my cheek. i do feel a few things added up to cause this but i think the main thing was my load was to hot. i do have some cci 450 and 41 primers i could use if needed but i would rather back my charge down and use the 400s as long as accuracy is acceptable and i dont have problems like this one. Thanks for your help

Oh i also replaced the firing pin spring today.

 

[Old Navy]

I have blown a few primers over the years. A few years ago my Remington build blew one for no apparent reason. I backed the load down one full grain. Out of a dozen rounds I blew one more. After a closer look at the primers I found some serious cratering. Sent it off to GreTan to have it bushed. Problem solved. Started shooting Savage target actions the last several years. One of them cratered really bad at 350 rounds. Bushed the bolts on all mine before they blow holes.

 

[hoz53]

I have blown a few primers over the years. A few years ago my Remington build blew one for no apparent reason. I backed the load down one full grain. Out of a dozen rounds I blew one more. After a closer look at the primers I found some serious cratering. Sent it off to GreTan to have it bushed. Problem solved. Started shooting Savage target actions the last several years. One of them cratered really bad at 350 rounds. Bushed the bolts on all mine before they blow holes.

i only blew one primer and it was long ago when i started loading. it was because of a mistake i made in the powder charge. i never had a case seperate either. have had plenty of cratered primers and some incipient rings. i guess ive been lucky. i may bush one or some yet. thanks

 

[LCazador]

could have been— i only blanked one- my bump was .003. i adjusted that a little tonite so it is .002– whatever people want to call it a hole went all the way through the primer. i felt stuff hit my cheek. i do feel a few things added up to cause this but i think the main thing was my load was to hot. i do have some cci 450 and 41 primers i could use if needed but i would rather back my charge down and use the 400s as long as accuracy is acceptable and i dont have problems like this one. Thanks for your help

Oh i also replaced the firing pin spring today.

Another thing that happens when you blank a primer, the trigger may get damaged. Check it before you head to the range.

 

[butchlambert]

Another thing that happens when you blank a primer, the trigger may get damaged. Check it before you head to the range.

You are so correct on trigger damage and be sure and take your firing pin assembly out and clean both the inside of the bolt and the firing pin assembly. How do I know-chuckle chuckle.

 

[hoz53]

Another thing that happens when you blank a primer, the trigger may get damaged. Check it before you head to the range.

Yes- I took the action out of the stock and looked everthing over- it has a jewel in it—. i didnt take the trigger out of the action but everything looks good and works correct. i blew the trigger with compressed air but i didnt give it the lighter fluid treatment. i think it is ok. i will shoot it tonite or tomorrow and find out more. i never did find the blank though. i did shoot 15 rounds through it the day after i blanked the one.
Thank You

 

[butchlambert]

Yes- I took the action out of the stock and looked everthing over- it has a jewel in it—. i didnt take the trigger out of the action but everything looks good and works correct. i blew the trigger with compressed air but i didnt give it the lighter fluid treatment. i think it is ok. i will shoot it tonite or tomorrow and find out. i never did find the blank though.
Thank You

If you have a fail to fire, either the Jewell is broken or the blanked piece is inside the bolt assembly and will cause the pin not to fall.

 

[LCazador]

i only blew one primer and it was long ago when i started loading. it was because of a mistake i made in the powder charge. i never had a case seperate either. have had plenty of cratered primers and some incipient rings. i guess ive been lucky. i may bush one or some yet. thanks

Your firing pin should an .062" diameter, that's standard for the 222 family. The .075" diameter is usually for 308 family. I don't think it's a bolt issue. Take the firing pin out and measure.

 

[hoz53]

You are so correct on trigger damage and be sure and take your firing pin assembly out and clean both the inside of the bolt and the firing pin assembly. How do I know-chuckle chuckle.

yeah —i took the firing pin assembly out of the bolt, took it apart and put a new 24# spring in it. this may be a little to strong of a spring. - cleaned everything all up and put back together. My FP dia is rite at .075 dia and the hole is .078. i cleaned it out good with a gage pin. thanks Butch

 

[hoz53]

Your firing pin should an .062" diameter, that's standard for the 222 family. The .075" diameter is usually for 308 family. I don't think it's a bolt issue. Take the firing pin out and measure.

well this one is 075 and the action came from the factory as a 223. i bought it new as a complete rifle. i think its an E series. i will have to check later as its at another location. thanks

 

[hoz53]

If you have a fail to fire, either the Jewell is broken or the blanked piece is inside the bolt assembly and will cause the pin not to fall.

i will report— thanks

 

[LCazador]

well this one is 075 and the action came from the factory as a 223. i bought it new as a complete rifle. i think its an E series. i will have to check later as its at another location. thanks

That's odd! Does bolt match rifle? That will be a problem with thin cup primers, especially with top end loads. Looks like bushing the bolt is a must. About $150 the last time I had one bushed at Gre-Tan.

 

[hoz53]

Your firing pin should an .062" diameter, that's standard for the 222 family. The .075" diameter is usually for 308 family. I don't think it's a bolt issue. Take the firing pin out and measure.

Ya got me thinking Cazador, so i rechecked this gun. i purchased this action in a new factory R700V 20 some years ago. its an E series. It was originally in 223. there is nothing left of the factory gun except the action. I did tell you one thing wrong— the original firing pin assembly was a
J Lock— i replaced that somewhere along the way and the unit in there now looks like factory(non jaylock). i confirmed the bolt body was the original in the action when new.
i checked headspace with gages. i have two R700 223 base bolts- this one and one in an RR actioned factory rifle. Both these have .075 firing pins- the gun in this thread has a .078 FP hole in the bolt. So I think everything is OK with this gun/action. if i have more blanking problems I will bush the pin. While I was at this i took inventory of my R700s- this was good to get done and always good just to look them over, Thanks Much for all your help

 

[hoz53]

That's odd! Does bolt match rifle? That will be a problem with thin cup primers, especially with top end loads. Looks like bushing the bolt is a must. About $150 the last time I had one bushed at Gre-Tan.

and if needed i can use other primers

 

[Doom]

That load on a hot day in July locked the bolt of my Rem 700 up. 2x4 and mallet to get it open. Check Sierra 6th and you'll find max is 24.9 gr.

 

[Old Navy]

Many years ago I saw to guys knock the bold handle off a center grip XP-100. The wood and hammer didn't work so they tied a piece of pipe on the handle. I was changing positions at an IHMSA match so I don't know the final outcome.