savage 24 30-30

[olafhardt]

I have a Savage 24 20ga over 30/30. It shoots factory loads fine. It usually misfires any reload cast or jacketed. I replaced the firing pen, no change. Does anybody have any suggestions? SG bbl shoots everytime.

[Echo]

Problem is with the ammo, not the gun. Are the primers set too deeply? Perhaps a change of primers would cure the problem.

[Bret4207]

I've fixed a mess of those that wouldn't even fire factory with newer, longer FP's. If you factory fires fine, then I'd look at my sizing. You need to sort of custom fit your case to that gun. Instead of full length sizing, try partial sizing so that the shoulder gives the case some support. Your rim recess may be cut a trifle deep too, start looking at this stuff and you'll figure it out. I doubt it's a primer pocket issue but rather a combination of a minimum length FP and chamber cut slightly deep.

[HeavyMetal]

I think Bret's on the right track here it's something in the reloading cycle that the problem!

Put a resized case next to a factory round and shine the harsh light of day on the two! Have no fear of getting both a second opinion and a magnifiyng glass to do this exam with.

If your usung a full length sizing die you may be setting the case shoulder back to far allowing for a "false" head space condition to exist.

In this case the FP is hitting the round but, instead of firing, it's "bouncing" the round forward in the chamber taking the strength out of the FP strike and giving you the miss fire.

I will suggest you take a fired factory case and see just how far it will go back in the chamber and then re-adjust your dies to just fit this back in the gun.

Do three or for in this manner and then load and fire. If they all go off first hit your golden and you've found the problem.

[Gtek]

A .30 WCF headspaces on rim. I would suspect primer hardness and or thirty or forty year old mainspring and an action full of WD-40 that has turned to stucco. I have made a little scratch over the years cleaning that stuff out. The greatest generation gun crowd thought that was the stuff, I will not allow that blue and yellow can in my home. They have cautions regarding certain primers
hard/soft in semi auto mil-surps due to firing pin inertia. What about just priming ten cases per primer manuf' and popping primers for trend. Gtek

[Echo]

A .30 WCF headspaces on rim. I would suspect primer hardness and or thirty or forty year old mainspring and an action full of WD-40 that has turned to stucco. I have made a little scratch over the years cleaning that stuff out. The greatest generation gun crowd thought that was the stuff, I will not allow that blue and yellow can in my home. They have cautions regarding certain primers
hard/soft in semi auto mil-surps due to firing pin inertia. What about just priming ten cases per primer manuf' and popping primers for trend. Gtek

My thoughts exactly, but put more cogently.

[Artful]

Well put Gtek - my first thought is orient a factory cartridge (w-w up for example) fire it - decap and reprime without resizing and try to get the primer to go off. if it doesn't - either bad primer - bad seating of primer (not bottomed out), wrong primer (pistol in rifle), hard primer (mil-spec) - could also be gunk or weak spring - if you have another 30-30 and the reload ammo works fine in it that would tend to indicate the weak spring or as has been mentioned short firing pin but sort of doubt that if sure fire with factory ammo.

or you could just sell it to me cheap and I'll fight with it. ;^)

[geargnasher]

I figured gunk was out since he replaced the firing pin. I know the .30-30 is supposed to headspace on the rim, but if the chamber is cut too deeply, or the brass has thin rims (common), it could excacerbate the issue unless brass is fitted to the gun so it headspaces on the shoulder. My Marlin 336 has slightly excessive headspace, so I segregate brass, seat my fireform loads to engrave heavily and force the head against the bold face so the shoulder blows out, then only neck size after that so the cartridge is actually headspacing on the shoulder and boolit/rifling contact.

In an O/U fitting the brass might be the cheapest fix if the firing pin and spring is ok.

Gear