Left side is 1761 firing pin
Right side is 457 firing pin
Micro analyzing pin strikes is new to me so not exactly sure what to look for?
I have read where people will file off edges and imperfections but.......as of now that is over my head!
To be frank, I'm not able to pass judgement on the relationship between how a firing pin footprint looks and its effecct on ignition -- except to say that if the pin imprint looks deep enough without the pin hitting too hard, which itself causes unnecessary vibration, the ignition should be satisfactory for a rifle not intended for BR competition. Bill Calfee's understanding of what makes, in his words, "killer ignition" is above my head. For more from Bill Calfee on "killer ignition" see this thread (keep in mind he writes in a very folksy way), which has a number of interesting pictures
h ttp://www.wwaccuracy.com/showthread.php?t=5729
The firing pin imprints shown above look like they should be for an Anschutz and a CZ and should in that regard the rifles should perform satisfactorily. Someone building or modifying a rifle for the utmost benchrest accuracy might see areas of improvement, but for "regular" shooters like those of us posting on CGN, there shouldn't be a reason to be troubled.
In general, there seem to be two basic areas of concern with the firing pin imprint. One is the location, the other is its depth. The latter is usually not a problem. Sometimes an oversprung firing pin causes more threat to accuracy because it can be an unnecessary source of vibration that can affect accuracy. There can be a problem when the imprint is insufficiently deep, due perhaps to an underpowered spring or that the pin doesn't extend far enough because it's too short or something else. This may contribute to inconsistent ignition. I once had a match rifle that seemed to leave a shallower-than-usual firing pin imprint, but it didn't affect how the rifle shot.
Ideally the pin doesn't need to crush the outer edge of the rim. It should be striking just inside the edge. Anschutz pin imprints are a relatively narrow and chisel-like in appearance. They seem to do an effective job. Of course that's not say there's no room for improvement.
I've never modified firing pins on my Anschutz rifles and never kept a CZ long enough to give it much thought. I'm more confident that the shape of the Anschutz firing pins as they come from the factory do the job well than I am in a need to modify the tip or, perhaps more accurately, my ability to significantly improve upon it.
Sometimes there may be more of a concern about firing pin tip shape when barrel swap rifles change to a magnum caliber -- 17HMR or 22WMR -- as the rim diameter and thickness is different from .22LR or 17 Mach2 -- but that's not an issue here.
