Kimber bolt rifle missfire solution
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dh1633pm
Contributing Member
Why not just share the problem and your solution?
Because I’m lazy and don’t wanna spend the time typing out paragraph after paragraph explaining. I agree its a screwy way to suggest something but if no one else has a problem with misfires in there Kimber 84M rifles i’m not wasting my time or yours reading it.
troy fairweather
Member
It's never a waste of time if you can learn something,
Then you shouldn't have posted anything in the first place. At the very least, make /model and a brief description of the failure. If you can't bring yourself to provide the most basic information, it's pointless to even start a thread in the first place.
Not trying to be a prick, but c'mon man.
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
I think a lot of people here including me would love to hear what you have to say. Hope you’ll reconsider.
Geez, curiosity killed the cat.
The rifle is a Kimber mountain ascent in 308. I’ve hunted with the rifle for about five years and really like it. The entire tale would make a great article for bugle magazine.
My research initially led me to a replacement spring from Kimber. That was two years ago and I thought that I had solved my problem. Fast forward to this year’s elk season and I find out the rifle still misfires about half the time when it is cold, as in under 32°.
After trying everything that might cause a drag on the firing pin when it was cold, all the obvious stuff I gave up and just thought about it for a while. The firing pin depth can be adjusted on these rifles. I had read that the firing pin should be between .030 and .060 protruded. So I set mine at just under .060.
The solution was backing off the depth to .043. The only thing I can think of is that the extra depth was causing spring bind. And that seems ridiculous. I’ve been going to the range with it in the back of my pick up in 15° weather to get it cold and shooting with it without any problems. BTW it was not a stiff oil problem or a bent firing pin or any interference issue.
The rifle is a Kimber mountain ascent in 308. I’ve hunted with the rifle for about five years and really like it. The entire tale would make a great article for bugle magazine.
My research initially led me to a replacement spring from Kimber. That was two years ago and I thought that I had solved my problem. Fast forward to this year’s elk season and I find out the rifle still misfires about half the time when it is cold, as in under 32°.
After trying everything that might cause a drag on the firing pin when it was cold, all the obvious stuff I gave up and just thought about it for a while. The firing pin depth can be adjusted on these rifles. I had read that the firing pin should be between .030 and .060 protruded. So I set mine at just under .060.
The solution was backing off the depth to .043. The only thing I can think of is that the extra depth was causing spring bind. And that seems ridiculous. I’ve been going to the range with it in the back of my pick up in 15° weather to get it cold and shooting with it without any problems. BTW it was not a stiff oil problem or a bent firing pin or any interference issue.
Fair enough, however, the full idiom goes : "Curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction brought it back."
No, I was just too lazy to dive into any of my manuals to give you any insight.
Now that I'm done giving you trouble.
Could be your firing pin broke off a piece just big enough to make a difference. Could be your spring was a career contortionist. Could be the spring wasn't the highest quality, and that the cold affected it's decompression. This is why we ask for pictures of the affected areas.
Petersen's manual refers to a few possibilities. When it comes to these types of malfunctions:
1. The firing pin protrusion/length: Simply not going far enough to pop the primer for X,Y or Z. Plausibe.
2. The spring: The spring isn't providing enough force to pop the primer. The manual says that the spring may be binding on itself in such a way that there are frictional forces strong enough to either slow the firing pin down or stop it dead in it's tracks. Plausible.
3. Wear and Tear: in this case , it states that it's possible that the use of the rifle may have worn components out to the point of failure. Unlikely.
4. The Firing Pin is not centered: the firing pin isn't striking the primer, for some reason. Unlikely.
However, it seems you've fixed it. And if that's the case, you made it a reliable hunting rifle, great job. I give you mad props for that.
And dude, I feel you when it comes to laziness. We all have those fays. Folks here really want to help, but it's hard when you give us nothing to work with.
BBBBill
Member
What is applicable to your specific brand/model may well apply to similar designs. I've often found good info in various places that was intended for a different gun than the one I'm currently fiddling with. So not a wasted effort at all.
Who is this Peterson? Got a title? I'm always looking to add to my library.
It's mainly a collection of articles that are about gun repair. Not really a singular author. However ,to be more precise, there was an article written by James D. Mason named "How They Work", which is a decent intro when it comes to multiple actions. From there, I read the articles "On Refurbishing Fine Guns " and "Elementary Spring Making" (Jack Lott and D. A. Stawars, respectively). They helped point me in the direction above.
“the spring may be binding on itself in such a way that there are frictional forces strong enough to either slow the firing pin”
I would say the extra pressure from having the spring set at .060 plus the cold temperature was the problem. I don’t like that answer though it’s all I can come up with. I repair lots of different types of mechanical devices and do not like the nagging feeling that I really haven’t found the solution. I wanted to get a spring from Wolf but they don’t make one for that rifle. They do for the larger Kimber’s.
Bottom line is, it’s too finicky for a firearm. It needs to be dead nuts reliable. I’m going to keep freezing it and shooting it until I trust it again. Thank you for the input.
I would say the extra pressure from having the spring set at .060 plus the cold temperature was the problem. I don’t like that answer though it’s all I can come up with. I repair lots of different types of mechanical devices and do not like the nagging feeling that I really haven’t found the solution. I wanted to get a spring from Wolf but they don’t make one for that rifle. They do for the larger Kimber’s.
Bottom line is, it’s too finicky for a firearm. It needs to be dead nuts reliable. I’m going to keep freezing it and shooting it until I trust it again. Thank you for the input.
Have you called Kimber by any chance? Maybe they can provide a little more input.
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