FNH PBR XP Failure to Fire.

[reverendfranz]

I am looking for a little bit of advice. A friend of mine picked up a FN Herstal Patrol Bolt Rifle XP in .308(which i understand is the same as the Winchester m70 pre-64) from the actions CDNN was selling, and first trip at the range was a big disapointment.

Every looks clean, neat and was inspected and lubed before the trip, the action is smooth with no hangups, but on attempting to test fire, there was only a click. Inspection of the shell shows that the firing pin did not, in any way, touch the primer. These are factory Federal .308 rounds, and this was repeatable. the rifle is marked ".308 win" The firing pin is being released, as you can see from the back of the bolt. Upon breaking down and inspecting the bolt, i couldnt see any defects or strangeness, though there is no finish on the firing pin release face that makes contact with the trigger assy, which might mean it was ground in some way, though that might be normal. Im not really that familiar with bolt guns. If i fully pull back the firing pin manualy and release it, i cannot feel the firing pin strike my finger at all.

The only thing i can think is that the firing pin is too short (maybe from a 300?? is that possible?) or is hitting something to stop it short. Is there anything i can do? the gun is very nice otherwise.

The seller said that they would be glad to take it back and offer credit for it, even pay shipping, but they have no others in stock to replace it, and he really does like the rifle, and would like to end up with one, somehow, and before sending it off to never see it again would like to know if there is something he can do to make it go boom, reliably.

 

[rcmodel]

There is nothing shorter then the .308.
A .300 would be a standard length action and longer, not shorter.
Or maybe there is only one action length with the FNH? I don't know.

Anyway:
The only way you would be able to see or feel the firing pin is if you de-cock it. Then, it should protrude through the breach-face and stay there until you re-cock it.

It is always held back in the cocked position with the bolt open or out of the gun.

I would probably suspect a broken firing pin tip.
You should be able to unscrew the bolt sleeve and take the firing pin assembly out and look at it.
Set the safety in the center position, then press in on the bolt sleeve lock plunger and unscrew the striker assembly out of the bolt.


Or, the barreled action was dropped in an aftermarket stock by CDNN, and the stock is preventing the bolt handle from closing all the way.

rcmodel

 

[reverendfranz]

Im at a loss then. The firing pin is intact and doesnt seem worn at all. definitely not broken i can remove the bolt and decock it by putting pressure on the pin release surface and pushing the safety into the "fire" position. At least in that simulation, the pin does NOT potrude the breach face at all. If i then unscrew the rear of the bolt, and set the two faces that would normally mate next to each other, it just looks like the pin is minutely too short. this, at least in my limited knowledge, sounds about impossible.

as far as the stock goes, (its a hogue style overmolded, and looks factory to me) i did notice that the cocking handle does go all the way down to the stock, but if i push the cocking handle all the way to the stock and mark the front and rear of the bolt with a sharpie, and then pull the bolt, and rotate the rear to fully cock the pin, it travels to the same position, so i dont think the stock is preventing the bolt from locking.

Thanks for the reply, i do appreciate it, and would hate to have to send it off to no mans returns department land.

 

[rcmodel]

i can remove the bolt and de-cock it by putting pressure on the pin release surface and pushing the safety into the "fire" position. At least in that simulation, the pin does NOT protrude the breach face at all.

I don't think we are on the same page here.

Releasing the safety on an assembled M-70 bolt does not de-cock it. It only lets the cocking piece fly forward far enough to contact the rear of the cocking cam in the bolt body.

To de-cock it, you will have to depress the bolt sleeve lock plunger and turn the bolt sleeve so the cocking-piece can fall all the way into the bottom of the cocking cam notch.

In other words, the bolt & bolt sleeve needs to be in the same position it would be in relative to each other as if it was in the receiver and locked ready to fire.

Once, in that position, the firing pin tip should be sticking out of the bolt face.

If it isn't, you do have a problem.

rcmodel

 

[reverendfranz]

no, we are on the same page, i just failed to explain myself adequately. I did rotate the bolt sleeve down, i just meant that the firing pin was released from the safety that would normally hold it.

And, i guess, i have a problem. As i said, the pin is intact, its just not going far enough.

So, it does appear that the firing pin is too short, im assuming, and replacing the pin should fix it. Does anyone know if a standard M 70 firing pin will work in an FNH, or know a source of FNH replacements, if CDNN refuses/is unable to return the rifle in working condition?

also, here are photographs to compensate for my limited ability to illuminate the matter in conversation.

 

[rcmodel]

I don't have a clue if any of the older Winchester or U.S.R.A. Model 70 parts would fit or not.

Seems doubtful though on a firing pin, as FNH "improved" the trigger & sear over all old model 70's.

I'd go to CDNN first.
I think they will make it right.

Failing that, your best source of parts for FNH products is Ahhhhh? .........FNH-USA

http://www.fnhusa.com/le/contact.asp

rcmodel

 

[Chawbaccer]

It is possible the bolt is not for that gun. Look at the penciled numbers on the bolt, they should match the last three numbers of the rifle.

 

[rcmodel]

This is true.

However, the Firing pin should still protrude through the bolt face when it is out of the rifle & uncocked, even if it is the wrong bolt.

rcmodel

 

[Coltdriver]

I would contact FN. I think they are out of SC these days.

That's a great rifle and you are not going to get a deal on one like that again soon.

As to who pays the freight etc thats another story. But worth a call anyway.

 

[marsche]

Not that this example has a direct bearing but it could be the problem. When the M1917 rifle was made the firing pins were over-sized and would not fit through the hole in the bolt face. Each pin was filed and hand fitted to the rifle. It could be that the firing pin is too big to go into the hole in the bolt. I suggest you remove the firing pin and then see if you can manually put it through the hole from outside the bolt. If that does not work check the length, maybe it is too short. Whatever it is, is simple and sounds like a gun assembly OOP’s at FNH. They may have put the wrong pin in the gun, those things happen.

 

[Chawbaccer]

I see they make the gun in a shorter action than the 308. I wonder if somebody out there is trying to solve a pierced primer problem.