Trouble with light firing pin strike

[DidIDraw]

I'm having trouble with my custom 6.5 creedmore. It is a Razor Ti action (based on 700 remington) with a pacnor barrel.
The guy that sold it to me had a load worked up with RL17 powder. The rounds were reloaded and were sticking inside the chamber (i.e. put a round in and have to shoot it to get the brass to extract) and the rounds were too hot in warm weather (blew a primer out of the last round I fired).
I tried a different load using Superformance powder, before my last hunting trip I shot some of these rounds and they were showing some promise but I took some of the RL17 loads because the turret was set up for them - shot 5 rounds during the hunt with the last one blowing out the primer. Went out to shoot some of the superformance rounds yesterday and they won't fire, the firing pin is striking the primer too lightly.
I had shortened the head space ever so slightly on these rounds (like 1/32 turn of the die) to help with the cartridge sticking. I checked the brass with the firing pin removed and I made the adjustments until I could only feel a slight amount of resistance. I even fired some of these rounds before the last hunt.
Is it possible that the last round I fired (a warm afternoon in AZ in Nov after waiting out a coues deer) that blew out the primer has damaged the bolt or the firing pin/spring?
Would love your thoughts on what to try next. I can buy a new firing pin and spring and the tool to replace it for less than $100 - is it worth trying?

 

[Cahunter805]

You could be pushing the shoulder to far back when sizing creating excessive headspace or the chamber could have a problem also.
Were you using brand new brass or fired brass? Sounds like the previous owner was loading pretty hot and might have had some case head expansion problems if they wouldn’t extract as a loaded round also.
Post a pic of the bolt face also.

 

[RELH]

Take the bolt apart and check the firing pin nose for any damage or breakage. If that appears ok, put the firing pin back into the bolt, without spring, push it as far forward as you can and measure the firing pin that is protruding out of the bolt face, You should have at least 50 thousand protrusion. If that is ok, replace the firing pin spring and test fire.
I would test fire with factory ammo or quality reloads just in case it is the fault of the reloaded ammo you have. From your description it seems that person was not a good reloader.

RELH

 

[Murr]

What trigger does it have?

 

[BrianID]

I think it is very possible that the firing pin has been damaged, especially if it is a titanium firing pin. I had a titanium firing pin in an AR10 that I had to replace.

 

[RELH]

I do not like titanium firing pins. Due to the lighter weight they will not strike the primer with the same force that a all steel firing pin will and that along can cause misfires.
I carry a Springfield EMP 9mm at times. When I got that gun new it had a titanium firing pin in order to pass the CA. safety test for not discharging if dropped on the muzzle.
Damn thing would misfire about 1 out of 20 rounds. replaced the titanium firing pin with a all steel one and no more misfires for over several hundred rounds fired since replacement.
RELH

 

[Zeke]

Sounds like with all that primer-blowing that you've either damaged the striker or partially plugged it with primer debris.
Tear it down and have a look!

Zeke

 

[DidIDraw]

What trigger does it have?

Timney trigger

 

[DidIDraw]

Sounds like with all that primer-blowing that you've either damaged the striker or partially plugged it with primer debris.
Tear it down and have a look!

Zeke

There was some yellowish material that came out when I removed the firing pin. I wonder if there is a bunch of it inside the bolt face.

 

[DidIDraw]

I think it is very possible that the firing pin has been damaged, especially if it is a titanium firing pin. I had a titanium firing pin in an AR10 that I had to replace.

I bet you're right about it having a titanium firing pin. The receiver is titanium and everything on the gun was about being light weight.

 

[RELH]

Do a good job of cleaning inside the bolt firing pin channel and then check the firing pin for amount of protrusion in front of bolt face. If you have about 50 thousand protrusion, a heavier firing pin spring should cure your problem. If protrusion seems short, send it back for repair. A all steel firing pin would help also.

RELH

 

[RookieWYhntr]

Even if you clean it or replace the firing pin, you'll be right back where you started from. I know this is very hard to do but find yourself some factory ammo and shoot a couple rounds thru it. See if you have pressure signs. Do this first before tinkering with it.

 

[DidIDraw]

Even if you clean it or replace the firing pin, you'll be right back where you started from. I know this is very hard to do but find yourself some factory ammo and shoot a couple rounds thru it. See if you have pressure signs. Do this first before tinkering with it.

Good idea. I have a friend that owns a 6.5, I'll beg a couple of rounds from him and try them after I've cleaned the bolt really well.
I suppose this will tell me if I've reduced the head space too much on my reloads. What will it tell me if there are signs of pressure with factory ammo?

 

[Cahunter805]

Good idea. I have a friend that owns a 6.5, I'll beg a couple of rounds from him and try them after I've cleaned the bolt really well.
I suppose this will tell me if I've reduced the head space too much on my reloads. What will it tell me if there are signs of pressure with factory ammo?

Pressure signs with factory ammo mostly likely means either the headspace of the chamber is wrong or there may be a carbon ring depending on how many rounds have been fired through the barrel previously.

 

[RookieWYhntr]

If you have a go/no go gauge you can check it out. If you can closed down on a go gauge and not able to closed down on a no go gauge then you are within saami spec. After that then like what CAhunter said. Could be a carbon ring buildup but unlikely or the damn barrel diameter isn't really 6.5mm.

