I have a Winchester Model 100 that won't fire.
Here is the back story: several years ago my brother purchased this rifle and we went to shoot it and it wouldn't fire, hear the hammer strike the firing pin but no primer dent.
I was aware of the firing pin recall so I contacted Winchester and sent in the old firing pin for their new one. The old pin looked perfect. Rifle is in great condition overall.
I installed the new firing pin and still no strike on the primer.
Before I tear into it again what might I be looking for?
This rifle is not a cake walk to tear down and reassemble so I don't want to do it too many more times.
Any help is appreciated.

For those who are curious about the Firing pin recall you can send in your pin after you make the phone call to check your serial number.
Here's the info:
Call 800-852-5734 or write them at:
Winchester Firing Pin Recall Notice
PO Box 10
Cottage Hills, IL 62018

Can't help you with your firing pin problem but just a word of warning with the Win 100. You must keep the gas piston and cylinder clean and at all costs avoid the piston becoming seized as unless you can work the slide fully back you cannot remove the action from the stock so if the piston is seized you cannot get at it until you can remove the stock - catch 22 if you like.
My father faced this problem when a seized Mod 100 was brought into him, He managed to sort it out without breaking anything and I remember him giving the owner a bit of a beat up about looking after his guns.

It is probably not closing the bolt suficiently

I have had one of these for over 40 years and had it apart a number of times to clean it. No big deal, maybe a little tricky. I could look at it if you like

If you're using reloads in it I'd check that. Most semi-autos need a reload made with Small Base dies.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
If you're using reloads in it I'd check that. Most semi-autos need a reload made with Small Base dies.

I'm not sure I believe this. I feel small base dies are an invention of the loading companies to sell more dies.

I load for AR15's, AR10's, M1 Garand, M1A1, Model 81 Remington, Model 100 Winchester, and Model 742 Remington...all neck sized often and most the time full length resized. No problems at all. In all my years for reloading I only ran into a problem where a friends brother had a Remington 700 in 30-06 and the reloads wouldn't chamber. I was using RCBS full length resizer die. Had no problem with using that die in reloading for many 30-06's. That Remington had a particularly tight chamber. It's been so long I can't remember what I did for him, it may have been I pulled the ammo down and started again and really camming over the full length sizer die.

VZ is absolutely right about small base dies. The most common issue is that of making the brass too long, base to shoulder; semi autos have no mechanical closing advantage like a bolt action. So, it is usually not the OD, but the length (hate to use the term headspace so won't).
I have faced off dies for guys.....
Not saying that is your issue but it could be. Try it with factory loads.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
VZ is absolutely right about small base dies. The most common issue is that of making the brass too long, base to shoulder; semi autos have no mechanical closing advantage like a bolt action. So, it is usually not the OD, but the length (hate to use the term headspace so won't).
I have faced off dies for guys.....
Not saying that is your issue but it could be. Try it with factory loads.

Tom I don't have a small base die to measure, but here's how I assume they are made. I believe they have a slightly tighter dimension at the base are of the die, or mouth of the die if you will. Now decades ago the gunrag Mike Venturino said you could in effect make your own small base dies by facing off the the die. Here's what I think about that Tom. When you do that you have shortened the die and it will push the should back. Remember I said I assumed the die companies only made the base area of the die tighter? Then kept the same other dimensions so you don't push the shoulder back with a properly adjusted die.

One thing you may try is thorough cleaning of the action.
Little WD-40 or some oils can gunk things up pretty good.
Good hosing with spray cleaner of choice (eye protection and outside) may remove those. Build up of just a little gunk internally can reduce hammer strike enough to produce what you are describing.

Don't forget a good oil/rust protective coating after this kind of cleaming

Thanks everyone for your input so far, let me answer some of your concerns.

I'm using factory ammo.
When I dismantled the rifle I cleaned it meticulously.
The bolt appears to close completely.
When I was assembling the bolt I took notice that the firing pin protrudes from the bolt face when depressed.

I just re read the letter from Winchester it says that they returned the firing pin I sent them because it is the new style and safe for use.

I'm about to tear it down again.

I'll be selling the rifle after it positively functions.

