Pierced a primer, now it won't shoot. What to check?

[dcali]

When you have weak enough ignition or enough drag you can hear the firing pin drop. Compress the spring as much as you can and inspect the inside of the shroud. The older Borden shrouds were fit tightly in this area and debris or a protruding cocking piece pin can cause drag. Weak hits can cause poi shift.

The cocking piece looks to be about .005" smaller than the bored out portion of the bolt shroud. (Give or take - I'm measuring the ID of the shroud with calipers). I think it was one of the old ones, but I sent the bolt back to Jim a while back to have him update it. Not exactly sure what was done to it.

 

[dcali]

Tube gun you say....

Probably a wild hare, but I know some fellows that noticed in the Eliseo that if the following plastic set screws were not snug, the gun flexed and the shots were all over. I've marked the offenders with arrows for you. I've never had an issue, but I know two that drove themselves crazy chasing down an issue that turned into this solution. I'm voting for a "dirt in the wrong place" or "broken trigger/spring/firing pin" myself, but would feel bad if I didn't share this one.
Drew

View attachment 1122864

They look right to me, but I can't really say for sure. They protrude slightly on the inside of the tube, although the front one does more than the rear. I can't tighten or loosen the screws. The set screw deforms under even a little torque, so the hex wrench just slips in either direction. The stock does seem to be a reasonably tight slip fit into the tube, though.

 

[243winxb]

Did a stainless steel pin from tumbling, get loaded & fired.

 

[geo.ulrich]

The cocking piece looks to be about .005" smaller than the bored out portion of the bolt shroud. (Give or take - I'm measuring the ID of the shroud with calipers). I think it was one of the old ones, but I sent the bolt back to Jim a while back to have him update it. Not exactly sure what was done to it.

Damon, Check the t.i.r. of cocking piece o.d to i.d. make sure its not rubbing also assemble without spring assembled and make sure its not rubbing then assemble bolt without spring and hold bolt with shroud up and allow pin to drop pushing on shroud at 12, 3, 6 and 9 oclock make sure it is free in all positions if it passes reassemble and try it.

 

[dcali]

Did a stainless steel pin from tumbling, get loaded & fired.

I don’t use stainless, but interesting thought.

 

[skiutah02]

They look right to me, but I can't really say for sure. They protrude slightly on the inside of the tube, although the front one does more than the rear. I can't tighten or loosen the screws. The set screw deforms under even a little torque, so the hex wrench just slips in either direction. The stock does seem to be a reasonably tight slip fit into the tube, though.

My understanding is that you will notice it easily once you look for it. So sounds fine to me.

 

[dcali]

Damon, Check the t.i.r. of cocking piece o.d to i.d. make sure its not rubbing also assemble without spring assembled and make sure its not rubbing then assemble bolt without spring and hold bolt with shroud up and allow pin to drop pushing on shroud at 12, 3, 6 and 9 oclock make sure it is free in all positions if it passes reassemble and try it.

When I assemble the bolt without the spring, if the cocking piece is lined up with the cam so that the pin can fall (the shroud not screwed all the way in), i can hold the pin up by pushing sideways on the shroud because the threads are sloppy enough to let the shroud rock. I think they'd have to be pretty tight to prevent that, or the clearance between the cocking piece and shroud would have to be pretty big. Am I understanding you right here?

 

[geo.ulrich]

then something is binding, it should fall with it assem. in bolt.

 

[boltfluter]

Any luck finding the problem yet?

Paul

 

[mikeeg02]

It's hard to get a picture of it, but it looks like the primer was hit, cratered a tiny bit, adn then was pushed back flat, but stopped when it got flat - not going all the way to shear off the disc. The outer, slightly raised circle is from the firing pin hole. The ding in the middle looks like it could be from the pin? But it's hard to say. It looks weird. No primers have been actually pierced in this rifle - so it's not like a disc got stuck in there.

Bolt face and pin tip pictures attached.

Looking at your firing pin really really close, it looks like the first piercing left marks on the firing pin, which seems to match the odd shape on the primers that you've shown us post piercing. I would replace the firing pin, especially if you've observed it to have runout.




Not that its the same, but I had a savage that pierced a primer once, and following that it became more and more regular (even with reduced loads and every other timing adjustment) Finally I smoothed/flattened out the tip of the firing pin and viola, no more problems. Sure you could replace it on a savage, but its still a savage

Replace the firing pin. Thats where I would start. Hope that helps.

 

[dcali]

Any luck finding the problem yet?

Paul

Not yet. I'm waiting on a new trigger, and giving the bolt a thorough once over. I'm not yet convinced the pin isn't subtly messed up.

 

[1953greg]

my guess is you have 2 problems.......a firing pin problem and an accuracy problem. cant imagine a firing pin problem causing that much accuracy loss but i wil be the first to admit there is a lot i dont know. the firing pin tip may need to be smoothed. something may have snapped to cause the pop....maybe scope mounting screw.
if that is the only primer like that perhaps somthing wrong with the primer and somthing else causing the accuracy problem....
maybe that one was a pistol primer?
i have had a scope fail and a barrel get loose at nearly the same shot.
very confusing!!!!!

just let us know when u get it figured out

 

[Fast14riot]

@damoncali ever get this sorted out?

 

[dcali]

@damoncali ever get this sorted out?

Sort of. I took it all apart and couldn't find anything wrong at all. I bought a new trigger, firing pin, and spring anyhow. It shoots again. I don't really care to figure out exactly what happened, but it was perplexing.

 

[jelenko]

bought a new trigger, firing pin, and spring

My kind of solution!

 

[Clark]

In 2016 I built a 6mmBR on a Rem700 short action and went antelope hunting. On target practice I pierced a lot of primers and the gun stopped firing. I took the bolt apart and it was full of primer divots. I cleaned the inside of the bolt and got two antelope on opening morning will different ammo.