Possible etched bolt face

[Shooter14854]

Hey everybody. I did a deep clean on my ar10 and noticed possible etching occurring on my bolt face. I’ve shot probably 500-800 rounds out of the rifle, mostly reloads. I’ve never had a pierced primer and I don’t think I’ve ever even shot a max load out of it. I did have a batch with loose primer pockets but nothing extreme. Is this level of etching normal wear and tear or is there another issue going on. Also will this level of etching effect the performance of my rifle in anyway? Thanks for the help.

 

[243winxb]

Looks like a concave circle around the firing pin hole. When new, was the face of the bolt flat? If originally flat, new is needed.



A pock marked bolt face has not been a problem for me. Just looks bad. Mine are from a defective prime or the wrong primer on the M16. Still have the Rem 600 Mohawk in 243.
The M16A1 was sold. New owner replaced the bolt.

Defect-

 

[edwardware]

Yes, that's a bit of gas cutting from a leaky primer pocket. No, it won't effect function unless you let it get much, much worse.

Mind your pockets and pressures, and it will happen only rarely. You'll want to have a new bolt in stock around 10k rounds (when lugs just might start breaking), and the bolt face will still be fine long past then.

 

[792mauser]

As long as the firing pin hole isn't enlarged. It's fine.
Even then, if it isn't enlarged to a large degree, still usually fine.

 

[Nature Boy]

Were you using Winchester primers?

 

[usaral63]

Differ about functiion issues. Had a sporting BAR in '06 that I managed to damage the BF with admittedly inappropriate loads.......primer leakage only moderately etched the BF, but the ejector was another issue....that gas managed to cut the spring to the point of malfunction...................cost me a hulluva good buck prompting me to repair it.