JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
not sure if this belongs here or in gunsmithing......

i handload 30-06 for my brothers hunting rifle, a savage 111 trophy hunter xp(rifle has MAYBE 50-60 rounds thru it). when we were sighting in, he had a fail to fire aka a misfire/dud. i told him keep it down range for a bit and once we felt safe that it wasnt going to fire he ejected the round and we inspected. we found that the primer had been hit and it was hit good. i would not call it a light strike. did not have any other issues the rest of the day. when we were hunting he had a deer in the cross hairs and then "click" another misfire. instead of waiting he jacked another round in and shot at the deer. missed. unfortunately, we could not find the dud round to inspect it.

the first misfire was a magtech LR primer and the second was a CCI LR primer.

i'll admit that i keep primers in my garage year round in a cabinet and that every once in a while when im reloading a primer will flip over and i will manually flip it back over with my fingers.

could i just have loaded him with two bad primers from two different primer trays?? coincidence??

i have disassembled the rifle bolt to inspect the firing pin. no corrosion/rust or bolt bore obstructions, springs feel good, firing pin is smooth in the bore of the bolt and the firing pin protrusion is around .050" which is in spec(?) or atleast seems adequate. also, when dry fired,it sounds the same as my savage rifle as far as how hard the pin hits the breach face or whatever it hits in there. the barrel nut is tight but, i have not checked headspace as i do not have a go/no go gauge. i assuming it is ok because of how new the rifle is...

i troubleshoot automobiles for a living and PRE-reloding and PRE-build my own ARs, normally, i would just call it bad rounds but, i cannot help but to be skeptical and exhaust all possibilities.
IMG_2709.JPG
IMG_2710.JPG
IMG_2711.JPG
IMG_2712.JPG
sorry if the pics arent very focused
 
Last Edited:
The first pic...doesn't look good. But, the other pics looks like a good strike.

I'm assuming that you are using a KNOWN brand. That being said.....

Primers and powder need to be stored correctly. For me.....the garage hasn't been a problem. Course it's dry and un-heated. But so far, so good.

Primers also have to be loaded correctly. That means slightly below flush.

From the Speer manual..........

quote:

Repriming is a simple, but critical, step that reloaders often do not give enough attention to. In order to gain optimum primer sensitivity, it must be seated firmly to the bottom of the primer pocket. But this doesn't mean using so much force that the primer cup is deformed. When primers are properly seated, the top of the primer is from .005" to .008" below flush with the case head. The purpose of this is to assure that the primer anvil legs are in firm contact with the bottom of the primer pocket.

And, make sure you're using the "correct primer" for the powder that you have selected. Huh? Some powders (like some ball powders) are best used with magnum primers.

A last bit of reading for you..........

Mysteries And Misconceptions Of The All-Important Primer

Aloha, Mark
 
Last Edited:
.065 is a go .050 is a no go for firing pin protrusion.
for -06 and 308.
_______________________________________________________________________
I forgot to mention that I build gun's for a living and have built 1900+ .30 cal's rifles.
I'm Not an internet commando but I play one on TV.

Just get a new firing pin and call it a day if it's @.050
 
So you did have a hang fire? Pull the trigger and click................................then boom. If so that is a hang fire.
You don't store your primers in a garage. Unless it's heated.
Moister even in a dry garage will be bad for them. Only use them for practice! Buy new ones.
As stated above fp protrusion should be .060 or so.
.050 will work but not reliably.
Primer pockets nice and clean?
Have you had the bolt apart and make sure it isn't full of old grease or gunk.. ?
 
