Help -Mauser-Musgrave firing pin safety

[Gnr527]

Somewhat off-topic but I hope you will bear with me.
Just aquired a Mauser actioned .308Win Musgrave target rifle - aftermarket?
The back end of the firing pin screws into the cocking piece and is locked with a grub screw - so the pin projection can be adjusted from nil to .109 inch.
It is currrently set at .063inch.
The firing pin has an integral collar circa 2.5 inches from the tip - the rear of this acts as a bearing for the spring and the front stops on an internal shoulder in the bolt body to give the firing pin projection of .109inch. Any lesser projection is controlled by the front of the cocking piece striking a shoulder in the cocking piece holder.
Is this a satisfactory set-up and if yes what should the optimum pin projection be for .308Win?

The safety is a swing action on the cocking piece holder - this should swing into a slot in the cocking piece at full cock - but it doesnt because of a little forward creep of the sear at full cock. The trigger is single action breaking at about 4lb 4oz. Before I dismantle everything is this creep likely to be adjustable in the trigger?(trigger marked ERA)
Thanks in anticipation - John

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[Jim K]

A projection of .063" is normal. There are really two factors, 1) the firing pin must retract into the bolt when the bolt is cocked or it will interfere with cartridge feeding, and 2) it must be long enough to fire the primer reliably and consistently.

Other than the situation in 1) above, excessive firing pin protrusion is unimportant; contrary to common belief, what is called a "pierced primer" does not result from excessive protrusion, but from a light strike with insufficient firing pin support. Unless a firing pin has a very sharp point, it cannot "pierce" a primer, it simply stops in the primer.

I have no idea why the firing pin is set up that way, but it might be an attempt by an after-market maker to allow for varying tolerances in the original bolts. You don't indicate what actually acts as a firing pin stop, but it should be the flange on the firing pin itself, not the cocking piece, so it seems as if the designer intended to allow a protrusion of .109", a very long protrusion and one that could, I think, interfere with feeding.

Jim

[Gnr527]

Interesting Jim - many thanks.
It's Open day at Bisley this saturday so I think I will take it up to Fultons or Clarks (who have both produced this rifle set-up) for their comments.
In the meantime if anyone has any ideas/info on the safety/trigger function I would be grateful.
John

[Jim K]

I think you want to check for failure of sear reset, which could be dangerous. To check, make sure the rifle is unloaded, then cock it normally. Set the safety to on (safe). Pull the trigger and release it. turn the safety to off (fire). If the firing pin falls without the trigger being pulled, you have a dangerous condition, so best have the whole trigger/safety system checked over.

There have been several accidents, a couple fatal, where a person put a rifle on safe and pulled the trigger to "check". When the safety was released, the gun fired. I know about keeping a loaded gun pointed in a safe direction, but still a rifle should not fire until the trigger is pulled.

Jim

[Gnr527]

Will do Jim

At present it is extremely difficult to put the safety on. I'll come back after my visit tomorrow.
Regards
John

[Gnr527]

Doh!

My 'safety catch' is a 'breakdown catch' to enable the bolt to be cocked and locked by hand/catch - thus enabling the bolt to be easily dismantled -works perfectly!

"Musgrave target rifles do not generally have safetys"

Thanks for the help Jim

Regards
John