Indentions in primer???

[Dave A]

I have shot maybe 1000 rounds of Lake City ammo and hand loads using CCI #41 primers without a problem. But I had a slam fire the other day using hand loads with either Federal #205 or Remington 7 1/2 primers (I don't remember which). I have only shot about 200 rounds with these primers so I'm wondering if there will be more slam fires. The bang-bang was kind of cool, I would like to be able to string a dozen together but the Atterbury RO's don't like that stuff.

 

[Sling10mm]

I think they make lightweight firing pins to help avoid slam fires.
i don't know if there are any reliability issues.
Anyone familiar?

I had a Bushmaster ACR that I encountered slam fires with on the first range outing. Kinda cool firing 2-3 round bursts, but after the second one, and realizing what I had in my hand, I unloaded and took it back home. Sent it back for the recall and it came back to me with a titanium firing pin and a spring. I had heard that this was the original design configuration and Bushmaster had eliminated the spring and changed the firing pin to steel. No idea if that was true or not, but I could see that being done to save some cost.

At any rate maybe someone makes a titanium AR firing pin, but I have never found the need for one.

 

[Gun Chooter]

I had a Bushmaster ACR that I encountered slam fires with on the first range outing. Kinda cool firing 2-3 round bursts, but after the second one, and realizing what I had in my hand, I unloaded and took it back home. Sent it back for the recall and it came back to me with a titanium firing pin and a spring. I had heard that this was the original design configuration and Bushmaster had eliminated the spring and changed the firing pin to steel. No idea if that was true or not, but I could see that being done to save some cost.

At any rate maybe someone makes a titanium AR firing pin, but I have never found the need for one.

installing the lighter pin may be a solution. I'll leave it as is until it becomes a problem. I did a quick search and found one on brownells for $45.

 

[Orlando8]

Lighter firirng pins, changing the pin????? You are trying to come up with a solution to a problem that doesnt exist!
All AR's ,M1 Garands, M14/M1A's , M1 Carbines , Oh and dont forget handguns (the list goes on forever) all do the same thing. The "only time" you run a "slight" risk of a slam fire is when relaoding with non milspec primers

 

[calcot7]

yep!

 

[red_zr24x4]

Lighter firirng pins, changing the pin????? You are trying to come up with a solution to a problem that doesnt exist!
All AR's ,M1 Garands, M14/M1A's , M1 Carbines , Oh and dont forget handguns (the list goes on forever) all do the same thing. The "only time" you run a "slight" risk of a slam fire is when relaoding with non milspec primers

I don't think mil-spec primers are even a issue, I think high primers are more of an issue in reloads.
I've loaded 1000's of rounds for the Garand, AR, M1A and never had a slam fire using Winchester primers.

 

[Gun Chooter]

Looks like there's nothing to worry about...which is what I was hoping for. I've owned this specific rifle for a while now and never experienced one of these slam fires.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Not sure Im following your artwork but the videos make sense. Thanks for the links.

The drawing is of Eugene Stoner, the Hoosier engineer that designed the AR-15. Your primer indentations are design features, how Eugene Stoner designed the rifle.

Nothing to be worried about, but remember, your AR-15 can discharge upon loading. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

 

[dudley0]

I have a concern about the primers... not because they get dinged and slamfire, but after repeated loadings of the same round you could push the primer in or mush it enough that you can not get a good strike to ignite it.

Normally I load a round and expend it. But this is not the case now.

I have recently switched my HD long gun from a shotty to an AR. The rounds that I carry in it are rather expensive. When I take that rifle out to plink I don't want to shoot the HD stuff.

I have been trying to find out if sliding the bolt and tapping the assist is safe enough to be sure I will get a shot off if I need it.

How many here ease the bolt closed on a round? Is it something that has been proven safe enough to reliably get a shot off or is it better to just rotate the loaded round and then make sure that I pop them when I replace my carry ammo?

 

[Gun Chooter]

The drawing is of Eugene Stoner, the Hoosier engineer that designed the AR-15. Your primer indentations are design features, how Eugene Stoner designed the rifle.

Nothing to be worried about, but remember, your AR-15 can discharge upon loading. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

i figured that's who that was, never knew he was from indiana...kind of cool. Thanks for the replies

 

[dtkw]

I have to ask, how often you clean the bolt carrier? from inside and out.

 

[Gun Chooter]

Every time I clean my rifle, which is about every 500 rds

 

[Kirk Freeman]

i figured that's who that was, never knew he was from indiana...kind of cool.

Yes, sir, born in Gosport, Indiana, 1922.

 

[throttletony]

Lighter firirng pins, changing the pin????? You are trying to come up with a solution to a problem that doesnt exist!
All AR's ,M1 Garands, M14/M1A's , M1 Carbines , Oh and dont forget handguns (the list goes on forever) all do the same thing. The "only time" you run a "slight" risk of a slam fire is when relaoding with non milspec primers

Yeah, i wasnt suggesting that he change the firing pin, just pointing out that they make lt wgt options.
same reason i don't recommend a mud tires for everyone with a truck... unless they ask about better traction in the mud
(The OP is the equivalent of asking about better traction in the mud)

**ive always felt fine with standard pin. This is one of the reasons for the 4 safety rules

 

[sloughfoot]

If you do not squeeze the trigger all the way to the rear, and hold it there through recoil, on any semi-automatic firearm you can experience a "bump fire". You can empty a magazine rapidly by allowing the trigger to float.

A slam fire in contrast, is a fearsome event. It is a round that fires before the bolt is fully locked up. This is when guns get blown up. While you are holding it. The firing pin has nothing to do with it, because of the Stoner design. The AR firing pin cannot reach the primer until the bolt is in battery. Slam fires are caused by high primers getting slammed by the bolt face.

If you ever experience a slam fire you will never again confuse it with a bump fire.

Those of you who posted about multiple rounds going down range experienced a bump fire. I am very confidant in this.