Primer depth tolerance

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  • Notalentbum

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    Jun 12, 2013
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    Indy westside
    I’m having issues with either my bolt rifle or some ammo. It is factory Hornady .223 ammo and the primers are roughly .010- .015 below the rear face. Too deep???
    I’m getting frequent FTFs from what looks to be light primer strikes. The hits still look plenty deep but no fire. Repeated hits still won’t set off the shell in my rifle. Dropping the shell in my AR will fire it though.
    The pin protrudes quite a bit more than the strike I’m getting on the primer. I’ve pulled the bolt apart but everything looks perfect.

    Thoughts???
    Matt
     

    Leadeye

    Grandmaster
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    Jan 19, 2009
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    Maybe something slowing down your firing pin but not actually stopping it. I've seen this on old guns, but not new ones.
     

    Notalentbum

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    Jun 12, 2013
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    Maybe something slowing down your firing pin but not actually stopping it. I've seen this on old guns, but not new ones.
    I actually considered this and looked at the possibility while I was working on the bolt but didn’t see any internal possibility. Didn’t really look over anything that may have affected the action of the firing pin external to the bolt. Probably should look at that possibility.

    Thanks, Matt
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
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    Apr 21, 2010
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    I've seen such and now subscribe to the theory that the batch of primers can be as much part of the problem as the firearms. Both are build to sets of tolerances. So if the tolerances cumulatively pile up against you, eh, there you are.
    Sometimes an old piece makes light primer strikes and still you're OK. Sometimes things don't work out.
     
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    28   0   0
    Oct 3, 2008
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    On a hill in Perry C
    I've seen such and now subscribe to the theory that the batch of primers can be as much part of the problem as the firearms. Both are build to sets of tolerances. So if the tolerances cumulatively pile up against you, eh, there you are.
    Sometimes an old piece makes light primer strikes and still you're OK. Sometimes things don't work out.

    Yep, tolerance stacking. Primers on the short side, pockets on the deep side, headspace on the long side, firing pin on the short side. A couple thousandths here, a couple there, and before you know it you're talking a 64th of an inch.
     

    Grelber

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    Jan 7, 2012
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    Southern Indiana
    I get my most reliable ignition with primers set so deep that some of them will be mashed slightly while reloading (Dillon 1050 - easy depth adjustment). That is for revolvers and first shot d.a. pistols set for minimum pull weight so it is just a for what it is worth, anyway, never heard of someone backing off seating depth to fix a problem.
     
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    Oct 3, 2008
    4,186
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    On a hill in Perry C
    Yeah, I'd think that if your primers weren't bottomed out you'd have more problems with misfires. The firing pin would need to mash the primers until the anvil was fully seated then ignite the compound. If the FP spring was a little weak it may not have enough force to do all that.
     
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