I'm looking for comments on what might be the reason y I've had a pierced primer.
Details:
FACTORY ammunition, NOT handloads.
Remington 700 VSSF with Jard trigger, otherwise standard. Calibre .17 REM
I've put through 200-300 rounds using Remington 20gr Accutip-V Boat Tail PRA17RA but from day one, was disappointed with the grouping at 200-300 yds.
A local gunsmith said I'd never get good results from factory ammo and need to hand load to get better results. I'd completely abandoned hand loading in 1996 when ownership handguns (of which I had a large collection) were banned in the UK. In 1988 we lost the right to own self loading rifles and I lost that collection for which I'd hand loaded. As a result, I'd sold all my hand loading equipment.
So my .17 Remington 700 stayed (inhibited) in the cabinet for some 10 years if not longer.
Then Norma came out with their .17 REM 20gr V-Max #20143022 , I heard good reports and bought some.
Took out the .17 rem 700, stripped and cleaned off the inhibitor.
Put through some Remington .17 Rem, still bad groups but then the ammo was 10+ years old.
Put through 16 rounds Norma .17 and the groups were sub ½ MOA at 200 yds.
Then when a shot went off, something stung my face (shooting glasses now on order) and the bolt wouldn't open until I used some force (while gun still mounted).
I looked at the case and saw that the primer had been completely pierced such that when you look through the neck, you can see light around the tricorne anvil.
The photo shows a Remington case on the left, two Norma cases prior to the pierced primer and the pierced primer on the right.
I chambered a fresh round but while the sear released, it neither sounded like a full strike, nor did the gun fire.
Again the bolt was difficult to open and the round showed no sign of being struck.
Chambered another and same again.
I assumed a broken firing pin but on disassembly, everything was fine and clean.
I reassembled and refitted the bolt.
Now the bolt cocks cleanly and releases normally. Not lived fired it yet until my glasses arrive.
My thoughts are:
1. The primer material was faulty.
2. What struck me in the face was gas and particles.
3. There was a piece of the primer lodged somewhere in the action, which became dislodged and lost when I stripped the action.
I was using Adam MacDonald's ShotMarker system and it showed that the pierced round fps was about average and coincidentally in the middle of the five round group!
Any other ideas?
Jonathon
Details:
FACTORY ammunition, NOT handloads.
Remington 700 VSSF with Jard trigger, otherwise standard. Calibre .17 REM
I've put through 200-300 rounds using Remington 20gr Accutip-V Boat Tail PRA17RA but from day one, was disappointed with the grouping at 200-300 yds.
A local gunsmith said I'd never get good results from factory ammo and need to hand load to get better results. I'd completely abandoned hand loading in 1996 when ownership handguns (of which I had a large collection) were banned in the UK. In 1988 we lost the right to own self loading rifles and I lost that collection for which I'd hand loaded. As a result, I'd sold all my hand loading equipment.
So my .17 Remington 700 stayed (inhibited) in the cabinet for some 10 years if not longer.
Then Norma came out with their .17 REM 20gr V-Max #20143022 , I heard good reports and bought some.
Took out the .17 rem 700, stripped and cleaned off the inhibitor.
Put through some Remington .17 Rem, still bad groups but then the ammo was 10+ years old.
Put through 16 rounds Norma .17 and the groups were sub ½ MOA at 200 yds.
Then when a shot went off, something stung my face (shooting glasses now on order) and the bolt wouldn't open until I used some force (while gun still mounted).
I looked at the case and saw that the primer had been completely pierced such that when you look through the neck, you can see light around the tricorne anvil.
The photo shows a Remington case on the left, two Norma cases prior to the pierced primer and the pierced primer on the right.
I chambered a fresh round but while the sear released, it neither sounded like a full strike, nor did the gun fire.
Again the bolt was difficult to open and the round showed no sign of being struck.
Chambered another and same again.
I assumed a broken firing pin but on disassembly, everything was fine and clean.
I reassembled and refitted the bolt.
Now the bolt cocks cleanly and releases normally. Not lived fired it yet until my glasses arrive.
My thoughts are:
1. The primer material was faulty.
2. What struck me in the face was gas and particles.
3. There was a piece of the primer lodged somewhere in the action, which became dislodged and lost when I stripped the action.
I was using Adam MacDonald's ShotMarker system and it showed that the pierced round fps was about average and coincidentally in the middle of the five round group!
Any other ideas?
Jonathon
