Some of you may recall my Mauser Build. It was based on a retired Military action, and had some significant erosion around the firing pin hole.  I never addressed this during the build, and it hasn't been an issue until now.

As long as I kept the pressures reasonable, I had some primer flow around the firing pin into the hole, leaving a " cratered" primer, but no other issues. Lately, I've been pushing to find the speed limit of the rifle, and I finally got into a pressure range that vented a primer.

Time to fix it.

I neglected to get a photo of the firing pin in the eroded hole, or the cratered primers, but this photo from the build gives some idea of the erosion issue.



I tried swapping to a larger firing pin, and considered brazing or welding the pin and turning it to fit the hole, but nothing seemed to be a good solution. I had a spare bolt, but didn't want the headache of having to headspace a new bolt and weld on a new bolt handle, so my machinist neighbor and I concocted a harebrained scheme to repair the firing pin hole by bushing it.

Using a 1/4 " piloted counterbore bit, and the bolt bending block as a holding fixture, we bored 3/16 into the face of the bolt around the firing pin hole.





We then turned a piece to a tight press fit, drilled the correct firing pin hole, and cut it off a bit long. The bushing is fitted above the original firing pin shoulder in the bolt, sot the firing pin strike still hits the original bolt and cannot drive the bushing out.

Crappy potato photo of the bushing on the firing pin.



And after driving it in, and milling it flush with the bolt face.



cold blued and off to the range!

I fired 25 rounds, + 3 that were loaded well past any factory pressure. I got flat primers, but no flow, no venting, and the firing pin strikes look "normal".

The bolt face after range session; it may have compressed in another 1/2 mill or so under the 60,000 psi hammer, but no sign of primers backing out or any other issue.



So I'm pretty happy with the result, I'm able to shoot hotter loads without issues now, I'll continue to monitor the bushing, but I see no problem with it.

Opinions?

Nice job
I doubt you'll aver have an issue

I've seen similar repair done to a Rem 700 bolt.Looks good,works good!

looks good, i think the pin hole on my turk is pretty nasty to but its .45acp so its not been a problem. i jsut wish i had that mill so i could take the stripper clip hump off and mount some irons at the rear lol.

You can clean that stripper clip hump off with a file and some good flat stones, no mill needed.  BTDT.

Yep, That's  how I did mine.

helps to have some free hanging stones for making that first cut too........

i dunno the hump on the turk is pretty massive.... i do need to get around to it tho lol

Good job.  I've been meaning to do this with a P14 Enfield, but CCI34 primers hold together well enough for me not to have to do this.