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Thread: Need help with random light primer strikes in Remington 700, 300 RUM

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Need help with random light primer strikes in Remington 700, 300 RUM

    I haven’t shot my gun for a good 11 years (on a black bear) till the other day. It’s a model 700 I bought new around 1999’ chambered in 300 rum. It has a timney trigger set a 2 pounds. Been in it since the day I bought it. Never had any hang fires ever with it till my range session the other day…and this morning. I could feel the pin strike and a fraction of a second later boom! It isn’t always, but random. I am using a 180 grain speer round nose with Speer’s suggested minimum charge of 81.1 grains of IMR 7828 SSC powder loaded at 3.350”. I am using CCI 250 magnum rifle primers and Remington brass. Some of the brass was given to me and about 13 of the necks cracked after the first range session yesterday. I have two pieces that didn’t crack but the necks must be so thin because the bullets slide loosely after seating. The remainder of the brass was new. I tumbled my brass and let dry for a few days so I figured there wasn’t moisture in the cases. Some of the brass has been shot several times. All were annealed before these firing sessions. I set the shoulders back .002” to .003”. Primers we’re all seated below flush. Some of the primers did go in easy. I removed the action yesterday and sprayed everything down with Rem oil after cleaning the barrel. It does that the goofy J lock on the bolt. I didn’t take the bolt apart to clean the inside of it yet. The firing pin hole doesn’t have any build up around it and looks pretty clean. Any suggestions besides bolt disassembly and cleaning? I know that j lock pin assembly should be replaced. I am on the look out for a stainless one for my 300 and blued for my 375.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 10-16-2021 at 08:42 AM. Reason: Spelling

  2. #2
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    I had hangfires with ball powder and CCI large rifle primers in a .358 Norma. Very disconcerting! A switch to Remington 9-1/2 Mag. primers cured it. That's all I've got.

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I do have a brick of the 9 1/2 magnums. I have a couple bricks of the CCI magnums so I figured I had more to play around with and thought they were a better quality primer. If I remember right the rems are the hottest.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 10-15-2021 at 06:37 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tripplebeards View Post
    I Any suggestions besides bolt disassembly and cleaning? .

    I'd do that first.
    The factory packing/assembly oil/grease turns hard over time and slows down the firing pin.
    Cool or cold weather makes it worse.

    Also, since you have to take it apart anyway-
    That's the perfect time to put it back together with a speed lock Titanium firing pin and their spring.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I forgot I took a photo of the the primers. The 4 in my hands look like they were hit lighter than the others. Bought the primers brand new this time last year form the LGS for $39 a brick.





    It has the J lock set up with the “snake” spring. If I replace it…the j lock goes with it. I’m guessing a straight spring that doesn’t bind will help.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 10-15-2021 at 07:08 PM.

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    From what I'm used to seeing, those look like weak strikes.

    Compared to yours:
    On all the Rem700s I've handled or owned, the primer strike looked like it was done with a dull punch and a 3 pound hammer.

    That gets us back to the firing pin & spring inside the bolt body.
    With a slow 'lock time' between trigger pull & primer detonation in a older rifle with factory or heavy grease--
    that also speaks to a gummy spring inside the bolt which can cause a weak primer hit.

    I don't have any experience with the J lock, so I looked it up.
    Everything I found was about its problems, and how to get rid of it, or get a aftermarket Tubb's spring.

    From what I've read, I'd remove it just to stay in compliance with 'Man Law' if nothing else.
    "Man Law" rule Number One clearly states:
    When encountered--- remove, dis-connect, or otherwise bypass all safety devices.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 10-15-2021 at 11:13 PM.
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    FWIW try cleaning the bolt. Yes that means a complete disassembly degrease and relube with a light non gumming oil. It should solve your problem. 11 years since last hunt the bolt needs maintenance.

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    I totally agree with cleaning the bolt, and no harm putting in a new pin and spring as suggested. If it were me and I didn’t have a case gage for headspace I’d get one. Based on what you’ve described about the cases that might be part of your problem.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I just got done disassembling and cleaning the bolt. I know it doesn't help with the photo below to solve my problem.... because I got sidetracked and wiped the grease off the spring with after photo below. IMO it doesn't really look too bad but I'm sure the grease didn't help all over the spring. The grease didn't seem dirty and was light grey in color.



    There was either some oxidation or carbon on the firing pin in front of the spring I didn't remove above. After the photo I polished it. It looks like shiny chrome now. I also scraped the inside of my bolt hole where the firing pin comes out of in case there was carbon build up. I didn't notice any when I cleaned it. I cleaned all the grease out of the bolt housing. I put a thin coat of EWL slip 2000 synthetic lube on the spring and inside the bolt housing and then lightly wiped it off. I put a little red shooters choice grease on the treads and back of the bolt lugs and reassembled. I then grabbed 4 casings. I primed them and fired them without any powder charge...or bullets. The primers on my hand were the "before" light hit primers I saved....



    I'm sure with a loaded round there would be a heavier indentation? I also measured the seating depth of the 4 cases I used. They were discarded cases with either loose case neck and cracked necks. The primers were .013 on average below flush...



    Wondering if the primer pockets are worn out causing the primers to seat to deep? The primers all seated with little to no resistance.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 10-16-2021 at 01:07 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tripplebeards View Post
    Wondering if the primer pockets are worn out causing the primers to seat to deep? The primers all seated with little to no resistance.
    Doubtful.
    I've had primer pockets loosen up, as in the diameter seems to enlarge, but not the depth of the hole.
    Even if the primer is a little deeper than you're used to seeing, the firing pin has plenty of over travel to reach it.

