Gunsmithing PSA - Badger m2008/m2013 builds look in here.

[The King]

Quick note to all smiths - if you are doing any work on an m2008 or m2013, there is a locking screw set in the bolt shroud that controls firing pin stick out and is critical to reliable and safe function.

It has a double set screw arrangement in there, and these set screws WILL shoot loose without loctite. I have handled 15 or so m2008 or m2013 builds and every single one of them has had loose screws in this assembly. It’s the first thing I check when a new badger shows up at a shop or a friend gets one. It has no loctite from the factory.

failure of the screw position will result in insufficient firing pin force and failure to ignite the primers.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

Most people with M2008/13’s throw a drop of blue loctite in the top screw to prevent the bottom one from backing out. The Tempest has a similar feature.

 

[Wyfox]

Yup, i got fucked by it in a class and had to send the bolt to Badger to get the protrusion reset. I was at a PRS match over the summer and a guy who drove 12 hours to shoot it had his firing pin protrusion go south and had to borrow a rifle to finish. We couldnt get the firing pin to screw back in. Both rifles built by big name smiths.

 

[The King]

The latest gun I just fixed was built by a Big name smith.

 

[Supersubes]

AI puts theirs together the exact same way. Could this be a torque thing? Im not opposed to blue loctite, but wonder what making the badgers back out...a jam arrangement is usually pretty solid.

 

[Praeger]

I recently finished a Badger M2013 build and experienced the same issue. The second set screw worked loose within 50 rounds. After figuring out the issue, resetting the firing pin protrusion, I used blue Loctite and no issues since. The set screws are 4-40 and to get sufficient torque the 1/16 Allen wrench does twist a bit. There wasn't any Loctite on the set screws when I received the action. Perhaps Badger assumes that the firing pin protrusion gets set by the rifle builder. The CAD drawings that accompany the action are detailed and do provide instruction for setting the firing pin protrusion and the need for blue Loctite.

 

[308pirate]

Sounds like the typical "instructions? we don't need no steenkin' instructions" mentality that I run into so often in manufacturing.......

 

[The King]

I think it is the hammer action of the firing pin assembly that causes the issue with it backing out. Thanks for the protrusion instructions - I needed that spec.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

The "torque" of the pin falling is what makes the screws back out. Its just like vibration on anything else, nuts/bolts will likely eventually come loose. Its not the best design but a simple mild thread locker fixes the problem. I suggest blue loctite because if in a pinch you should still be able to get the screws out. I also suggest Just loctiting the top screw of the two because I've had loctite get into a trigger after loctiting the bottom and it seeping through.