My Walking Varminter in .223 misfires, need ideas.

[Szumi]

I bought a Walking Varminter in .223 a month ago new. It took me a couple weeks to get a chance to shoot it.

The first time out 49 of 50 went off. All commerically loaded ammo.
The next day I picked up a box of Hornady Black 62g. Nine fired, six did not. I have a firing pin indentation.

Today I loaded up some ammo using cci 400 and rounds using cci #41 using new cases that my Wilson case gage indicates are in spec.

Five out of ten fired using #41 primers

Fifteen out of seventeen fired using CCI 400.

I've taken the bolt a part, it is clean inside, I don't see anything wrong.

Does anyone have any ideas for me on what is going on.

https://www.garage-machinist.com/www/SavShooters/M25_Bolt_firing_pin.jpg
Thanks,

Szumi

[Szumi]

I took the ammo that wouldn't fire in the walking varminter and shot them in my AR15. Every cartridge went bang.

[Szumi]

I called Savage today. The tech said my rifle might be unsearing. I've never heard that term before. He is saying that if the trigger is too light or heavy something will go wrong.

I haven't adjusted the trigger. It measures on average 2# 12oz. I'll load up some more ammo using a range of primers and set the trigger at 3# 3oz and see if it makes a difference.

He also confirmed that for my rifle the one piece spring is the correct one. I read in this subsection that there was a three piece one. Can anyone clarify that?

Failing increasing the trigger pull solving missfires, I bought some Federal primers that are supposedly more sensitive.. I'm normally a CCI guy.

[J.Baker]

The folks who man the phones at Savage aren't gunsmiths, they're phone jockey's being paid a little over minimum wage at best. Most of them know very little (if anything) about firearms. They know how to punch a SN into the computer to pull up a parts diagram and generate an order, that's about it.

Far as I know the 3-piece spring is what comes in the Axis, 11/111 Trophy Hunter and the slug guns. I haven't messed with a M25 in six years, but know the one I reviewed at that time had the one-piece spring the same as yours.

To me it sounds like a weak firing pin spring or there's excessive drag somewhere that's limiting firing pin energy.

[Stumpkiller]

First suspect would be the spring.

And the one in your image doesn't look consistent(?) The coils are different spacing along it's length.

Try Savage or Nurmrich Arms for a replacement.

[jpdown]

Since you bought new, send back to Savage Arms and ask them to fix it under warranty.

[J.Baker]

Since you bought new, send back to Savage Arms and ask them to fix it under warranty.

There you go injecting common sense and logic into the equation again... :stupid:

[Robinhood]

How fast are you cycling the action?

[Szumi]

Since you bought new, send back to Savage Arms and ask them to fix it under warranty.

That may be an option. It isn't winter yet so I'm still tinkering with it.

I added a 0.100" spacer to increase preload on the spring. I had a thought that it would increase firing pin energy.

Using CCI 41, it took 11 rounds to fire a 5 shot group.
Using Fed205's, I got 20 in a row to go off and fairly decent groups.
Firing my remaining 3 rounds of CCI400 from last weekend, two out of three went off.

[243winxb]

Load shell from the magazine.