Primers being struck on charging.

[doorman]

I am not sure if this is a normal occurance on a new rifle (AR15) or not.

I was at the range last Saturday shooting this recent addition to my collection. The RO call for the range to go cold. I removed the magazine and ejected the chambered round. I picked up this round and noticed that the primer had a very light firing pin strike. The RO let everyone know that the range was hot again so I inserted the magazine and charged the rifle with the charging handle. I remove the magazine and ejected the chambered round and again noticed a very light pin strike on the primer.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Could this be the result of a bolt problem or the buffer spring, being new, is slamming the bolt closed with more force than one would expect?

Thoughts?


Ru

 

[briansmithwins]

It's not a problem. Every AR (and AK, and SKS) has an inertial firing pin. The firing pin is too light to set off primers from just inertia, it has to be hit by the hammer.

Unless you reload with 'soft' primers, which can be set off by the firing pins inertia.

The moral of this story is don't worry; unless you reload, in which case you should know what the hell you're doing so you don't blow your gun up.

BSW

 

[rcmodel]

Perfectly normal.

The M-16 design used a light weight floating firing pin.

When the bolt flies foreword, so does the firing pin.
It will ding the primer, but won't normally set it off.

rcmodel

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Nothing is wrong....welcome the the AR 15...and don't use soft primers.

The AR 15 has a free floating firing pin...the "light strikes" you see are inertia strikes from closing the bolt.

 

[Soybomb]

But while normal it also should serve as a reminder of the 4 rules and to always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction even if you're loading it.

 

[MinnMooney]

Everyone is mentioning "Don't use soft primers" if you reload. no one is mentioning which of the small rifle primers are "soft".

OK, let's hear "The Rest of the Story"!

P.S. I know that CCI's and Federals are hard but which is the hardest and which primers are soft?

 

[TexasRifleman]

no one is mentioning which of the small rifle primers are "soft".

CCIs are hard as hell, they are all I use so I don't know about any others.

 

[DnPRK]

Light strikes during chambering is also a characteristic of M-14s, M-1 Garands and M-1 carbines due to floating firing pins.

 

[P-32]

Dnprk, what you are seeing on the primer is called a "dimple." This is very normal for M-1's, M-14's/M1A's, and of course the M-16/AR-15 on rounds as you noticed, been chambered and the bolt closed.

As a reloader there are some primers I would not use. Federal primers are asking for problems as they are too soft or sensitive. I understand the brass colored Winchesters are now part of the don not use list.

I use CCI and Remington bench rest primers for 223 and for 308. Still get the dimple but even USGI ammo gets the dimple on the primer.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

CCI makes mil-spec primers (harder) also ...they re CCI 41 for 5.56x45 and CCI 34 for 7.62x51.