22 hornet question

[gregintenn]

I have an old 219 Savage chambered for 22 Hornet. I have heard that some of the early ones had .223" bores, while the later ones had .224" bores. I fired some factory ammo in this rifle, and noticed the primers looked funny. A couple actually had holes in them. Could this be from high pressure due to a possible bore/bullet size mismatch?

 

[gregintenn]

I have an old 219 Savage chambered for 22 Hornet. I have heard that some of the early ones had .223" bores, while the later ones had .224" bores. I fired some factory ammo in this rifle, and noticed the primers looked funny. A couple actually had holes in them. Could this be from high pressure due to a possible bore/bullet size mismatch?

 

[john traveler]

Absolutely! Pierced primers should not be ignored. Check your breech face and firing pin tip for burrs or irregularities that can damage the primer. Is it flattened, or is the firing pin dent extruded back into the fp hole? What brand and lot number of ammunition? Maybe you should contact the manufacturer too. In my dim distant memory, I remember something about .22 Hornet ammunition recalled for safety reasons.

This business of US produced ammunition showing overpressure signs in european-made .22 Hornet rifles used to be a regular thing because the european standards call for tigher bores too.

 

[David Sinko]

I have done some loading for the .22 Hornet in a T/C Contender. It can be a very fickle cartridge due to the tiny case volume. I never pierced primers but I came close a few times. Check both the firing pin tip and the breechface for erosion. Any damage to the firing pin tip can cause pierced primers with all subsequent loads and this situation would need to be addressed immediately before you reach the point of no return.

Dave Sinko