Primer strikes

[Texas Solo]

Been having a problem with occasional lite/no strike on primer.
Savage #12 Target action. I've replaced the FP assy and the trigger. Other than a dirty bolt, what can cause this intermittently?
Pics show normal strike on left, a light hit, and a heavy hit.

 

[Sniperhandle]

Measure the firing pin diameter, If you have pin gauges, Measure the firing pin hole diameter, Looks to me like two separate problems, The firing pin hole is too large for high pressure loads, As far as the bolt hanging up, I don't know. Have you measured protrusion yet? If you have primer blanks inside the bolt, It will cause hangups and eventually peirced primers will cause bolt face erosion and or broken mainsprings.

So the firing pin hole is too large, Quite possibly causing all of the issues you have been having in the last few weeks. Send the bolt head and firing pin to Grimstod on this forum he does Savage bolts.

 

[Texas Solo]

All high pressure signs.

Not at 31.0 Varget/105 Bergers.

 

[Fast14riot]

The middle one has the blank from the bottom primer stuck to it. You're getting debris in your fp hole.

 

[Texas Solo]

The rd DID fire. Should I just order a new bolt head?
Not High pressure! Conservative load.

 

[Sniperhandle]

The rd DID fire. Should I just order a new bolt head?
Not High pressure! Conservative load.

You need to understand why this happens, Even with a load you don't feel is high pressure, The firing pin hole is too large to support the pressure you do have and here is my way of explaining it. If you have a hole in the ground that is one foot in diameter and place a piece of glass on it, It will not hold your weight without cracking and breaking, If you reduce it to 6 inches you can stand on it and it will hold your weight.

So the surface area of the firing pin hole is too large to support the pressure so it it blanks the primer just like a Pirahna ironworker does when it punches a hole. When this happens a few times the small blanks that are the missing peice of primer metal get inside of your bolt and will interfere with it operating smoothly. You reduce the hole size it will hold the pressure. I am almost 100% sure this is what your problem is especially since you showed the pierced primer, I'm sure it wasn't the only one.

 

[Sniperhandle]

CCI primers are hard

 

[Old Navy]

Bush the bolt. I have two model 12s. One did that at a mere 7 rounds. I did have a third that did the same thing. Carlsbad cured all three along with a Rem 700.

 

[Krogen]

A buddy at the gun club just went through this. He was using a "non-mainstream" action. Lot's of failures to fire, light indentations with a variety of primers. It turned out the manufacturer used light firing pin springs in the interest of easier bolt lift. Said manufacturer apparently had troubles and offers heavier springs for retrofit. A heavier spring fixed the problem.

I bring this up because you might have a weak firing pin spring. Why is that? No idea. Just something to consider among all the other possibilities.

 

[Texas Solo]

A buddy at the gun club just went through this. He was using a "non-mainstream" action. Lot's of failures to fire, light indentations with a variety of primers. It turned out the manufacturer used light firing pin springs in the interest of easier bolt lift. Said manufacturer apparently had troubles and offers heavier springs for retrofit. A heavier spring fixed the problem.

I bring this up because you might have a weak firing pin spring. Why is that? No idea. Just something to consider among all the other possibilities.

I just installed a new FP assy with new spring.
Going to order a new bolt head.

 

[Sniperhandle]

I just installed a new FP assy with new spring.
Going to order a new bolt head.

A new bolt head is not going to solve the problem, It needs to be bushed, If you send it to Grimstod (Ben Chapelle) Or Carlsbad, They will re-bush the fp hole to most likely 0.062 and turn the firing pin to match. You will have the same problem with the new bolt.

For some reason 6.5 calibers and below blank primers, If your gun was a 308 it wouldn't blank the primer but it would still extrude it, Like the other 2 cases you showed.

If you switch primers that's just a Band-Aid, Listen to the others telling you to bush the bolt, It's not just me. This will solve your problem.

 

[Old Navy]

This is how bad your primers can get without blowing a hole in one. Before and after having the bolt bushed.

 

[Sniperhandle]

This is how bad your primers can get without blowing a hole in one. Before and after having the bolt bushed.

Yes, That's extrusion. Good pics.

 

[ridgeway]

Measure the firing pin hole and then calculate clearance. Is FP assembly binding in any way? How much pin fall do you have?

 

[NorCalMikie]

And ALL the BRASS on the FTF or light prime strikes are exactly the same, compared to the brass that works??? You can keep throwing $$$$ at it and STILL have the problem.

 

[Texas Solo]

All my brass is the same. Alpha 6Dasher.

 

[SecondsCount]

All my brass is the same. Alpha 6Dasher.

What primers are you using? Not saying that is the issue, just curious.

 

[ridgeway]

These are all tell tale signs of inadequate fire control system. So many variables in FC that will take meticulous process of elimination. Could be 1 thing, or multiple things that need attention.

For prime example...i had a BAT B, older lightweight firing pin and aged spring shooting a Dasher. Normal 2980 loads. Got same issue as you. Random createring at first then progressed more often to eventually blanking primers. Some blanked so bad the primers fell out of pocket of fairly new brass. Changed spring and firing pin and instantly cured the problem. Speed up several years to now...I go through and make sure my FC is butter smooth, no binding, timed and modified to achieve .248-.250 of pin fall and .055 of protrusion. I have about 3 or 4 FC set ups and believe it or not...some shoot better than others.

 

[jelenko]

This is how bad your primers can get without blowing a hole in one. Before and after having the bolt bushed.

That's a crater!

 

[Texas Solo]

What primers are you using? Not saying that is the issue, just curious.

CCI 400..switching to CCI450