fulloflead
Member
Well, HERE'S a strange malfunction...
When firing +P loads in my Browning Hi-Power - ya know the little 'volcano' made by the firing pin in the primer - my firing pin hole is shaving off the raised portion of that volcano and it's clogging up my firing pin hole and causing a failure-to-fire.
The hotter the load, the worse it gets.
With CorBon 125gr+P it takes several rounds for the firing pin hole to shave off enough bits for it to fill up the firing pin hole and prevent the firing pin from passing through. I usually get a couple light hits that require pulling back the hammer for a second strike, then after those it won't fire at all.
On some hot loads I'd worked up myself, it happened really fast. It would only take one or two rounds for it to happen AND you could look into the chamber and see a little gold dot where the firing pin hole used to be. I can shake the gun or hit it with my palm with the action open and no mag present and the little disk would pop free, and fall down the mag well and onto the bench. After a magazine full, I'd have a little collection of tiny gold disks on the bench.
And if THAT'S not strange enough...
you should see the spent brass! On the hotter loads the primers look unfired and if you look closely you can see that there's a wipe mark on the primer. It's like the firing pin indent flowed back into the firing pin hole, got shaved off and left what looks like an unused primer.
On the Corbon+P loads there's still an indentation from the pin in the primer; you can just see where the pin hole shaved a portion from the side of the indentation which sometimes leaves a little edge peeled up.
So, what's my problem? DO I have a problem? (because I'm just kinda planning on not shooting +P ammo now)
Do I have a headspace problem? It's a GOOD gun! It's a 1988 Belgium Hi-Power and has only had about 1000 rounds through it. It looks up great and will routinely shoot one ragged hole at 50 feet - even while it's shaving primers.
I've considered chamfering the firing pin hole to remove the sharp edge, but I don't know if removing material from that area is a smart idea; it could make things worse.
Comments?
When firing +P loads in my Browning Hi-Power - ya know the little 'volcano' made by the firing pin in the primer - my firing pin hole is shaving off the raised portion of that volcano and it's clogging up my firing pin hole and causing a failure-to-fire.
The hotter the load, the worse it gets.
With CorBon 125gr+P it takes several rounds for the firing pin hole to shave off enough bits for it to fill up the firing pin hole and prevent the firing pin from passing through. I usually get a couple light hits that require pulling back the hammer for a second strike, then after those it won't fire at all.
On some hot loads I'd worked up myself, it happened really fast. It would only take one or two rounds for it to happen AND you could look into the chamber and see a little gold dot where the firing pin hole used to be. I can shake the gun or hit it with my palm with the action open and no mag present and the little disk would pop free, and fall down the mag well and onto the bench. After a magazine full, I'd have a little collection of tiny gold disks on the bench.
And if THAT'S not strange enough...
you should see the spent brass! On the hotter loads the primers look unfired and if you look closely you can see that there's a wipe mark on the primer. It's like the firing pin indent flowed back into the firing pin hole, got shaved off and left what looks like an unused primer.
On the Corbon+P loads there's still an indentation from the pin in the primer; you can just see where the pin hole shaved a portion from the side of the indentation which sometimes leaves a little edge peeled up.
So, what's my problem? DO I have a problem? (because I'm just kinda planning on not shooting +P ammo now)
Do I have a headspace problem? It's a GOOD gun! It's a 1988 Belgium Hi-Power and has only had about 1000 rounds through it. It looks up great and will routinely shoot one ragged hole at 50 feet - even while it's shaving primers.
I've considered chamfering the firing pin hole to remove the sharp edge, but I don't know if removing material from that area is a smart idea; it could make things worse.
Comments?