    I full length size, and when I've fired a primed & empty case, I'm used to seeing the primer back out a little.
    I figure it comes out to adjust itself to the headspace length difference in the chamber & FL sized brass.

    Did ya notice if the lock time seemed faster with the cleaned out bolt?
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  11. #11
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    Those primers look too deeply seated to me. I seat primers just barely below the case. Never measured it and just do it by touch. Likely .003” below flush.

    Looks like someone went overboard prepping the primer hole and/or too much seating force.
    Don Verna


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    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Never did a slow squeeze on the trigger for lock time. Guess I’ll try a few more.

    Never prepped the primer holes. Maybe too much seating force at some time? The brass is from 1999’ and has been shot quite a bit. Lost count of the firings. I will probably anneal them every firing or two till they are not usable. I did get a new bag of 50 from Swamp today! He gave me a great price. Thanks swamp!!! I’m sure my money order didn’t make to him yet since I sent it out yesterday. Couldn’t get to post office fast enough to beat the brass.

  13. #13
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    I had a similar problem with a Remington M700 in 7mm08. I had trued up the primers pockets with a tool from Sinclair that actually made the primer pockets too deep. The primers were then seated too deep and I began to experience misfires.

    My "bad", not the Remington rifle. I gave up the practice of truing up primer pockets. I was ham-fisting the primers with too much pressure, and along with the "trued-up" primer pockets, I created my own malfunctions. A hard lesson learned by myself.

    Also, if you push the shoulder back too much when resizing your brass, the case will be pushed forward in the chamber by the primer strike, causing a hang-fire or missfire. This is creating excessive head-space, and causes misfires and also case head separations.

    Not saying you did this, but these can be two causes for hang fires/miss fires.

    I agree with Dverna, those primers look excessively deep seated.
    Maker of Silver Boolits for Werewolf hunting

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I thought they looked extremely deep. The guy I got them from might have messed with the primer pockets back in the day. We both purchased 300 RUMs in 1999’. At the time I didn’t reload yet. We were “taught” the wrong way from a guy we bear hunted with which motivated me to buy a rock chucker kit and did ALOT of reading since the Internet and YouTube wasn’t really around yet. It wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to ream out the primer pockets and ended up cutting them to deep. I don’t mess with them myself…or haven’t for a couple of decades anyways. I’ll have to see how deep my primers seat in the new brass VS these. I will also measure all my current brass after I seat primers in them being my brass got mixed with the ones he gave me. I believe I have some once or twice fired casings mixed in with them. I’ll definitely sort and divide them….and keep my new casings separate. Shoulders were set back two to three thousands.


    When seated the primers it doesn’t come to a “hard wall” like most my other calibers do. It’s like they stop and I can can keep squeezing my RCBS hand primer slowly till the handle is flush with the primer grip. I wonder if my brass is too soft or the primer pockets are to big in diameter and the primer sidewalls are expanding outwards to fit the worn out pocket?

    Either that or the primer pocket is so wide that maybe the primer seater is slowly sliding down till it touches the base of brass’s primer hole? My hand primer I can squeeze the handle completely flush with little effort. It would make sense anyways.


    So another issue I’m having ….

    I also have had a few of these cases with loose neck tension. They haven’t cracked yet but the bullets can easily be pushed inside the case after seating. I’m down to two of them that haven’t cracked yet with lose necks. The bullet starts with little resistance and then slides in for no force. I experimented and took my die apart. Cleaned the neck expander ball and polished it. I also Cleaned and and polished the inside of my expander die and reassembled. I then annealed the two casings, full length resized, and seated bullets with the exact same results. Like beating a dead horse…those went in the scrap pile. Maybe I’m blind and there are hair line cracks half way down the necks or the necks are getting so thin that they won’t hold bullets?

    Im guessing new brass will probably take care of my issues.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 10-17-2021 at 07:13 AM.

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    Tripplebeards, I am just making a guess, but it sounds like your friend who gave you the brass was doing the whole "benchrest Target shooters" treatment to the brass, i.e. truing up primer pockets, neckturning the brass etc. Thus the deep primers pockets and the thin case necks that wont hold a bullet and are prone to cracking.

    I bet new brass will solve the problem. Keep us posted.
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  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Seat to the bottom of the primer pocket, is not seated fully the firing pin has to drive the primer to the bottom. This uses some of the firing pin force and can led to misfires or erratic ignition.

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    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Appreciate all the help and replies. I'll have to load up some of the new brass and see how the neck tension is and primer seating depths are compared to my current worn out brass. Here is the die set before I cleaned and polished. I was hoping for better neck tension after cleaning.



    And one random piece of brass with a weird dent after firing. Im guessimg it hit something on the way out or when it hit what ever it was ejected into?



    I'm sure it will pop out when firing but looks pretty severe.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Throw that one out, it has a sharp crease on top. It’s very deep, too deep to fire that way.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Find another source for brass. I would throw all that stuff into the recycle pail.
    Don Verna


  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tripplebeards View Post
    Appreciate all the help and replies. I'll have to load up some of the new brass and see how the neck tension is and primer seating depths are compared to my current worn out brass. Here is the die set before I cleaned and polished. I was hoping for better neck tension after cleaning.



    And one random piece of brass with a weird dent after firing. Im guessimg it hit something on the way out or when it hit what ever it was ejected into?



    I'm sure it will pop out when firing but looks pretty severe.
    I have had that happen wiith fireforming loads thst dont seal the neck. gas bleeds by and ended up with a dent. It didnt hit anything, came out of the chamber that way.

    i wouldn't remove any material from the expander. Your new brass might have issues with bullet seating. factory expanders are notoriously undersized already. Your old brass seems to be the problem.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check