I have a rifle I inherited from my grandpa. I learned to shoot with this & would love to teach my boys with it. It shoots every 5th or 6th round. I've had 2 gunsmiths look at it & they can't find the problem. They shimed the pin & played with the springs in the bolt but to no avail. Any ideas???
jvbladeslinger
You may want to look at the chamber where the pin would strike the back of the shell.If it's been dry fired it may have left a dent there.This would leave a spot for the case to push foward into this area and not set off the primer.I've seen this on other models.A new bolt will run you $75.00 + on Ebay.
First thing I would check is the ammunition. Try the ammunition in another weapon to make sure they fire 10 or more times consecutively. If this passes try 10 more in the problem weapon. Each one that does not fire do not try a second time. Next check the back of each casing at the striker mark. Are they consistent? If they are different you probably have a bolt problem. Probably firing pin or firing pin spring. Firing pin could be worn (too short)or bent. KenW makes a good point. Check the striker mark on the casing to see if it is slightly pushed in at the opposite side where the firing pin hit. Spring could also be shot. Could be BOTH. Any play in your bolt when closed with a cartridge in it (head spacing) I had a Stevenson 15 with bad head spacing that would only fire 2 or 3 times out of 5. Bottom Line…..the striker marks on the back of the casings should tell a pretty good story of what’s going on. Let us know .
If the casing has a good deep mark where the firing pin hit the ammunition should work? UNLESS....Bad Ammo or ,as KenW and I reiterated if there is a slight mark on the direct opposite side of the firing pin mark in the casing that would indicate you do not have a flat surface on the end of the barrel that faces the bolt. If so, this was caused by someone doing a lot of dry firing. Another way to check this is to look at the end of the barrel where the casing chambers for a slight indentation where the firing pin strikes. This is probably at the 12 O'clock. Rub a tooth pick across it and see if it hits an indentation. IF this is the problem a new bolt will not help. I take it you did try the ammunition in another gun to see if it has the same problem. SO,
1. Check the Ammo.
2. Check for a slight indentation on the barrel face in the chamber where the firing pin strikes.
Let us know what you find. Hope this helps.
1. Check the Ammo.
2. Check for a slight indentation on the barrel face in the chamber where the firing pin strikes.
Let us know what you find. Hope this helps.
JV, the two things that come to mind immediately, are firing pin protrusion, and headspace.
Some rimfire rifles have a flat breech face, at the rear of the barrel, and a recessed bolt face, on others, the rim cut is in the barrel, and the bolt face is flat. A few, have recesses on both parts, but in every case, you need to be in the range of .041-.043", between the part of the bolt that touches the rear of the cartridge, and the part of the barrel the front of the case rim is pushed up against; more than this, and both reliability and accuracy will suffer. This is called headspace, and is checked with , obviously, headspace gauges, typically, a .041 'Go', gage, and a .044 'No Go' gage.
With the bolt 'uncocked', and, if of the 'inertial' type, the firing pin held forward, all the way, you want to see .035-.038" of pin, above the breech face of the bolt. Less, and ignition is unreliable; more, and you will damage the barrel, in firing, or even worse, 'dry firing', the rifle.
While the shape of the firing pin tip is a third possible cause for reliability issues, it is a never ending debate, among rimfire shooters, and gunsmiths, as to what is the 'best' shape, for any given rifle; it should NEVER be sharp, but, otherwise, if the above headspace and protrusion numbers are met, in an otherwise unaltered (Springs?) rifle, it will reliably fire!
Forster, Clymer, Brownells, to name a few, can provide you headspace gauges at reasonable prices, if you are doing your own work.
Hope this helps, Terry
Some rimfire rifles have a flat breech face, at the rear of the barrel, and a recessed bolt face, on others, the rim cut is in the barrel, and the bolt face is flat. A few, have recesses on both parts, but in every case, you need to be in the range of .041-.043", between the part of the bolt that touches the rear of the cartridge, and the part of the barrel the front of the case rim is pushed up against; more than this, and both reliability and accuracy will suffer. This is called headspace, and is checked with , obviously, headspace gauges, typically, a .041 'Go', gage, and a .044 'No Go' gage.
With the bolt 'uncocked', and, if of the 'inertial' type, the firing pin held forward, all the way, you want to see .035-.038" of pin, above the breech face of the bolt. Less, and ignition is unreliable; more, and you will damage the barrel, in firing, or even worse, 'dry firing', the rifle.
While the shape of the firing pin tip is a third possible cause for reliability issues, it is a never ending debate, among rimfire shooters, and gunsmiths, as to what is the 'best' shape, for any given rifle; it should NEVER be sharp, but, otherwise, if the above headspace and protrusion numbers are met, in an otherwise unaltered (Springs?) rifle, it will reliably fire!
Forster, Clymer, Brownells, to name a few, can provide you headspace gauges at reasonable prices, if you are doing your own work.
Hope this helps, Terry
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