Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Did Colt light rifles have a firing pin problem?

I reloaded some rounds for my cousins colt light rifle in 30-06. This was a new in the box rifle he bought this year and has fired about 40 factory rounds through it with no problems.

I reloaded 20 rounds for him using his primers and powder. I experienced 5 duds out of the 20 rounds. I don't think I've had a total of 5 rounds not fire over the last 20 years, much less in one day.

It was new brass and remington primers. All I can think of is bad primers, headspace issues with the unfired brass, or a weak/too short firing pin.

I do not have another -06 to try these rounds in to see if they will fire. The primers were not seated too high. I'm hoping it was just bad primers and will load him some using my primers that I know are good

Did the light rifle have a firing pin issue?

Here are the primers that did not fire.

There was an issue with an early batch. Looking at those cases, man those should have went BOOM

Old post from DJS

Originally Posted By: Kaiser Norton
Mine came with a note that my rifle was manufactured after the recall. Ask them if they have the box/paperwork. My Serial # is in the low 18xx range, if that helps.....

Kaiser Norton


My 30-06 CLR SN is just over 2000. I called Colt with the number and they confirmed that the modification had been made. Call Colt and ask.

while I claim to be no expert whatsoever. Looking at that pic I would guess bad primers. Looks like the firing pin made very good contact. show us another pic at more of a side angle so we can see the depth of the indentation. Compare indent depth of the cases to another of your other rifles fired cases that always go boom.

The primers appear to be well indented, and these don't appear any less indented than the ones that fired.

IIRC the recall was for a trigger/safety problem. You have to call Colt to find out if your 30-06 is on the recall list (only some 30-06's were recalled, no other caliber was recalled). (800) 962-2658 ext. 1391 (don't know if this number is still correct a year or so old). If on the receiver under the bolt handle, there is an �o� stamped, then it has already been sent back to Colt and taken care of.

Check that your primers are seated to the bottom of the primer pocket. I once had a rash of FTF's, first thought bad primers, turned out to be the tool I was using to seat the primers was worn and not seating them consistently to the bottom of the pocket.

Jerry

wow. those look well dented to me.. i would have buried them right there if you add a piece of scotch tape to the neck see if they fire. should resolve a headspace problem. i may be a touch nervous about firing them again though....... just a thought..

woofer

looking at it again the strike looks a touch off center... toss and start over... JMO

woofer

If I'm remembering corectly, some of the Colt Light Rifles had a problem with the safety.

Well all of your primers should be seated fully into the pocket on the brass. None of your primers in the pic are noticably high. I'm still in the camp that those primers were stored incorrectly or manufactured incorrectly and are crap. I would try some primers of known quality and shoot some more. I wouldn't worry that the firing pin indent is slightly off center. I had a ruger like that and it never failed to go BOOM! Heck save some money and just prime a few brass and let er rip with only the primer in the brass; no bullet or powder. That should let you know if it will go bang.

There is no flattened cratering to maybe indicate poorly seated primers. I would take the bolt apart and check the firing pin spring to see if there is hardened grease clog or a broken firing pin spring or even badly tempered spring? Indentations in primer look normal. You said factory ammo fired normally? Hmmm!

I had a CLR and the firing pin broke in half. So yep, there were issues.

2 or 3 years ago my cousin had the same thing with Remington primers in a Ruger. Give Remington a call with the lot number and see what they say. Remington also had some problems with shotgun primers at that time.

Primer lot or storage problem is my guess. We have run a couple hundred rounds through a 270 CLR with no issues. It has the "O" mark on the bolt slot.

But when and if I ever turn it over to Melvin Forbes I think I will get the Wolf spring and speed lock firing pin.

Sorta of like when a friend ordered a new truck he wanted all the Bells and Whistles so he got the plug in radiator warmer even though he lives in Houston where it might get to 35 degrees in a typical winter. Never can be too prepared.

Tejano,
You've got a funny friend.

Two of my friends and I have Colt Light Rifles in 30-06. All three misfired until we called Melvin at New ULA and ordered heavier firing pin springs. Now problems now. It was not an ammunition problem.