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I recently took my Sterly to the skeet range and discovered that the left hammer/firing pin hits a little soft (I had two misfires out of the left bbl). I don't know what is causing this yet but I am in the hunt for information. In the mean time I was wondering if some primers are harder than others. I reallize this is a band-aid, but it may be necessary to deal with this problem until I find out what the actual cause of the problem is. Make any sense?

Marc

I am the last one to try solving your problem, but I was wondering, what shell were you using.

I have the opposite problem. My 16 ga. Franz Jaeger's firing pins always get stuck in the primers of Federal factory shells, and I can't open the gun. It only happens with Federals.

By the way, if that happens, you can usually break open the gun by removing the fore end.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3439 Location: Illinois

The primer cup thickness can make a difference---each gun will have it's own tolerances Cool

Guest

I asked my gunsmith (formerly of Purdey's) a similar question regarding the relationship of the firing pin and primer hole. He told me that the actual indentation of the firing pin upon the primer was quite small. It was the subsequent ignition of the primer onto the powder and the resulting recoil of the payload which makes a deeper "punch" on the primer. Your differences on the primer hole may be a result of using a "hotter" load or just slight firing pin travel from one barrel to the other. I would probably let your qualified gunsmith check your firing mechanism to make sure there up to standards....

Guest

It would be nice if the gun manufacturers actually posted accurate ammo specs especially with our 16 gauge loads. When you compare the reloading data specs of a Federal 209 primers against the Winchester and Remington 209 primers, there is a significant increase in chamber pressure. I know that target loads have to be within various standards but hunting loads are under no such restrictions. And since the factory 16 gague loads we shoot are considered hunting loads, there is a significant difference between the various manufacturers.

The problem with putting anything technical in print, is that it is there for any cheap trick lawyer to beat someone over the head with in an effort to extort money. Most target load data is almost to actually traditional. Quite a bit of it has been around for many years and is basically tort proof because of that very long and proven safety record.

Hunting ammo is different. Many loads do not have a long, safe track record. The hulls used in most promo and even premium quality hunting loads are not made to be reloaded repeatedly either. Liability is the number one cause why many ammo and reloading componant companies are slowly drawing away from hunting load componants. It is also one of the factors why the industry tends to shy away from the 16 gauge. It is almost purely a hunting gauge. This fact alone opens the door for personal injury torts. Its just life in our letigeous society.

Guest

Most shotgun target games have specific standards regarding feet per second and shot payload. Most serious target shooters especially in skeet and trap cannot afford to have a single failure with their shells. The shotshell manufacturers know that a target shooter will probably shoot more shells in a single weekend than what a "typical" hunter will shoot probably all year (except waterfowl). The quality of shot, powder, wads and primer that make up the main target shotshell makers are number one quality. The problem with most hunting loads are the typical hunter get a case of "magnumous" where he thinks the heavier payload and faster speed is the solution for his shooting problems. And by the way, he doesn't want to pay alot for that box of shells. So I do agree the problem with factory hunting loads is that we may be getting significant poorer quality compenents when compared against the better target loads. I guess that why most of us reload our own rounds.....

....I have noticed that Winchester primers are soft compared to others....

Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 26 Location: Philippi, WV

Soft Primers.

In a word, yes. Some primers are made softer than others. CCI primers are hard. Wiinchester are softer. Federal are hotter. In 37 years of reloading I have used them all and have found them to be almost the same and a little bit different. I like the CCI and Winchester primer for summer and fall shooting. I use the Federal primer for late winter and spring shooting. For me, the Federal's work better in the cold of winter and the damp of spring.

Tx, Shoot a lot of ammo from your Sterly's left bbl and see what it does. It could be anything from a soft fireing pin, a bit deeper of a chamber or a deep seated primer. Winchester shells are known to have a thicker rim than others so if they fire and others don't it could be your chamber. And the thicker is minor, a sheet of paper in thickness.

Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 98 Location: Illinois

If you want a soft primer, shoot a Cheddite and watch your firing pin go right through it! Shocked