Thanks again

For those of you who do not understand small base dies, I’ll try to explain it simply to make understanding easy. The reason they work very well with semi-auto rifles, particularly when the rifle has a rotating bolt, is they allow a reloaded cartridge to easily drop into the chamber, facilitating easy and complete bolt closure. Bolts with lots of lugs that have to rotate into battery, like M-16/RR-15 and BLR, can’t overcome much resistance. Using small base dies gives a reloaded a bit of advantage in making reloads that will drop in and work. Now, if you don’t have experience with these type issues you might think small base dies aren’t needed, but I can tell you they can be effective.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
For those of you who do not understand small base dies, I’ll try to explain it simply to make understanding easy. The reason they work very well with semi-auto rifles, particularly when the rifle has a rotating bolt, is they allow a reloaded cartridge to easily drop into the chamber, facilitating easy and complete bolt closure. Bolts with lots of lugs that have to rotate into battery, like M-16/RR-15 and BLR, can’t overcome much resistance. Using small base dies gives a reloaded a bit of advantage in making reloads that will drop in and work. Now, if you don’t have experience with these type issues you might think small base dies aren’t needed, but I can tell you they can be effective.

AR's have far more camming power then you think and full length resizing dies bring down the dimensions of a size case plenty enough to fit the chamber. If they don't you either have a bad die or an exceptionally tight chamber. You are the one that doesn't understand small base dies sir. You go ahead and wear out your cases faster from oversizing.

Guess I wasn’t simple enough. Sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Guess I wasn’t simple enough. Sorry.

John let me tell you something about AR's. It's not the lugs on the bolt and barrel extension that rotate the bolt, it's the cam pin in the bolt..that's why they call it a "cam pin". The slot it rides in is slightly helical to rotate the bolt.

With that said this forum is a good read:

http://forums.thecmp.org/archi...ex.php/t-123939.html

Now after reading that there are exceptional chambers. Like the one I found on my friends Model 700 Remington 30-06. Notice the one poster said it's better to run a finish reamer in the chamber of a tight chambered gun rather then mess with SB dies? Also I'm not a firm believe in using brass fired in machineguns that have the web bulge, as the one poster mentioned SB dies bringing them back to correct size, because in my opinion that web has been weakened more then a cast that was fired out of a chamber that didn't bulge the web. But that's up to the user. Seems only two die manufacturers are making SB. The general consensus on that forum is you don't need them 90 to 98% of the time.

Yes, I misspoke when I said “most”. Certainly, some do benefit from SB dies, and if you have a rifle that’s not wanting to go into battery with your reloads trying a SB die just might be the answer.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Yes, I misspoke when I said “most”. Certainly, some do benefit from SB dies, and if you have a rifle that’s not wanting to go into battery with your reloads trying a SB die just might be the answer.

Toomany we've reached an agreement. As an aside I had some dealing with the RCBS engineering department decades ago and the engineer I was talking to said he wished that RCBS never came out with the SB dies. Said they were a solution to a problem that didn't exist. His exact words.

In that forum that poster said Hornady makes their dies to a tighter dimension. I use a lot of their dies and haven't found that to be true at all.

Happy reloading buddy!!!

Vince

Both of you are right; and also, some maker's dies are tighter than others. Each makes up it's own tolerances. I had a case in point just last year on a 338 Lapua; my RCBS dies would work fine in my Armalite AR50. But I got a Ruger; cases would not chamber; got a Hornady die; presto; slick as snot. Yes it was the OD of the brass about .5 inch up; not headspace.
If anyone reads the SAAMI drawings, (I do), you will see that it is a wonder that anything fits, the tolerances are so generous.
Anyway, none of this helps the OP; good luck to you.

Okay, now the Winchester Model 100 fires and cycles.

The problem was when I took it apart I paid very close attention and reassembled it in the exact same way. The person who worked on it before me had the head of the bolt out of time so when I assembled it I did the same.
Tore it down tonight, noticed the error and reassembled it correctly, fired it off my porch tonight into the dirt 4 times. Very light recoil for a .308.
I will be offering it up for sale soon.
Thanks everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Okay, now the Winchester Model 100 fires and cycles.

The problem was when I took it apart I paid very close attention and reassembled it in the exact same way. The person who worked on it before me had the head of the bolt out of time so when I assembled it I did the same.
Tore it down tonight, noticed the error and reassembled it correctly, fired it off my porch tonight into the dirt 4 times. Very light recoil for a .308.
I will be offering it up for sale soon.
Thanks everyone.

That's great news and glad you figured it up. I know it was driving you up a tree.