Fail To Fire 10/22 & Wolf Match Target

[AndrewTannerCA]

I have a 10/22 with Green Mountain heavy barrel, Hornet trigger, etc. Using WMT, I get 1 fail to fire per 10-20 shots. Whenever I try to reshoot the misfired rounds they ALWAYS go off the 2nd time. I recently replaced the firing pin with a Volquartsen SureStrike firing pin and also replaced the hammer spring / strut with a brand new OEM model. This made no difference. I have also tried different lots of WMT with the same results. I love the accuracy of the WMT, but the FTF is a deal breaker.

Questions:

1) is this a known issue with WMT? if so, any suggestions for a match quality round for the 20" Green Mountain heavy barrel?

2) could this be related to my hornet trigger? I have over 5,000 rounds through the trigger (only <500 through the barrel)

[G-forceJunkie]

Put the trigger back to totally stock and try it. I have never had my 10/22 (totally stock) not fire wolf and I've shot bricks of it.

[Fjold]

I get failures to fire with almost all other ammunition except Wolf and SK match. I have the GM heavy barrel and Volq trigger parts.

[surfNshoot]

If I remember right. There was a batch of GM barrels that the headspacing was cut wrong. Contact GM. they will make it right.

[GUNNTZ]

^^^^what he said^^^^
Most likely this is a headspace issue, some rimfires can be real sensitive to this. Was the bolt spaced to the barrel?

[Izzy43]

I have shot over a case of Wolf MT without any failure of any kind. Suspect the rifle but you never know you could have gotten a bad lot. Can you try them in a different rifle?

[Chaos47]

Do you have an aftermarket bolt handle? The added weight may not be enough to make it fully cycle every time.

[BrianRodela]

Headspacing in a Ruger 10-22 is on the Bolt. You need to measure the depth from the seat where the bullet rests to the face of the bolt. Proper headspace should be from .042 to .043". Your firing pin should protrude .035" into that space to provide proper striking of the rim. Some stock bolts have spacing as much as .050" and the firing pin doesn't protrude far enough into the rim to provide adequate striking. Look to see how far it protrudes into the gap by pressing it to the rear face of the bolt. If it doesn't protrude 80% to the front face of the bolt, then remove the needed amount from the crosspin hole located on the firing pin; it may not be elongated properly and stopping prematurely. Wolf and SK is a very reliable and consistent ammunition and if properly headspaced. Attached is an exerpt from Tony Kidd regarding the subject.

Proper headspace is paramount to consistency.

Consistency is paramount to accuracy and reliability.

Headspace is considered primarily to effect accuracy. This is because the subject of most if not all writings has been the boltgun.

Most of us have read about or experimented with headspace enough to form the opinion that keeping it to a minimum is conducive to an accurate rifle or pistol. This conclusion is true. Headspace determines the seating depth of the cartridge which in turn determines the relationship of the cartridge rim to the bolt face and firing pin.
.042"-.043" is optimal in my opinion and will insure consistent seating of the cartridge. Less is not more in this application however. If a particular lot of ammunition has an average rim thickness of .040" you will not see any positive results from headspacing your bolt to .039" or .040" (zero headspace).
Using the rim to establish headspace increases inconsistent seating of the cartridge. As we know the bolt of an autoloader needs sufficient clearance within the receiver for cycling and since the bolt cannot be placed in exactly the same position with exactly the same pressure on the cartridge rim from shot to shot a little wiggle room has proven to be far more consistent and therefore beneficial to accuracy.
Would .041"-.044" be okay? Yes. Just make sure your headspace is greater than your rim thickness and dont go over .044". Also there is no such thing as a slamfire.

Increasing headspace beyond .044" has a dramatic effect on consistent ignition.

