Firing pin problems

[J E Custom]

A very common problem in many rifles is the firing pin spring. It is not just the Remington that can have this problem, so if you have the same issue as shone in this video it will prevent consistent ignition and sometimes fail
completely.

The problem is that If the spring inside diameter is much larger than the firing pin the spring will "snake" and rub on the inside of the bolt effecting the proper function of the firing pin. This can also cause poor groups/accuracy and increase lock time.



The Video gives you a good comparison of the proper and the improper installation. so when dissembling/cleaning your rifle if you see this condition, It will need to be corrected.

This can improve your accuracy if dealt with.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Maggie’s drawers]

Inconsistent ignition can drive a man to drink. You do everything exactly the same and you get the lone flier ruining your perfect one hole group. Check the firing pin assembly. Good information.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have intentionally set up a bench rifle to test this. My findings were a little different. You can either guide the spring on the pin body or the id of the bolt body. The rifle is competitive at the top level.

 

[Blancoalex]

Alex , can you share you your tests and findings.

I have found ignition is really important especially in the 22 rimfire.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I just wanted to see what would happen if you removed all drag between the spring and pin. I fit it in a way that the spring could not touch the pin other than its seat at the front of the firing pin. It snaked enough that the bolt body ID guided the spring. It was done on a Panda action in a 1k yd BR rifle that will shoot competitively with the standard firing pin guided spring setup.
Now, the difference may be that a Panda's firing pin is guided in the front and a Remington's is not and the snaked spring could cause more misaligned than usual in a 700.

 

[J E Custom]

Guiding the spring off the firing pin definitely helped with this problem because with the spring fit better on the firing pin there was no contact between the spring and the bolt bore that could cause friction as the firing pin fell on the inside of the bolt. I verified this by applying blue die to the springs (One snaked and one straight). The snaked spring had bright spots where it contacted the inside of the bolt, and the straight spring didn't after 10 dry firings.

The loss in consistency was effected by the spring that has to move with the firing pin coming in contact with the bolt while the pin moved. A side effect was noticed that with the firing pin
spring contacting the firing pin only, the bolt didn't seam to move as much perpendicularly to the centerline when fired/activated.

Misalignment to the firing pin hole has not been a problem for me in the past, but it is something to keep an eye on.

It is very hard to measure lock time, but consistency has improved with eliminating the firing pin spring from contacting the bolt body on my rifles. I have tried lightweight firing pin springs to decrease lock time and in some cases had other problems. (Inconsistent primer strikes and higher SD's0 so I have gone back to standard firing pins and proper installation of the springs. Problem solved !

J E CUSTOM

 

[codyadams]

@J E Custom Perhaps I missed it in the video, I'll watch it again, but where exactly did he give instructions on how to properly install the spring without contact/snaking? I saw where he showed the difference of a strait spring and a snaked spring, explained what the problem is, and explained which ones are more likely to have a snake in the spring, but did not see how to fix the problem if it exists on your rifle, other than purchasing their assembly. How do you fix this? Remove spring coils until it sits strait?

Thank you for any info.

 

[aushunter1]

All those "snaked" springs look way to long??

Why would they do that opposed to having say a stiffer spring in the right length??

 

[Bob Wright]

Perhaps I missed it in the video, I'll watch it again, but where exactly did he give instructions on how to properly install the spring without contact/snaking? I saw where he showed the difference of a strait spring and a snaked spring, explained what the problem is, and explained which ones are more likely to have a snake in the spring, but did not see how to fix the problem if it exists on your rifle, other than purchasing their assembly. How do you fix this? Remove spring coils until it sits strait?

Thank you for any info.

No on clipping coils off the spring. Springs "wrapped" always have a flat contour at each end.

 

[LoneTraveler]

The first thing to consider is smoothness of the springs drag points. If the spring is being guided by the firing pin, The firing pin needs polished very smooth. The inside of the spring coils would need to be polished and smoothed also.
If the firing pin spring is supported by the walls of the hole inside the bolt. The firing pin hole needs to be polished perfect smooth inside, And the outside of the spring needs its bearing surface on the hole smoothed and polished.
If the firing pin hole is just drilled in the bolt and not reamed and polished it could be a problem waiting to happen, And easy to blame on a bad lot of primers.

 

[J E Custom]

There are many ways to treat the symptoms, But only one real way to fix the ailment. Fitting the spring to the firing pin is the correct way in my opinion.

Having worked of a "FEW" actions having this problem, I have seen many attempts to correct the effects of this condition. grease or graphite is a common effort to fix it that only fails during cold weather or makes such a mess that cleaning can be troublesome if not done and at best is very temporary.

I have also seen a few that the barrel of the bolt was polished to remove the machine marks, but with the increase in the diameter of the spring OD, (Surface area as apposed to the ID of the spring and pressure points for loading) Plus the hardness of the bolt material compared to the firing pin, wear is accelerated and inconsistent.

The problem can be minimized Temporarily. But the fix and forget is the method I prefer. If you fix a problem correctly, and down the line something else starts effecting the performance of the firearm, you have eliminated the possibility of the other problem you had and only have to look for a different problem instead of several possibilities.

Fix It Or Fight It !!

J E CUSTOM

 

[GLTaylor]

Guess I'm dense. Like Codyadams, I still don't understand the "fix"?

 

[J E Custom]

Guess I'm dense. Like Codyadams, I still don't understand the "fix"?

No problem.
The simple way to FIX this is with a new aftermarket spring that Has a smaller diameter wire coil, and a smaller Inside diameter that will better fit the firing pin.

The idea is to fit the spring to the harder firing pin and prevent "Snaking". If the spring wire is smaller it will have a reduced OD and will only touch the firing pin. The smaller wire will also add more coils to the spring and help coil compression be more consistent.

Many times on older rifles, the firing pin itself does not fit the firing pin hole and should be replaced with one that has not been worn down. This is a good time to fix both problems.

I recommend a firing pin assembly that has fixed the issue instead of buying parts that may not match and will be difficult to change without special tools.

Here Is an example of one to give An average price of the/A assembly and would be easy for anyone to change out.

GRE-TAN GTR REMINGTON 700 FLUTED FIRING PIN ASSEMBLY | Brownells

CNC machined with tight tolerances to ensure consistent sear engagement and smooth, straight firing pin travel. The lightweight aluminum bolt shroud has close-tolerance bottom flats (.010" larger in areas) to minimize bolt side play. Gives consist...

www.brownells.com

J E CUSTOM

 

[GLTaylor]

Thank you! Now it makes sense!