Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Found something I don't like about my Stiller Predator.

What's with the two piece firing pin?
I like the light weight of it, the flutes, but I do not like the two piece construction where the firing pin nose screws into the shaft.
Went to dry fire it tonight and the striker wasn't releasing. Suspected the Jewell trigger at first but removed the bolt and the cocking piece just moved back and forth with no resistance. Removed the FP and the entire front of the FP had been screwed out of the FP shaft.
That should not happen.
Screwed it back on and the rifle functions perfectly.
Do I just Loctite the pieces together?
Silver solder? Or do I just replace the FP with a one piece unit from PT&G or Tubb?

Looking at the Brownells site I see that there is a titanium FP from Blackheart International for $65 and also the much less expensive Gre-Tan unit for $29.
The Tubb pin got a poor review so that gives me pause.
I'm liking the Blackheart unit but if the Gre-Tan unit is a quality product I may go with that.

A little more research leads me to believe that the FP used in the Stiller is in fact the fluted steel two piece FP from PT&G.

So the front piece is Titainium and the rear is steel?

I don't believe so AF. All steel I think.

It's this one I believe.

Here is the Ti one from Blackheart which interests me.

Can't help you with this one. Didn't even know it was a two piece firing pin until you mentioned it. Never had my bolt apart 'cause I've never had any issue with it.

Give Stiller a call. Bet they'll stand behind their product...

John

Wonder if it improves lock time somehow

I think you have to be careful when choosing a heavier spring and a lighter FP, a heavier spring can make the bolt harder to cycle and together with the lighter FP could cause strange vibrations on firing, causing issues with accuracy, have read that heavier springs can cause excessive cocking cam wear also, maybe a standard weight spring and TI pin would work well, Iv'e heard good things about Gretan's products probably not a bad place to start!

I have always advocated working with the manufacture first. The firing pin spring is matched to the weight of the pin. A Ti pin requires a heavier spring. A lot of the BR rifles have 2 pc. firing pins. They get much more usage than any hunting rifle.

The fluted shaft helps the locktime thing but the only advantage I see to the two piece FP is the easy assembly since you don't have to drive the cocking piece pin out to remove the FP from the shroud.

It looks like this.

You will probably have to bypass Stiller if you go 1 pc!

I REALLY like the ease of FP disassembly afforded by the two piece FP but I put the bolt back together and tightened the front piece. I cycled the action a few dozen times and when I removed the FP again the front was loose!
The fit between the two pieces is just too sloppy and they unscrew too darn easily.
I'm considering just peening a thread or two slightly to increase the resistance to turning.

I'll call Stiller and see what they say first but if the peening doesn't work I'll reluctantly just get the Ti pin from Blackheart.

Ti pins and pierced primers don't jive.

I suppose you have'nt tried the loc-tite thing yet?

I'd spray a little "Brakleen" on both ends, put a dab of "Loctite"(red) on the threads and go back to shooting...

bloodworks, you may be right, but Stiller bolts don't allow a pierced primer. I personally like heavier pins and a lighter spring. My Bat has a tungsten weight added to it.

Degrease and JB weld or MarineTex the threads. Problem solved.

What size pin does a predator use?

Contact Stiller, we do need their answer. I have a Predator and would like to know for the future.