Not much else can cause pressure with factory ammo.

 

[Homer]

measure a fired case.....will do what a go/ nogo gauge will do

 

[Murr]

Lone peak has never used titanium firing pins even in the ti actions. Blowing primers is hard on things. Clean it up good and don't shoot that hot ammo anymore. Timney triggers have given guys issues with light strikes as well. The sear can drag on the cocking piece just enough to cause a light strike. I was having light strikes in my lone peak with a timney Calvin elite, switched to a trigger tech and 1000's of rounds later haven't had one again.

 

[DidIDraw]

 

[DidIDraw]

Here is a picture of the bolt face. You can see some of the yellow/green dust. A bunch of that came out when I disassembled the bolt.

 

[Cahunter805]

Definitely looks like some pitting most likely from primer blow back. Also that yellow/green dust is brass shavings. Since it sounds like you already have removed the firing pin assembly I would take an old toothbrush and some solvent and clean up the bolt face.
Also I would recommend removing the ejector pin and cleaning that out and the hole it rides in. I bet it’s full of brass shavings also. It’s held in by a small roll pin in the bolt head. It is spring loaded and I would suggest putting the bolt in a plastic bag when driving the pin out the keep the parts from flying across the room. Usually you have to depress the ejector a little while driving the pin out.
Once you have to bolt stripped down run a bore brush with solvent inside the bolt body also and then flush it out to clean everything out.

 

[RELH]

Do what cahunter told you, then put firing pin back into bolt and push it as far forward it will go and measure the firing pin protrusion in front of the boltface. If you have 50-55 thousand protrusion, a heavier firing pin spring should cure your light strikes. Your factory spring may be too light for proper ignition of the primer. It could have taken a set due to improper heat treating of the factory spring.
RELH

 

[DidIDraw]

Lone peak has never used titanium firing pins even in the ti actions. Blowing primers is hard on things. Clean it up good and don't shoot that hot ammo anymore. Timney triggers have given guys issues with light strikes as well. The sear can drag on the cocking piece just enough to cause a light strike. I was having light strikes in my lone peak with a timney Calvin elite, switched to a trigger tech and 1000's of rounds later haven't had one again.

All hot ammo has been unloaded. Maybe the trigger is a problem.

 

[RELH]

Have you even bothered to check the firing pin protrusion to see if that is the problem before you jump to another possible cause?
RELH

 

[DidIDraw]

Have you even bothered to check the firing pin protrusion to see if that is the problem before you jump to another possible cause?
RELH

I will clean the bolt and check that.

 

[Seamaster]

I very seriously doubt that the trigger is the problem.

 

[Bluehair]

When I have a misfire, I ALWAYS pull the trigger harder when I try it again.

 

[SHB]

How much lube gummed up in the bolt interior?


If too much, the blown primer probably shot the inside full of soot, and when mixed with too much lube, on a cold day is gumming up the pin.


Disassemble the bolt, clean well reassemble, try it now.

 

[DidIDraw]

Update.
I disassembled and cleaned the bolt thoroughly then ran a couple of primed cases (getting to a shooting range is difficult where I live) through the rifle. It ignited the primers perfectly. Must have been enough gunk and brass shaving to prevent the firing pin from going all the way forward. Thank you all for your help with this.

 

[Homer]

what protrusion dimension did you measure??

 

[DidIDraw]

I don't have a measuring tool but it pokes out almost 1mm

 

[Homer]

1 mm is 0.04.....kinda short

 

[Millsworks]

Some times a misfire can be caused by primers not being fully seated properly.
Easy to check by a quick feeling for the primer to be just recessed or perfectly flush in the case.
But under the circumstances the firing pin area in the bolt face is a very likely reason.
Hopefully it works fine for you now.

 

[trophyhunter]

I'm having trouble with my custom 6.5 creedmore. It is a Razor Ti action (based on 700 remington) with a pacnor barrel.
The guy that sold it to me had a load worked up with RL17 powder. The rounds were reloaded and were sticking inside the chamber (i.e. put a round in and have to shoot it to get the brass to extract) and the rounds were too hot in warm weather (blew a primer out of the last round I fired).
I tried a different load using Superformance powder, before my last hunting trip I shot some of these rounds and they were showing some promise but I took some of the RL17 loads because the turret was set up for them - shot 5 rounds during the hunt with the last one blowing out the primer. Went out to shoot some of the superformance rounds yesterday and they won't fire, the firing pin is striking the primer too lightly.
I had shortened the head space ever so slightly on these rounds (like 1/32 turn of the die) to help with the cartridge sticking. I checked the brass with the firing pin removed and I made the adjustments until I could only feel a slight amount of resistance. I even fired some of these rounds before the last hunt.
Is it possible that the last round I fired (a warm afternoon in AZ in Nov after waiting out a coues deer) that blew out the primer has damaged the bolt or the firing pin/spring?
Would love your thoughts on what to try next. I can buy a new firing pin and spring and the tool to replace it for less than $100 - is it worth trying?

Sounds like the guy that loaded those rounds did not know what he was doing. Throw them away before you get hurt IMO. Some day one might be over charged and blow up.

 

[DidIDraw]

Sounds like the guy that loaded those rounds did not know what he was doing. Throw them away before you get hurt IMO. Some day one might be over charged and blow up.

I unloaded all of them. Not worth the risk