Thread: Light Primer Strikes

Originally Posted by Jim356

Hi all,

Im having a problem with my Remington 700 doing light strikes on primers. I have just got my 280 AI up and running and was doing a ladder test when every 1in 5 rounds was not firing as the firing pin was not hitting hard/deep enough for ignition. I am using CCI 250 magnum primers as it was all I could get my hands on at the time with Peterson brass. I have done some testing around headspace and am confident that has nothing to do with the issue. Firing pin assembly looks cleaned with no gunk build up in it so can't see a major issue there. Firing pin assembly is a light weigh one supplied and installed by Gunworks.

With a few peaces of the brass that misfired I reprimed them making sure they were seated as deep as they could go to see if the firing pin was actually seating the primers further into the case. Off the 4 rounds 1 misfired again but I am not confident this is out of the equation.

I do have some federal gold match large rifle primers on the way to test as I have read that CCI primer are supposedly harder than the rest.

This is a new issue as I am not the first owner of this rifle. I had not shot this gun before getting it reamed into 280 AI but would imagine this problem only came about since I have owned this rifle.

Anyone have some suggestions of how to troubleshoot or where to go form here?

@Jim356

Did you recently swap stocks?

Lower the bolt handle all the way and pay attention to where it contacts the receiver, take the action out of the stock and check again to see if it is lowering the same amount.

Sometimes there is excess stock material between the bolt and receiver, preventing 100% contact, which will rob inertia from your firing pin.

If this is the case, file the bolt handle notch of the stock down with a file and hey presto.

I’ll have a look see if there is contact in there