I know, it's a PITA to diagnose things without seeing them, and compound that this was a while ago....

I'm wanting to get my rifles back in order. I haven't shot my 35 whelen AI in just over 5 years I think, here was the deal.

It's on a 1917 Remington, has cock on open kit and trigger (not sure if dayton or timney). It was a gift from my stepfather. When I first got it I used win 30-06 brass, full length sized, then fireformed (I always fireform by using a light standard whelen load, figuring might as well get the shooting in). after that full length sized and reloaded. never had any problems.

I was scheduled for a pig hunt and decided to try out some remington 35 whelen brass. IIRC fireforming went fine and I was at range a week or so before and doing final on AI loads, ended up getting 5 out of 10 misfire. primer strike was lighter on these 5.

Here is the question, is there someting wrong with the rifle most likely and it needs to be checked out, or possible the rem brass versus the win? I decided to go back to winchester brass but wanted to know if it's the right starting point.

thanks all
(by the way, I know I could just do this and run to range, but there is no close/affordable range any more so don't want wasted trip and money).

Red

First, light loads do not a good fireformed case make. Or something like that. Use full house loads. Also, make certain you can feel the bolt close on the case. Make sure you aren't bumping the shoulders back during resizing. There shouldn't be any lateral play between the case and the bolt during fireforming. In order to get a good, consistent form that is.

Go back to the '06 cases and see if they still work like they did. If so, use them until you can sort out the problem with the Whelen brass.

Thats a yes on the undersize Rem. brass.
Years ago, back at Dakota had a 35 Whelan did not want to go bang. Turned out not to be the rifle. I found the Rem. ammo was up .020 short on the headspace. About 1/4 of each box of ammo had the problem.
Timan

Also, please be advised that the more-commonly-encountered upcock conversions for the 1914/17 often have problems with light primer strikes. This is most noticable on the Dayton-Traister cocking pieces but can take place with almost any of the aftermarket products.

The problem is caused by 2 factors acting simultaneously. First, the new cocking piece is made so as to use the original cocking cam surface on the bolt, but this camming surface isn't deep enough to cam the striker back far enough to ensure a good primer strike, only about 1/4"-5/16" of striker travel. Unless a stronger striker spring is substituted, the primer strike is often too light for good ignition.

Secondly, the new cocking piece is often made a little too long on its front end, resulting in less firing pin protrusion when it's bottomed out in the bolt sleeve, sometimes as little as 0.020" or less!

Two solutions: either alter the new cocking piece for better-but-not-necessarily-perfect ignition (fairly simple) or else alter the original cocking piece and bolt to use a longer upcock striker travel, similar to other rifles (not simple but not rocket science either).

In any case, it would be A Good Idea to check your striker nose protrusion. I recommend AT LEAST 0.040" for this particular application and it can safely protrude up to 0.065" with no problems at all.
Regards, Joe

Thanks I will check that tonight on the protrusion.

on the light loads, I should have been more clear, they are standard loads you would start with with in the whelen, just not worked up loads. they aren't under powered or anything, you could hunt them if you wanted.

thanks guys, it's all appreciated.

Red

What primers are you using? I have had the same issue with CCI primers, at some points 3 of every five or six rounds misfired. to verify it wasn't the gun I loaded up 20 using WW primers and 20 using Federal Primers, a guess what, each and every round went bang, not a single misfire. CCI apparently has some quality control issues with the cup metal thickness.

you know I was going to post back on here and ask about that. I was reading up on primers yesterday, as I need to place an order, and CCI apparently has the hardest primer cups, by far. I was thinking of trying the winchester or federal.

Red

quote:

Originally posted by thndrchiken:
What primers are you using? I have had the same issue with CCI primers,

The CCI #34 primers work great in most of our rifles but in some there are no fires.We've attributted it to weak fireing pin springs as the primer cups ,by design, are harder to dimpple. roger

sorry, I thought I'd replied on this, I did check the protrusion and it was .045 IIRC.

does this look right though?

quote:

Originally posted by Dago Red:


does this look right though?

Uhhh, no.

I didn't think so, looks like somebody took a dremel to it doesn't it? anybody got a picture of what it should look like? maybe I back shelf this rifle till I have money to send it to a gunsmith, only shop in town was shop it originally came from. of course it's a difference gunsmith since then, and he fixed a rifle for me the other day no problem. I hear he does good work.

Red

I didn't think so, looks like somebody took a dremel to it doesn't it? anybody got a picture of what it should look like? maybe I back shelf this rifle till I have money to send it to a gunsmith, only shop in town was shop it originally came from. of course it's a difference gunsmith since then, and he fixed a rifle for me the other day no problem. I hear he does good work.

Red