597 VTR light primer strikes

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Sk82

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I bought my 597 VTR in June and out of the box it actually worked pretty good. I always used Remington 30 round banana clips with it. I had the occasional jam but nothing to frequent. Never had any problems with misfires.

I read online about the whole guide rods being too tight from factory and figured I'd adjust mine. This seems to be when my problems started. I'm happy to report that since loosening the guide rods that I haven't had any feed or ejection problems what so ever.

Now there seems to be a misfire/fail to fire problem. Out of a 30 round clip, I can have anywhere from 2-5 misfires. This happens with a variety of ammo brands. Upon closer inspection of the rims the firing pin is barely leaving a very shallow dent. I take those fail to fire rounds and load them in another rimfire gun I have and they fire fine.

I tried taking the 597 apart, cleaning everything, and reassembling it while making sure to properly lube the guide rails. Unfortunately this did not seem to help at all.

I've done some research online and this seems to be a fairly common problem, however, no solutions. I thinking about making a warranty claim but feel there is no point if the problem is just going to return again.

Any suggestions on what the problem might be? Tighten the guide rails again lol ?
 
How often has it been dry fired? Look at the chamber end of the barrel for a small dent left by the firing pin hitting the anvil (barrel face) during dry fires... Results in light strikes due to the lack of support behind the case rim where the firing pin hits....
 
The firing pin channel could be gummed up preventing proper striking. If I remember correctly, the firing pin is held in with a roll pi that is a bit of a ##### to get out. I took mine out once and there was a fair bit of crap built up in there.
 
When you took your VTR apart did you take your target hammer out? I know that sometimes people put the spring in backwards and that can cause light hammer strikes.

A great place for info is rimfirecentral.com. They have a dedicated 597 section that has been helpful to me.
 
I did notice when I had it apart that there was a small grove on the chamber end. I wasn't sure if it came like that. Sounds like I may have been dry firing it too much. I willing to bet money this is why it's leaving light primer strikes.
 
As far as fixing it,I've had success having that dent filled with a TIG weld and resurfacing the end of the barrel, but care has to be taken to ensure factory dimensions and flatness are maintained on the anvil and the shape and size of the opening of the chamber... Otherwise, replace the barrel... The key on these rifles is to avoid dry fires as the firing pin contacts the barrel, unlike a 10/22...
The other tip I can give, that I've had success doing, is to increase the mass of the hammer by filling the holes in it with TIG weld, this will provide more energy to the firing pin on impact and does not affect cycling... Lastly, the guide rods, tighten them to contact and the back them off 1/4 turn.... Hope that helps
 
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