Light strikes or bad ammo ?

JunkCollector

Went out today to try that double barrel shotgun.
I only brought some old paper shells.
I'm kind of on the fence if the strikes were just too light or the shells were just no good ?

So figured I'd ask 

And I know AL likes pictures
So just one of it.

I do have more modern shells to try but definitely want to find out soon as I have hunts planned for my son.

sakodude

Looks like a weak strike to me. Different ammo may give a better result. Not sure how hard it is to get to the springs, I've been to afraid to take mine apart to replace a sear

Linefinder

Not a shotgun pro, but that sure looks like a pretty light strike to me.

Mike

bullsi1911

Linefinder said:

Not a shotgun pro, but that sure looks like a pretty light strike to me.

Mike

what he said.

Spk

Before you take it apart, try different ammo.

Linefinder

While shotgun primers don't usually exhibit the flattened corner radius rifle primers do....those primers show nearly factory corner radius.  They didn't even try to go off. Try different ammo, as SPK said. If you get similar results.....it's the spring.

Mike

Jayhawker

How old is that ammo?

NN

Primer strikes look good to me-----did you only try and shoot those two rnds?
I got some old paper shells from my Uncle----some shot and some did not.

That stuff could be 60 yrs old.

JunkCollector

Jayhawker said:

How old is that ammo?

Good question it's old enough I don't remember the box as a kid.
Sears Roebuck and co. Mallard picture box and paper not plastic.

To me it looks right on the edge where they should have fired.

NN

Take the shot and powder out of a couple more and try and shoot the primers in the garage if ya can't just go outside a pop a couple.

JunkCollector

Spk said:

Before you take it apart, try different ammo.

Definitely 

GunNut

JunkCollector said:

Jayhawker said:

How old is that ammo?

Good question it's old enough I don't remember the box as a kid.
Sears Roebuck and co. Mallard picture box and paper not plastic.

To me it looks right on the edge where they should have fired.

Me too...

JunkCollector

sakodude said:

Looks like a weak strike to me. Different ammo may give a better result. Not sure how hard it is to get to the springs, I've been to afraid to take mine apart to replace a sear

Just do it ....

JunkCollector

Linefinder said:

While shotgun primers don't usually exhibit the flattened corner radius rifle primers do....those primers show nearly factory corner radius.  They didn't even try to go off. Try different ammo, as SPK said. If you get similar results.....it's the spring.

Mike

Mike I don't know if any of that would really change until after ignition? 

JunkCollector

On the bright side the shells ejected really well.
Love the single trigger too.
I'm a wuss and afraid of those two trigger ones.

Linefinder

JunkCollector said:

Linefinder said:

While shotgun primers don't usually exhibit the flattened corner radius rifle primers do....those primers show nearly factory corner radius.  They didn't even try to go off. Try different ammo, as SPK said. If you get similar results.....it's the spring.

Mike

Mike I don't know if any of that would really change until after ignition? 

I agree....but the pin indentation didn't seem to disturb the corner radius of the primers at all, even though one strike is obviously off-center. Should have been a bit of  a difference, even without ignition.

Try different ammo. Clean the firing pin hole...or, ...god help me.....even spray some CRC Brake cleaner 
in the FP hole and dry-fire before squirting some WD40 in there. Keep dry firing. Until you're bored.

Try again with ammo of known age/pedigree.. If no goodie.....change the spring.

Mike

JunkCollector

Already took out some plastic ones to try Mike.
Still a bit old but post 1960.
I'll give an update tomorrow. 

Linefinder

Do you remember Canuck hard plastic shotgun shells...from the late 60's? Red in color regardless of chambering, that threw  more shrapnel out the ejection port than they threw in the air?

My Dad thought they were the coolest thing he'd ever seen while standing ankle deep in hard red plastic 12 gauge casing shards while I was standing ankle deep in dead ducks holding a .410 loaded with paper-hulled Remington-Peters filled with #6 shot.

Funny the things you remember sometimes.

Mike

Bigslug

Yeah.  Try different ammo.  I've seen new top end buckshot with an occasional super hard primer that gives duds with shallow impact craters very similar to what you have there.

earlyagain

Those shells are older than bias ply white side walls.

You know what to do.

JunkCollector

I think I'll go with a no on that until proven otherwise.
.


So stay away from those ?

tennmike

Those are light primer strikes for sure, at least in my opinion. Try new shotshells first, and if that doesn't work then do this. First thing to check is firing pin protrusion and that's going to require disassembly. So check the firing pin channels first on disassembly, and then measure firing pin protrusion.. Crud buildup can stop firing pins from going fully forward. Clean firing pin channels and then push firing pins forward for protrusion measurement again. If there is a marked difference then you may have found the  culprit. Last thing that could be the culprit is the hammer springs being weak.
That box of shotshells looks like 1960s stuff, but if it was stored in cool dry place, then they should shoot.

Don't know the shotgun and can't look up internals, but there should be a spring in front of each firing pin to push it back so  shotgun can be opened without firing pins scraping the shell heads. Those springs are where the crud builds up from oil and dust.

Jayhawker

Surely you have some ammo that's not as old as I am....I'm not entirely convinced those are light strikes...

JunkCollector

Mike I plan on trying it tomorrow with better shells
I sent some kroil down the firing pin holes today when I got home.

Scott ....maybe......lol

Linefinder

JunkCollector said:

I think I'll go with a no on that until proven otherwise.
.


So stay away from those ?

I didn't think anyone would remember those!!! Thanks for the blast from the past!

Mike

JunkCollector

Remember  ?
I even still have a CIL gun here.
Whiz bangs and more....:)

JerryBobCo

I have a couple of shotguns that do that.  One's an old .410 that probably has a weak spring or a worn/broke firing pin.  The other is a 20 gauge Stevens 310 double.  One barrel will file.  The other won't.

I've been telling myself for at least 20 years that I'll have those fixed one of these days.

JunkCollector

Jerry I just cant ever leave a gun broken. I have to fix them.


Guess it was the shells.
Tried some others today and bang bang.
Glad I don't have to take it apart.
Oh and it hits true.

earlyagain

Maybe the Kroil helped too.

Happy guns! Happy day!

JunkCollector

earlyagain said:

Maybe the Kroil helped too.

Happy guns! Happy day!

It very well could have Mike.
Having it go off probably did it some more good too.
Loosening anything else up.
Sometime I'll try those paper ones again and see what happens.

tennmike

JunkCollector said:

Jerry I just cant ever leave a gun broken. I have to fix them.


Guess it was the shells.
Tried some others today and bang bang.
Glad I don't have to take it apart.
Oh and it hits true.

Those firing pin indents look a lot deeper. So I guess the Kroil worked in softening up some crud in the firing pin channels.