Misfire problems

[BML]

Well... you definitely haven't bumped the shoulder back too far... headspace is good...

Does this gun have an Accu-trigger by any chance?

If you don't depress the safety blade enough when pulling the trigger... you get a "click" instead of a bang.

I've seen this happen a lot, to myself and others... if you sort of "side swipe" the trigger when you're pulling it, the sear will drop but the safety blade with keep the gun from firing.

Yes, it does have the accu-trigger. I've heard of the "side swipe" problems from a couple guys here on the forums as well. Guess I will have to have a smith check the firing pin and then make sure I pay more attention to my trigger pull methods.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[jdmartin]

Definitely looks like green 788 is right that this is related to not getting a good firing pin strike. I have a friend with a savage with an accu-trigger. If you close the bolt hard the accu- trigger somehow disengages and the gun will click but there is no firing pin strike.

 

[BML]

Is replacing the trigger even an option?

 

[BML]

Is replacing the trigger even an option?

 

[green 788]

I don't think I'd replace the trigger... it works well when properly used. As to just what (if any) aftermarket options are out there, I'm not sure. Such triggers would not likely sell very well, because they wouldn't end up being much of an improvement over the Accutrigger...

Here's a thread from the archives here...

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/anyone-else-have-problems-savage-accutrigger-49186/

I didn't read it all, but I'm sure it'll have some info you may be interested in.

Dan

 

[BML]

That's a pretty informative thread, Dan. Thanks.

I bought my rifle used (40 rounds) so I'm not sure what the trigger is set at. It is pretty light though. I'll have to check that as well.

Thanks again for all the help guys. I appreciate it!

Blake

 

[BML]

So I finally had a chance to test the last 3 rounds that I could not get to fire the other day. First two fired and the third was a misfire. Re chambered the round and it fired.

Very frustrating to say the least!!! This is my hunting rifle and the very last thing in the world I want to worry about or even have in the back of my mind is whether or not it will fire at the "moment of truth".

I will have the trigger pull tested and if it's set at 2.5lbs or higher, I will assume the issue is the firing pin.

I really need to get this resolved. It's been over a year of testing loads for this gun for me and I am finally very close. I've been able to duplicate a .41 twice and really feel like with a few more adjustments, I will be in the .25 range. This whole misfire issue is really frustrating. I've only got a few more weeks before the springs winds start where I live and I won't be able to test very often. I am hoping to be done by then!

 

[green 788]

if you're seeing any primer indent at all, it's not the trigger issue...it's gonna either be a firing pin issue (obstructed as someone else suggested, or something broken)... or it could still be bad primers, it happens.

How do the primer strikes look on the rounds that did fire? Do they look normal, as deep as they're supposed to be?

Is there any mark at all on the primer of the round that didn't fire?

 

[BML]

Very small marks or "nicks" in the primer on the misfires. Almost unnoticable actually. Fired rounds show normal indentations on the primers.

 

[green 788]

the firing pin should never even nick the primer if you're dealing with a block sear issue (from the safety blade in the trigger)... so I don't think that's the issue now.

there could be something in the bolt assembly (broken spring or other part) that is dragging the forward motion down, intermittently (sometimes it fires, sometimes it doesn't).

here's a video on taking down the bolt... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIwyywJZf-4]Detailed Bolt Disassembly.wmv - YouTube[/ame]

and another...

check these videos about the accutrigger also...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3fdsfQYIuM]savage 12fv accutrigger take down, adjustment and operation - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKY8EUp6qJc&feature=related]SAVAGE ACCUTRIGGER DEMO BY PERSONALSECURITYZONE.COM - YouTube[/ame]

 

[BML]

Thanks for those links, Dan.

I took the bolt apart just now and didn't see anything broken or out of the ordinary. Only thing I did notice is the little metal washer on the outside of the bolt was a little warped. Not sure if that has any affect on the firing pin or not. I did not take apart the bolt head and extractor apart.

Other than that, it all looked pretty good. Quite honestly, I was hoping there was something broken so that at least I would know what was causing the problem.

I'm stumped.

 

[Leyerly338]

I too had the same issue, I have a Savage 110FCP w/HS Precision stock in the .338 LM. I have had 5 rounds do the same thing, only one of which actually showed an impression from the firing pin, very small indention though. I just re-chambered them all and they fired like normal. Been testing some of my own loads and gaining on accuracy, the Berger 300gr OTM's really like being close to the lands in My rifle, .020" Jump. Thing's were going great until My rail came loose "AGAIN" from the action. I used locktite on the screws this time so hopefully it cures the issue. Hope you get your misfire problem resovled. One issue I do have is that the extractor doesn't always grab the spent brass when I pull the bolt back. It has happened about 5 times out of the 70 rounds I've put through it. Maybe the HSM Brass is too soft???

 

[green 788]

On the Hornady brass for the 338 LM in the Savage chamber... it may be too long, and the necks hang at the case mouth... check the case length and see if they need to be trimmed a bit (not sure of the actual trim to numbers, I don't have them in front of me)...

As to the misfiring...

That "warped" washer, if it's the one I think you're referring to, is supposed to be warped... so that's good.

It's probably either a bad batch of primers (cups cast too thick), or the safety blade in the accutrigger might not be getting pulled back far enough, and the sear is glancing off it, and not allowing a clean release of the firing pin.

Take some spent cases and put some of those primers in them and just fire the primers (point the barrel into a pile of rags, or else outside in a safe direction...

Maybe with some experimenting with firing primers only (in empty brass) you can figure out what is going on.

Try another brand of primer also, in this same manner... possibly the other primers will not give misfires...

I've got an old H&R shotgun that won't shoot Federal 20 gauge shells, primers are too hard... Winchester's never fail... now that's an issue with hammer spring strength, of course... but if a lot of primers are particularly hard, they can cause this problem in an otherwise normally functioning rifle...

Dan

 

[sp6x6]

Is this new brass in the rifle, sounds like it could be short in the chamber and need to be fire formed so to speak. Fired case shoulder verses, first time shoulder?