Bolt/ Firing pin maintenance & care

[Mulligan]

On F-class, LR benchrest, SR benchrest, PRS, or what-have-you, do you change the main spring each year prior to the beginning of the season? Do you totally strip down the bolt (remove extractor and ejector) and clean? Do you lube the firing pin? If so, with what?

I have a BAT 3L that Bob Scarbrough went through for me and the ejection is PERFECT! Instead of tossing brass all out on the bench it now drops the brass in a neat little pile under the rifle. As I am sitting here in a shoulder sling healing up from a total shoulder rebuild and reattached bicep and I am futzing with the ejector spring on a DS action hoping I can duplicate the work Bob did on my 3L. I got to thinking about what other stuff I may be remis in my duties on......... admitting I don't know what I don't know.

What do all of you do as part of your annual "get ready for the season" procedures on your rifles..... or maybe a better question, what should all of us be doing to keep these investments well maintained, timed properly, and running as good as they can?


Thanks
CW

 

[LCazador]

I replace my firing pin spring every 1000 rounds which is about two seasons of shooting. That's overkill according to many. I disassemble and clean all surfaces. I apply lube to lugs and cocking ramp after reassembly. I also make sure that the action bolt lug area is clean and the barrel face and chamber are free of any carbon. I don't use any lubricant on the firing pin or spring. I shoot a Panda, a 40X, and a BAT DS and model M. I treat them all the same.

 

[D-4297]

^^^^ What he said . The only thing I do differently is use a drop or two of sewing machine oil down the firing pin hole . But I also take my bolt assembly completely down about every five or six hundred rounds . Clean everything with lighter fluid . Blow dry , and re-assemble . Arizona is a very dusty place with our "Micro-dust" . It's a Panda , .308 .

 

[JFrank]

Bat has several videos beyond this one.

https://www.batmachine.com/videos/take-care-bat-action/

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Firing pin springs vary. If you change it out to one with a different force you may change the ignitions primer preference. Measure the spring force, if its normalish leave it. Bat springs dont wear out very fast. If your having issues with vertical fliers change it. But be aware you may need to test primers again. Very light weight oil on the firing pin in the shroud. Thats it, no grease anywhere in the pin or cocking piece.

 

[Jayplace]

The recommendation for changing the firing pin spring on a Panda is about every two years. The firing pin spring will lose tension over time whether it's used or not and leaving the firing pin spring in a cocked position will weaken it faster.

 

[Mulligan]

Firing pin springs vary. If you change it out to one with a different force you may change the ignitions primer preference. Measure the spring force, if its normalish leave it. Bat springs dont wear out very fast. If your having issues with vertical fliers change it. But be aware you may need to test primers again. Very light weight oil on the firing pin in the shroud. Thats it, no grease anywhere in the pin or cocking piece.

What is normalish? BR, Dasher, PPC same or different?
CW

 

[Alex Wheeler]

If you have a bat 21 pound spring and it measures within a pound Id say its fine. If its more than that Id change it

 

[Mulligan]

If you have a bat 21 pound spring and it measures within a pound Id say its fine. If its more than that Id change it

Yep, I swapped out all the culls and mixed breeds and now running a full corral of registered BATs

CW

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Be aware the one that bob had dwight do for you will not be a direct replacement spring. I wouldnt touch it unless the sharp snap sound is gone or varies shot to shot

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Yep, I swapped out all the culls and mixed breeds and now running a full corral of registered BATs

CW

That was an example, lol. Pandas should be 21ish Bordens 23ish, and some Bats 25ish. Sometimes you get a new spring and it measures less than the old. Just assume everything is broken.

 

[Mulligan]

Be aware the one that bob had dwight do for you will not be a direct replacement spring. I wouldnt touch it unless the sharp snap sound is gone or varies shot to shot

Copy that!!!
CW

 

[Badhabit]

I change mine at the same time as the barrel. Easy for me to remember. If I'm shooting one action a lot during the year I will strip the bolt and clean everything up at least twice a year if anything it's my OCD.

 

[memilanuk]

That was an example, lol. Pandas should be 21ish Bordens 23ish, and some Bats 25ish. Sometimes you get a new spring and it measures less than the old. Just assume everything is broken.

Just for the sake of discussion... what is the best way for an end user to test that when replacing their springs?

 

[LCazador]

That was an example, lol. Pandas should be 21ish Bordens 23ish, and some Bats 25ish. Sometimes you get a new spring and it measures less than the old. Just assume everything is broken.

Alex, what do you use to measure firing pin tension?

 

[Dave M.]

If you have a bat 21 pound spring and it measures within a pound Id say its fine. If its more than that Id change it

Why would it be more? Over time the spring force should degrade not go up? Thanks for the feedback Alex.
Dave

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Alex, what do you use to measure firing pin tension?

I use a postal scale and a rig to push it

 

[Jayplace]

I use a postal scale and a rig to push it

What do you use for references? I know that some say 21 for this or 23 for that, but based on what? Is it based on the difference between cocked and uncocked position length?

 

[Jayplace]

What is normalish? BR, Dasher, PPC same or different?
CW

I would say normal is based on what action that is being used. If it is a Panda use a Panda spring. The purpose of the spring is to drive the firing pin at a preferred rate to ignite the primer. Each action has it's own characteristics so the spring for that action is the correct one for that action. I've seen people describe using different springs, but that's beyond my knowledge. I tend to follow the advise of the manufacture.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Alex, what do you use to measure firing pin tension?

I have a spring tester, basicly an oversived arbor press with a push/pull gauge, but a scale like dusty said will get you close