[claphoto]

My Son-in-Law just inherited his pappy's Win.30-30. Made about 1919. He shoots it a lot and did as a kid too. He brought it with us this last outing and put two boxes of shells through it. Every case has the primer pushed out .016" He says it always did that for as long as he can remember! The gun shoots fine, but it sure looks like it needs some work to me! What do you fine Americans think is wrong with this old bugger? Easy fix, or a major Smithing job?

[Pokyman]

Most likely it is excess headspace.

[MMCSRET]

I picked up a M94 in 25-35 a few years ago that had this problem. Turned out that head space was in tolerance but bore was so fouled with copper fouling from the old ammunition and inadequate cleaning procedures/solvents from 80 years of use had diminished bore dia. to approx. .252 down from the original. Were used the Outers system and several days of close attention brought the pressures back into tolerance. This 23-35 had been built in 1911 and had always had factory ammo, especially the high velocity type available in the 20s and 30s.

[rcmodel]

The ammo you are using isn't developing enough pressure to re-seat the primer.

Most 94's that old will have a little excess headspace and it is a non-problem unless you get cracked or separated cases.

Or if you reload and brass life is shortened.

If you do reload, you can back off the sizing die and headspace off the shoulder instead of the rim and cure it.

And you might try a different brand of ammo.
Some of it is loaded to lower then normal pressure and doesn't set the case back to re-seat the primer. Some other brand might.

rc

[claphoto]

rcmodel,

My Son-in-Law was using factory ammo. Winchester 170 grain SilverTip. I do reload for my .30-30, but I won't let him use any of my loads in that old of a gun. ( not without starting over at minimum and working back up that is!)

I will try some starting loads with shoulder headspace instead of rim, and see how we do.

[Cosmoline]

I disagree strongly with the others based on my experience and feedback from Paco Kelly's forum. I've shot dozens of classic Win 94's in .30 WCF and many of them show the exact same primer protrusion on spent cases. Unless there are other signs of improper headspace (cratering, incipient tear marks, stuck cases) this seems to be perfectly fine and just a part of the design.

[Alpacca 45]

Go to Varmint al's site and watch the animation of a case firing. there is always a bit of movement as the firing pin pushes the case forward and the primer will back out some way.

It is probably worth checking headspace to be sure, but a .30 30 gives amazingly little backthrust, and there have been demonstrations of that round staying in the chamber with no support at all from a bolt (no bolt), so, as long as it isn't showing other bad signs, it is probably ok.