As headspace increases the space between the breech face and the boltface increase. This allows the cartridge to seat to different depths from shot to shot and limits the firing pins travel accordingly. If your headspace is .050" and your rim thickness is .040" then you have a cartridge rim that will be anywhere from .001"-.010" away from the breechface each time the firing pin strikes it. Not only does this causes the firing pin to push the cartridge forward to seat it prior to striking the rim for ignition but it also eliminates .010" of firing pin protrusion. This pushing of the cartridge absorbs the firing pins energy, limits the firing pins impact and causes inconsistent ignition.
If your excess headspace is .002" then you will experience a 2.5% variation in seating consistency. If your excess is .010" then you will experience a 10% variation.
Calfee states that headspace is not important however I dont think he realized that his .013" oversize firing pin not only reestablished ignition but was actually seating his cartridge and therefore reestablishing headspace.

Adjusting your headspace can have a negative effect on reliability.

As we know the headspace of factory bolts varies greatly. I have measured bolts which ranged from .037"-.054" and all used the same extractor. An extractor that allows .054" of rim is fine for a rim that is .051" but is far too long for a .040" rim. This factory extractor allows the cartridge rim to shift fore and aft .014" which in turn creates inconsistent positioning of the cartridge rim. If the rim is not in the same place with the same extractor tension from shot to shot it will not contact the ejector properly. You can hit it with a hammer, file a groove in it or color it black but it is still a 3 cent stamped factory part.
Generally you need .003"-.005" clearance between the cartridge rim and the nose of the extractor. This will keep the extracted case rim close to the boltface preventing it from tipping and will insure it stays square to the ejector.

Keep these things in mind when building your next rifle and I believe you will see positive results.


TKidd

[AndrewTannerCA]

Good info. I'll attempt to measure the head space this evening. If it does measure out past spec, is it a matter of finding another 10/22 bolt, or would a gunsmith be able to fix it?

[BrianRodela]

I mic'd mine out and it was measuring at .047". By using a fine diamond stone and some honing oil, I stoned down the surface to .0425". If you have experience in lapping or good mechanical aptitude, you should have no problem. Make 10 figure 8's and rotate 90 degrees then repeat. if uncomfortable, a gunsmith can do the work but to be honest, it's not a tough project to tackle. If you live near Lancaster, I'd be happy to coach you through the process along with a few other tips and tricks that makes a big difference with the rifles action. Look up rimfire central and there is a wealth of info there.

[AndrewTannerCA]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm up north.

Mine came out at .45 on my Frankford Arsenal digital caliper (not sure how accurate they are). I'm going to the gunsmith tomorrow to get some work done on my handgun, I'll bring the bolt to him to see what his measurement is.

While he is working on it, I might as well have him smooth the firing pin / polish the bolt, etc.

Thanks!

[Mail Clerk]

I have a 10/22 with Green Mountain heavy barrel, Hornet trigger, etc. Using WMT, I get 1 fail to fire per 10-20 shots. Whenever I try to reshoot the misfired rounds they ALWAYS go off the 2nd time. I recently replaced the firing pin with a Volquartsen SureStrike firing pin and also replaced the hammer spring / strut with a brand new OEM model. This made no difference. I have also tried different lots of WMT with the same results. I love the accuracy of the WMT, but the FTF is a deal breaker.

Questions:

1) is this a known issue with WMT? if so, any suggestions for a match quality round for the 20" Green Mountain heavy barrel?

2) could this be related to my hornet trigger? I have over 5,000 rounds through the trigger (only <500 through the barrel)

I suggest you shoot a different brand of ammo. Try some CCI "Green Tag" and see what happens. If it shoots fine then you can't blame your internal parts.

Mail Clerk

[surfNshoot]

Please take a look at this older thread.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=378730

[AndrewTannerCA]

Please take a look at this older thread.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=378730

Thanks for the link, I have been in touch with GM and they sent me a return label. Between having them rework my barrel and having the bolt tuned, I should have a pretty nice shooter in a couple weeks.

[surfNshoot]

Thanks for the link, I have been in touch with GM and they sent me a return label. Between having them rework my barrel and having the bolt tuned, I should have a pretty nice shooter in a couple weeks.

Good to hear. Let us know how it goes.