Check out this primer crater??

[DanCarey]

If its too short, you remove the firing pin assembly from the bolt. Then remove the pin that is holding the firing pin to the cocking piece. You will then be able to chuck it in the lathe and remove the exact amount needed from the shoulder to have .055" (or whatever you like) protrusion thru the bolt face. You can check it without reassembling it, if right put it back together.

If its too long just remove what is needed to bring it down to spec.

 

[Alycidon]

I recently bought a newish 17AH, this came with about 40 cases half of which had the primers backing out so far that they would not fit the shellholder. Took a while to figure that one out !!. I am putting this down to overpressure but if it was during FF then it might be the opposite I suppose. My own FF load seems to work fine.

A

 

[vmaxpro]

Good deal! I just finished machining a bushing for it on saturday night. The howas are a little different to do tho. Theres not really enough "meat" on the bolthead to do a standard type plug. Anyhow, it did the trick and closed my groups a little! I still backed off the charge, but at 29.5gr I had no cratering whatsoever. Thanks for all the help!! Also, If anyone has ever done a howa 1500 before I'm curious to see how you did it.

 

[Skoodifoo]

I guess this would be the correct topic to post my cratering conserns.

I did tumble a few .223 cases for a cartridge board I'm building when I did notice some unusual looking primers on my factory load Sako 50gr Speedhead cases. I've never noticed any cratering on any of my rifles before, maybe because I don't reload

Here's a few pics for you to evaluate my problem. The Sako case is on the middle with two Norma's which are known to blow primers, but they seem to look pretty normal. The white stuff in the stamps is car wax residue.





Also the bolt face has some black residue around the firing pin area after some rounds fired, don't know if it's normal. No pitting or fire cutting can be seen on the bolt face.

I don't know if it's a headspace issue or firing pin related, or are Sako's 223 cartridges known to behave this way?

 

[vmthtr]

Skoo,
Lookw like you are a prime candidate for a firing pin hole bushing job. I have all my rifles done by Gre Tan.