A hole bunch of background first.
My rifle has just started piercing primers. It must be a slight pierce since only the firing pin divot in the primer is blackened. 4 primers pierced on the last range trip. Was late in the day in a covered shooting area and I did not notice until I got home. Groups were under 1" at 100yards. Typical groups, typical recoil, bolt was not sticky, slight bit of blackened areas around the outside of the neck of the case.
Gun: Savage Axis in 223 Rem
Load: 70grn Bergers, 24.4grn H4895, WSR primer, Federal case
Jump: .030"
I have some of the original cases from the first day I fired this gun (April 2011, 400 rounds ago). The primer divot looks proper and is completely concave. I have some of the cases from a couple of weeks ago and the primer divot has a small convex part of the primer at the very bottom of the divot. The last set of primers has a slightly larger convex part at the bottom.
Therefore, I popped the firing pin forward and had a look at it. It is not nicely rounded like my other firearms firing pins. In fact it has a small concave crater in the very tip of the firing pin that looks worn. I think this defect is causing the problems since it is sharp.
Has anyone else every heard of destroying a firing pin? I suppose a material defect is always possible. I have been firing the above listed load for over 200 rounds with no problems. Since I have been reloading is there any possibility of waranty on the firing pin? Read my manual tonight and it basically said if you reload, no warranty.
My rifle has just started piercing primers. It must be a slight pierce since only the firing pin divot in the primer is blackened. 4 primers pierced on the last range trip. Was late in the day in a covered shooting area and I did not notice until I got home. Groups were under 1" at 100yards. Typical groups, typical recoil, bolt was not sticky, slight bit of blackened areas around the outside of the neck of the case.
Gun: Savage Axis in 223 Rem
Load: 70grn Bergers, 24.4grn H4895, WSR primer, Federal case
Jump: .030"
I have some of the original cases from the first day I fired this gun (April 2011, 400 rounds ago). The primer divot looks proper and is completely concave. I have some of the cases from a couple of weeks ago and the primer divot has a small convex part of the primer at the very bottom of the divot. The last set of primers has a slightly larger convex part at the bottom.
Therefore, I popped the firing pin forward and had a look at it. It is not nicely rounded like my other firearms firing pins. In fact it has a small concave crater in the very tip of the firing pin that looks worn. I think this defect is causing the problems since it is sharp.
Has anyone else every heard of destroying a firing pin? I suppose a material defect is always possible. I have been firing the above listed load for over 200 rounds with no problems. Since I have been reloading is there any possibility of waranty on the firing pin? Read my manual tonight and it basically said if you reload, no warranty.