So you did have a hang fire? Pull the trigger and click................................then boom. If so that is a hang fire.
You don't store your primers in a garage. Unless it's heated.
Moister even in a dry garage will be bad for them. Only use them for practice! Buy new ones.
As stated above fp protrusion should be .060 or so.
.050 will work but not reliably.
Primer pockets nice and clean?
Have you had the bolt apart and make sure it isn't full of old grease or gunk.. ?
ok i am mistaken. he did not have a hang fire it was a misfire. i will edit my original post. i am starting to wonder if i measered the FP protrusion correctly. i measured from the end of the bolt to the firing pin then the end of the bolt to the breach face. then found the difference. correct me if i am wrong. i can re measure it too and take a picture.

thanks velzey
 
You need to you see the actual firing pin poking out the bolt face. Remove the bolt and move it into the fired position. Then look at the bolt face, the pin should be sticking out.
Savage bolts are also very easy to take apart. You can also take it apart and remove the spring, stick the firing pin back in amd push it all the way forward, and measure.
 
You need to you see the actual firing pin poking out the bolt face. Remove the bolt and move it into the fired position. Then look at the bolt face, the pin should be sticking out.
Savage bolts are also very easy to take apart. You can also take it apart and remove the spring, stick the firing pin back in amd push it all the way forward, and measure.
IMG_2713.JPG
.061 that is from the end of the bolt to the pin
 
Good enough!

Ok what did the primer pockets look like prior to putting the moist garage primers in :)? Were the pockets dirty?
so i measured all 3 of the savage rifles in my safe. 308,30-06,300wm and they all measured .061. the reason i wrote .050(yeah my math wasnt exact) was because i was subtracting the smaller from the larger number in the pictures
 
and this is how i got .061
IMG_2715.JPG
if i have to measure it from the breachface to the tip of the pin i am thinking im going to have to get a different measuring tool.
 
Last Edited:
thank you. for the life of me i couldnt find that anywhere.

pfff amateurs huh?

Just a butttttt load of experience.+ protrusion gauges from the Military.
Simple and cheap fix ,Just get a new pin for it.

Belive it or not I actually build and fix gun's for a living.
Been doing it for the last 16 years full time.I'm 1 of 2 real gunsmiIths in the state.
I apprenticed under Jim West, Aaron and Steve @ Wild West Guns.



I don't speculate. I only say what I would do to fix a problem.
Take it for what you will.
 
Last Edited:
having a heck of a time finding the correct firing pin for this gun. it is not the savage 110 firing pin that is adjustable like previous years. its apparently the same pin as the axis model and i cannot find anything online. any help would be much much appreciated. looks like this:
IMG_2716.JPG
 
Man....why does this always happen with an animal in the cross hairs?

Are you certain that the primer was seated correctly and the strike on the primer by the firing pin didn't just finish the seating process? Not that I have ever had that happen to me of course :rolleyes:
 
Components are probably the culprit.

I would, not saying you should.... but I would empty the case with only the primer and snap cap it to see if it will fire on next strike. OR I would remove primer from case, go out back and with hearing protection smack it with a hammer.

Mechanical failure is mechanical failure. It will cause a repeated problem over and over (more than two). CCI primers have given me a few no fires. Some I rechamber and they fire the second time. Odd I know.
 
I'm not a gunsmith.

I got connection problems right now and just spent a half hour typing a response before my response went, "Bye, bye, into the ether." But, say it this way.....

Logically, if factory ammo will work.......it's probably your reloads.

Aloha, Mark
 
Last Edited:
not sure if this belongs here or in gunsmithing......

i handload 30-06 for my brothers hunting rifle, a savage 111 trophy hunter xp(rifle has MAYBE 50-60 rounds thru it). when we were sighting in, he had a fail to fire aka a misfire/dud. i told him keep it down range for a bit and once we felt safe that it wasnt going to fire he ejected the round and we inspected. we found that the primer had been hit and it was hit good. i would not call it a light strike. did not have any other issues the rest of the day. when we were hunting he had a deer in the cross hairs and then "click" another misfire. instead of waiting he jacked another round in and shot at the deer. missed. unfortunately, we could not find the dud round to inspect it.
View attachment 321765
View attachment 321766
View attachment 321767
View attachment 321768
sorry if the pics arent very focused

I looked at the photos. The first one does look like a light strike. the second one looks like a real hard strike. I was wondering if you pulled the bullets to check the powder in the case?
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top