Possible causes for indented firing pin face?

**5.56 Bonded SP** · 11-06-17, 21:21

I have a rifle that has a firing pin with the tip of it being slightly cratered/indented, it has a firing pin spring as well ( not an AR15 ).
I am wondering what are the most common reasons for this. Is it possible that some of my reloads were headspaced a little too short, or is this a common wear indication seen with high round counts? I used a headspace gauge for the brass headspacing, it is the kind where you drop the brass into it like this device, I am wondering if maybe the headspace guage is slightly out of spec, it is for 223 not 308 https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/88...yABEgIatPD_BwE
I did find it strange because I have shot all the same reloads out of my AR15s, and none of my AR firing pins have the same crater on the face of the firing pin. As well, none of the reloads showed any over pressure signs that I was aware of, no flattened, blown, or pierced primers.

**ghostly** · 11-06-17, 22:13

Could you post a picture?

Is it a ring shape around the firing pin hole?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**markm** · 11-07-17, 10:32

If the tip of the firing pin is etched, it's likely the result of pierced primers. It will typically get worse as a non-smooth firing pin will progressively pierce more primers... snowballing the problem until bolt face damage occurs.

**bigedp51** · 11-07-17, 13:43

If you can adjust firing pin protrusion the tip of the firing pin can be stoned and reshaped back to normal.

Many of my old milsurp rifles had the tip of the firing pitted from leaking primers at the center of the primer dent, and could be stoned/sanded and reshaped like new.

**5.56 Bonded SP** · 11-07-17, 15:22

Well, none of the primers of my fired brass have been pierced. I was wondering if maybe the soulder/headspace was bumped back too short? It is the tip of the firing pin. I pick up and inspect all my brass to be reloaded again, and there hasn't been a single pierced primer.

Also @ghostly, I don't think my camera phone will be able to take a decent picture. The bolt face looks fine, it's just the tip of the firing pin that is slightly cratered, the gun has probably 3000-5000 rounds though it, mostly factory ammo and about 500-1000 reloads.

**markm** · 11-07-17, 15:29

You have all of the fired cases accounted for? Is it a gun that's hard to get a replacement?

**TomMcC** · 11-07-17, 15:55

Well, if it's not pierced primers ( I agree with markm that this is usually the cause) then it has to be a substandard FP. Primer cups are way softer than a chrome plated steel pin. I can't envision how headspacing would erode the tip of a FP. Short headspacing might lead to bolt locking issues, at least that's how it seems to me, but eroded FP tips? I don't see that.

**5.56 Bonded SP** · 11-07-17, 16:09

Originally Posted by markm

You have all of the fired cases accounted for? Is it a gun that's hard to get a replacement?

Yes, I would say at least 95+% of fired brass has been accounted for, and I have not noticed any problems with the brass/primers. Some of the reloads were pretty hot, but of the hot reloads I checked all the primers and did not notice any abnormalities.
A new firing pin should only cost about 20 bucks, so it isn't a big deal getting a replacement, I just wanted to try and figure out a possible cause for this issue so that it isn't something that keeps happening. I figure I will just replace the extractor and stuff since the gun has had a lot of rounds through it.
The firing pin is not chrome lined, I think it has some type of nitride treatment.

The crater is pretty small, and I haven't noticed it getting bigger in the past few hundred rounds.

The gun is a Tavor X95 and here is the firing pin replacement on their site. https://iwi.us/product/tavor-firing-...ng-pin-spring/

**TomMcC** · 11-07-17, 16:30

Originally Posted by 5.56 Bonded SP

Yes, I would say at least 95+% of fired brass has been accounted for, and I have not noticed any problems with the brass/primers. Some of the reloads were pretty hot, but of the hot reloads I checked all the primers and did not notice any abnormalities.
A new firing pin should only cost about 20 bucks, so it isn't a big deal getting a replacement, I just wanted to try and figure out a possible cause for this issue so that it isn't something that keeps happening. I figure I will just replace the extractor and stuff since the gun has had a lot of rounds through it.
The firing pin is not chrome lined, I think it has some type of nitride treatment.

The crater is pretty small, and I haven't noticed it getting bigger in the past few hundred rounds.

The gun is a Tavor X95 and here is the firing pin replacement on their site. https://iwi.us/product/tavor-firing-...ng-pin-spring/

Have you fired this same ammo in another of your guns? Any probs show up?