If any of you have a Valmet 412 double rifle which needs some professional TLC, I would recommend this man...he is Howard Hastings, and his address is

Hastings Gunsmithing
8503 Valencia Ave. #4
Lubbock, TX 79424


I had problems with my Valmet 412 for over 30 years. The firing pins would "hang up" and not retract sufficiently for the gun to be opened easily (if at all) after firing four or so rounds in 10 minutes. The problem ocurred with all four sets of barrels, so it was obviously something to do with the action's functioning.

I sent it to numerous gunsmiths for repairs, including at least two "Guild" members, without specifying any dollar limit on the repairs.
Both Guild members kept the gun for more months than one might expect, and both returned the gun working no better than when they received it.

At last I was tipped off about Mr. Hastings. He and I discussed the problem by e-mail. I sent him the rifle with two of the sets of barels and some of the sample fired cartridges from occasions when it refused to open properly.

His sevice was prompt (about one month including shipping both ways), he kept me informed of his findings and progress. The rifle was returned to my door together with all of the brass from rounds he fired after fixing it.

The brass he fired after repairs clearly showed none of the firing-pin marks with which the cases fired PRIOR to repair were marred.

His last comment on the problem was

"A lot of gunsmiths who work on Valmets do not know that the firing pins need to be individually fitted to the action. Yours were too long. It was a simple matter to reduce them to proper functioning lengths."

His charge was significantly less than $325 for repair and return shipping & insurance of the rifle and barrels (including over $100 of mmmo fired in his testing it at his range). And now my gun functions perfectly with all four sets of barrels for the first time since 1979.

Twenty consecutive 9.3x74R shots were fired as fast as the gun could be loaded, aimed, and shot with Federal factory ammo. All functioned as well as anyone could hope for, without a mark left on any of the cases and with the action opening smoothly and easily.

What were the symptoms? Were there "drag" marks on the fired brass? Fortunately I do not have the problem with my Tikka 512 SD (in 9.5x74R).
Thanks for the tip BTW.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
What were the symptoms? Were there "drag" marks on the fired brass? Fortunately I do not have the problem with my Tikka 512 SD (in 9.5x74R).
Thanks for the tip BTW.
Peter.

Yes, there were very deep "drag" marks on both the primers and the brass. The marks were so deep they looked almost like machined channels, and I could never figure out why the firing pin tips hadn't broken off. Also, as mentioned earlier, the rifle was almost impossible to open once it warmed up a bit after firing three or four rounds...and after 6 to 8 rounds, you flat COULDN'T open it until it cooled off.

Luckily the pins were "strong like Buffalo" and are still in there...now working fine.

Howard is used to working on the Valmet 412, the Tikka 512, and the Marocci (SP?) 512...all basically the same exact design and some of the same equipment/tooling being involved in their manufacture.

I am really tickled to have mine working, as it will put 4 shots of my RWS-cased 286 grain 9.3x74R ammo in about a 3/4" group at 100 yards when firing two shots from each barrel.

I would rather use the Federal "Safari" nickel-cased ammo, but it is $93 per box, while my RWS case handloads run me about $3.39 per box with my 30 year old bullets.

Thanks for the tip AC. I have two Valmets and 4 rifle barrels.

This is a little bit off topic, Rusty, but I am very curious about it...do all four of your barrel sets work on both of your actions?

I have heard that the 412/512 barrels have to be fitted to a specific action and either do not work well, or sometimes do not work at all, on actions other than the ones they were specifically fitted to. That has made me a bit reuluctant to buy used sets of barrels from private parties, for fear they might have had too muich metal removed (in fitting for other rifles) to work properly on my action.

With your pair, is that true or false?

Just because a bbl. set goes on and/or fires on more than one action, it does NOT mean it's "properly" fit!

I've seen ruined actions from bbl. sets that "worked", but didn't fit "properly"!

It you want your action to last, make SURE that the bbl. set being used on THAT action fits "properly"!

DM

No they are fitted to a specific action.