TargetTalk

I've been using a Scatt for about a year now and I just broke my 4th firing pin yesterday on my 1800 series Anschütz. I use the special 1807T-12 firing pin made especially for dry firing. There must be something wrong: any idea of what might cause this problem ?

I would assume the pin is not meant to physically strike anything but because it's breaking it obviously is. I'm no expert so can't suggest what to do to fix the problem, but it would surely do no harm to dry fire with a snap cap so the pin doesn't stike the breech face.

Just had another thought, why can't you just use the broken pin ?

Rob.

Agreed with use a broken pin. That way, there's no chance of anything hitting the breech face. Take out your match pin and there's no chance of it breaking as well.

You can also put a used case in and dry fire with it.

Also, does the spring in the picture look bent to anyone else?

I would try cutting the spring down so it does it has less energy. Maybe you could email Anschutz and ask their advice. Maybe they will send a new pin? Good luck.

Soupy44 wrote:Agreed with use a broken pin. That way, there's no chance of anything hitting the breech face. Take out your match pin and there's no chance of it breaking as well.

You can also put a used case in and dry fire with it.

Also, does the spring in the picture look bent to anyone else?

The springs not bent just compressed, check you have the right firing pin, is it shorted than the original one,also check the face of the breech for any marks.Its hitting something to cause it to break

check you have the right firing pin, is it shorted than the original one,also check the face of the breech for any marks.Its hitting something to cause it to break

I definitively have the right firing pin, it's shorter than the one I use for live firing. The face of the breech is perfect: not a trace of firing pin damage.

Agreed with use a broken pin. That way, there's no chance of anything hitting the breech face

Are you really sure it's 100% safe ? The shorter length won't make it drag somewhere it's not supposed to inside the bolt body ?

Paul ... did you purchase the FPs all in one batch or from the same dealer?
The only thing I can think of is the metal may not have been heat treated properly and is too brittle. I'd contact the dealer and/or Anschutz.
(I mean using a FP that is deliberately short is sorta like releasing a compound bow w/o an arrow .... lots of stress ... I'd think you would want a rather "soft" area of the pin to be able to absorb that stress)

Have to agree with Rob here, why not just stone down the fractured part of the pin and press on?

Paul,
Where is the pin breaking? Can you post a photo?

I just got a 1607 and have been looking into the dry firing thing. I haven't taken the bolt apart yet, so I am guessing on some of this and welcome correction if I'm way off base. As I understand it, the normal firing pin will not come into contact with the breach face when dry fired. So there must be a shoulder on the pin that bottoms out in the bolt to stop it's travel. As I understand it, the dry fire pins are regular pins with the nose shortened. Why a dry fire pin is required if the the stock one won't hit the barrel is beyond me. I guess if the pin could be peened through repeated hits so that it eventually contacts the barrel, or the design and metallurgy are such that repeated hits will eventually cause failure. My guess is that the design is poor and you would rather have the shorter pin break that can't touch the breech than the normal pin that would hit it if it broke. I read a comment that the Chinese go through a lot of PFs because of all the dry firing they do because of poor range access. It sounds like a fact of life with these actions if you dry fire a lot.
Greg

I wondered the same as Greg mentioned as to the possibility of contact on the shoulder of the firing pin inside the bolt. I dryfire almost daily with the electroninc trainer (dryfire pin) with no case in the chamber. Over the past year, I haven't had any failures of any kind.
Dennis

Whenever I coach rifle on the scatt, shooters dry fire just using plastic snap caps. That's got to be easier than switching firing pins - especially if you keep breaking them. Sooner or later whatever they are breaking against is going to get damaged itself.

Rob.

Anonymous wrote:I wondered the same as Greg mentioned as to the possibility of contact on the shoulder of the firing pin inside the bolt. I dryfire almost daily with the electroninc trainer (dryfire pin) with no case in the chamber. Over the past year, I haven't had any failures of any kind.
Dennis

I don't think the front part of the firing pin makes contact with any part of the bolt, if anything it's at the rear of the pin that will catch the bolt, the part by the bolt handle that pulls the pin back on cocking the bolt.It's a strange place to break if it's not hitting anything.
I think as others have said a e-mail to anschutz explaining what's happening and how many pins you have got through.

Sorry, I couldn't see the pic from work this morning. The way the pin is contoured where it broke, I would be surprised if that was stopping on a feature in the bolt, but I'll try to find out this weekend. If that tip breaks off I take it that the pin becomes non functional somehow?

Probably going to have to live with it. It seems to be a problem that has existed for quite some time. Perhaps they have a problem with a lot of dry fire pins such as incorrect temper. Another possibility would be a stress riser where the pin narrows down. I would suggest inspecting the next one you put in and stone out any rough spots in that area that could cause a crack to propagate. Other than that, I'm at a loss until I get a chance to look at my 1607.
Greg

Took my bolt apart, that was pretty easy. As I thought, the front end of the pin comes nowhere near the shoulder in the bolt. The leg of the FP bottoms out on the cocking piece or the slot at the back of the bolt. The only way I could explain that break is a stress riser where that pin necks down and turns to a round cross section. The repeated shock of hitting the end of travel, plus the hardness of the pin, plus a stress riser, equals failure. Polish the heck out of the next one in that area to make sure there are no nicks or sharp corners where a crack could start. You could send that picture to Anschutz, but I'd be surprised if they did anything for you besides saying thank you.
Greg

I had the same thing happen on my 1400 series rifle.

The metal just fractures at that point. It broke at the square to round transition on the 1400 series pin.
Nothing you can do about it, order a new pin from CC or CS.

The pin that broke can be cut down for a dry fire pin.

The worst problem I ever had with my Anschutz was the bolt stuck at the end of a 1600. That one took some doing to get it appart. Good thing I finished the match and was only shooting up the last 3 shots in the box of ammo. The cam in the bolt had formed a burr due to inadequate lube... Don't ever forget to lube the cam.

Im on my third firing pin. Just use the broken firing pin... but soon later u will notice the pin break at another point.. i think the pin is designed to absorb the impact onto brass that cushions the energy...

but now.. altho its not hitting the breach face.. there is still a "violent" click when the shot goes off that the firing pin is not accustom too so after time it just breaks..

my theory anyways.. ur better off with the way u have ur pin now cuz theres no chance of it hitting the breach face.