Not to sound totally ignorant - but admittedly, on this topic I AM ignorant - why do some bolt action rifles have a firing pin spring weight that's relatively high when compared others? One aspect that comes to mind would be for reliable ignition, of course. Wolff Gunsprings lists 24 lbs. as the spring weight for Remington 700's. Rifles they list with lighter weights include the Mauser 98 - 19 lbs.(I have a K98 on which I've never had a light primer strike), the Ruger M77 - 21 lbs., Carcano 1891 - 19 lbs., 1903 Springfield - 16 lbs.!!! On the other hand, some bolt rifles are either the same weight as the 700 or even heavier. Do we really need 24 lbs. of force in the Remington for reliable ignition? I've had my 700 for almost 5 years now, and while I don't have a high round-count through it, I've never had a failure to fire or even a light strike. It seems to me that a firing pin spring that was a few pounds lighter in weight would make bolt-lift a bit easier. My K98 bolt is amazingly easy compared to the 700. Has anyone here ever tried a lighter firing pin spring in their 700? Or any other bolt gun, for that matter? What were your results?
