Bad primers. Is my bolt ruined?

[ko1featherweigh]

Had a bad batch of primers pinhole and pit my bolt face. I got a replacement bolt. Should I fix this? Plan to keep this bolt as a back up. This is on a gamer rifle.

 

[Steve300xcw]

WOW! How many shots did it take to do that?

I'd run it. And worry about it, if issues happen.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

WOW! I over 60 years of reloading, I have never seen anything like this. What brand of primers were these?

 

[ko1featherweigh]

WOW! How many shots did it take to do that?

I'd run it. And worry about it, if issues happen.

Probably the course of 3-400 rounds. Ran it in a weekend match didn’t notice until after the match. Only difference I noticed was some smoky rounds.

 

[ko1featherweigh]

WOW! I over 60 years of reloading, I have never seen anything like this. What brand of primers were these?

These were Winchester LRP. To Winchesters credit they reimbursed me for all the primers I had in that lot# and paid for the new bolt. Funny thing is I ran a brick of 20+ year old primers with no issues, these were purchased in 2020

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have been real cautious about some of the foreign made primers. I have never had any problems with Winchesters.

 

[Tanner]

I have been real cautious about some of the foreign made primers. I have never had any problems with Winchesters.

Oddly enough, these were Winchester primers

 

[Cherokeeguide]

Are we sure the primers were the problem?

Standard, safe protrusion for a Model 700 is typically 0.040” to 0.060”. I'd want to measure that and get the firing pin protrusion down to something like 0.050" if it wasn't already that or less.

A crap-ton of dry firing with nothing to retard the velocity of the firing pin can make the protrusion grow on a 721/722/700/40 X action. But I mean "crap ton" literally; the kind of dry fire that some match shooters do.

I'd at least want to rule out excessive firing pin protrusion, if you haven't already done so.

 

[Jimbee]

I had a couple Tikka bolt faces etched with Winchester primers.

 

[Aux Arc]

Had a bad batch of primers pinhole and pit my bolt face. I got a replacement bolt. Should I fix this? Plan to keep this bolt as a back up. This is on a gamer rifle.

I’m not sure I would continue using the bolt like it is. I have one that looks like that and it has issues blowing primers with factory ammo now.

There are options to fix though. If the pits aren’t too deep it might be able to be refaced and clean up. Headspace would be different so it might not work as a backup then.

Second option is weld up the pits and reface. Done properly it might still headspace the same.

Third option is a firing pin bushing. Drill it out large enough to remove the pits and install a properly sized bushing, then reface. Not sure what the cost is for these fixes so it may or may not be worth it to you.

I have attached a pic and Im curious if your primers looked the same. I had an issue recently with winchester primers that ruined a bolt face. Started randomly but after a few happened I started trying fixes, different powders, lower charge weights, bullets etc. Every time it happened another pit would appear and I was too dumb to try different primers until it was so bad I don’t feel safe using it any more.

If your issue was similar I may contact winchester and see if I can get the same treatment.

 

[ko1featherweigh]

Are we sure the primers were the problem?

Standard, safe protrusion for a Model 700 is typically 0.040” to 0.060”. I'd want to measure that and get the firing pin protrusion down to something like 0.050" if it wasn't already that or less.

A crap-ton of dry firing with nothing to retard the velocity of the firing pin can make the protrusion grow on a 721/722/700/40 X action. But I mean "crap ton" literally; the kind of dry fire that some match shooters do.

I'd at least want to rule out excessive firing pin protrusion, if you haven't already done so

I would think an excessive firing pin protrusion would peirce the primer in the center and pit the bolt closer to the firing pin hole.

 

[ko1featherweigh]

I’m not sure I would continue using the bolt like it is. I have one that looks like that and it has issues blowing primers with factory ammo now.

There are options to fix though. If the pits aren’t too deep it might be able to be refaced and clean up. Headspace would be different so it might not work as a backup then.

Second option is weld up the pits and reface. Done properly it might still headspace the same.

Third option is a firing pin bushing. Drill it out large enough to remove the pits and install a properly sized bushing, then reface. Not sure what the cost is for these fixes so it may or may not be worth it to you.

I have attached a pic and Im curious if your primers looked the same. I had an issue recently with winchester primers that ruined a bolt face. Started randomly but after a few happened I started trying fixes, different powders, lower charge weights, bullets etc. Every time it happened another pit would appear and I was too dumb to try different primers until it was so bad I don’t feel safe using it any more.

If your issue was similar I may contact winchester and see if I can get the same treatment.

Both new bolt and damaged bolt head spaced with no issues on go/no go gauges. Going to rebarrel rifle soon and run the new bolt as primary an old bolt as backup.

That IS what the primers looked like. My theory is the batch of primers had thin spots at the bottom edge of the cup and would burn through.

 

[Aux Arc]

Both new bolt and damaged bolt head spaced with no issues on go/no go gauges. Going to rebarrel rifle soon and run the new bolt as primary an old bolt as backup.

That IS what the primers looked like. My theory is the batch of primers had thin spots at the bottom edge of the cup and would burn through.

What I was mainly getting at about the headspace is if you repair the old bolt it might not headspace the same after the repair.

The only conclusion I could come to is bad primers. Ive never seen one blow out at the edge like that. What kind of hoops did you have to go through to get reimbursed from Winchester? I assumed I was on my own and replaced the bolt myself.

 

[vonb]

Winchester had a bad run of primers some years back. I think it was around 12-15 years ago. Bolt faces being eroded was occurring regularly. I won’t use a brass colored Winchester primer. The old nickel plated Winchester primers were good to go.

 

[Cherokeeguide]

I would think an excessive firing pin protrusion would peirce the primer in the center and pit the bolt closer to the center .

I would, too, after giving the matter a little more thought. Having primers "pinhole" isn't the same as "pierce" and I think I misread it as "puncture" as in "pin-hole" or "hole made by pin" when that wasn't the idea being conveyed.