Light firing pin strike

[375Win]

I picked up a used Stevens 200 in 22-250. I'm getting very light firing pin strikes with about 1 in 20 missfiring. I thought headspace with the ejector holding the casehead away from the bolt face. I loaded some shell with a crush fit in the chamber, same thing. Today I checked firing pin protrusion .050, checked my other Stevens 223 and it was .057. Everything seems in spec from the Tech articles here on the site.

I attempted to take down the bolt but the bolt was very tight and stopped before I wrecked anything and decided to ask some questions before I proceed to drastic measures.

Any insight to my dilemma.

Thanks
375Win

[Blue Avenger]

the bolt screws from the factory are very tight, you just have to put it on the floor and step on the wrench. make sure the wench is in all the way. A spot to check is the bolt release/ sear clearance to stock wall and the over travel of the sear clearance to the top of the trigger. either of these dragging/ friction will slow the release/ travel of the firing pin.

[375Win]

Thanks for the help Blue.

I tore down the bolt and reset the pin protrusion to .058. I broke down all the rounds that miss fired with multiple hits of of the pin at the range last time. All but one of the primed cases fired with the new pin setting. Hope to get it to the range today.

375Win

[dolomite_supafly]

If it by chance has a three screw trigger the over travel may be adjusted too tight. I had one that the sear would drag on the trigger slowing it down enough to cause problems.

Dolomite

[375Win]

Checked everything for clearance. Pretty sure I have the problem fixed.

375Win

[bythebook]

I had trouble with blowing primers and finally found my firing pin was at .069 and I reset it to .032 and it works well. Billpa says he sets all of his at this.

[dolomite_supafly]

Checked everything for clearance. Pretty sure I have the problem fixed.

375Win


What looked like the cause?

I am curious as well as the fact it can help out others with similar problems. There is another thread right now with the same symptoms you describe.

Dolomite

[BillPa]

I had trouble with blowing primers and finally found my firing pin was at .069 and I reset it to .032 and it works well. Billpa says he sets all of his at this.


EEK, .069", thats a bunch. In effect anything over about .030" stops the pin fall shorts thus reducing primer impact pressures. Not saying that was the only problem, but it sure wasn't helping anything either.

Bill

[mtnsmith]

Hey guys this is interesting.. I've never had a savage bolt apart.. How do you reset the F.P.? Just a beginner ya know!!

mtnsmith

[Blue Avenger]

read the FAC section.

http://savageshooters.com/SavageForum/index.php/board,38.0.html

[375Win]

Thought I had everything fixed, still got light strikes. Tore dorn my 223 bolt and to see anything different. Upon reassembling I noticed how much harder it was to compress the 223's spring, orderred a new spring for the 250 and it is much stronger than the old one.

375Win.

[375Win]

Heads up on my problems, the new main spring did the trick. Everything is working just fine now.

375Win

[sharpshooter]

If changing the spring did the trick, that would indicate to me that the firing pin fall is short. I've never seen a Savage spring that was weaker than factory specs., but the majority are over factory specs. If it was on the low end of specs, the only thing that would keep it from igniting a primer is short firing pin fall, basically lack of momentum.