Gunsmithing Tikka Firing Pin Question - gas etch?

[Estes640]

I’ve got several tikka bolts and all but a couple of exhibit the same behavior. The firing pins get what looks to be gas etch on them without anything on the face of the bolts? Anyone else have this issue and know of a solution?


I originally thought it was gas etch but I haven’t had pierced primers or can I see any gas etch on the bolt face. Really confused at this point. Is it worth getting the bolt faces bushed?

 

[Mordamer]

Has it caused any problems?

 

[Estes640]

Has it caused any problems?

the one on the left ended up actually bulging and catching in the bolt face causing light strikes. The other one is rolling with no issues so far

 

[Mordamer]

the one on the left ended up actually bulging and catching in the bolt face causing light strikes. The other one is rolling with no issues so far

I'd polish the bulge off the one on the left and keep using it. If it got so bad that it caused more malfunctions or pierced primers I would contact the original manufacturer for a replacement. I don't believe the cause has anything to do with the face of the bolt and I would not waste money on bushing the bolts. It appears to me to be material quality issues with the firing pins themselves.

 

[Estes640]

I'd polish the bulge off the one on the left and keep using it. If it got so bad that it caused more malfunctions or pierced primers I would contact the original manufacturer for a replacement. I don't believe the cause has anything to do with the face of the bolt and I would not waste money on bushing the bolts. It appears to me to be material quality issues with the firing pins themselves.

I like the way you think. Already brought it Into work to get it polished up.

I’m really just more intrigued by it than anything.

 

[Steel head]

Clean it up and run it.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

I can't speak to rifle firing pins but I do have some knowledge of shotgun pins. Two highly experienced smiths (one is a Krieghoff certified master, the other does the work for one of the Army's teams) told me that shotgun pins get pitted over time through normal use - no pierced primers involved. Enough gas escapes around the primer to have a long-term effect on the pins. At 20 years of age, my early-serial Kolar showed pitting on both pins but not enough to warrant replacement.

My pins are etched on the radiused part of the tips. The pins in OP's photo look, to me, more worn down the side than pitted. Are there burs in the pin channel?