BAT 3 vs 2 Lug

There was a long, long thread on the 1,000 yard forum about ignition. Several people believed that spring pressure, firing pin weight, and firing pin fall do not give equal ignition. Not everyone agreed, (surprise), but several of the shooters responding were creditable.

To sum their thinking: In order of importance: length of fall is the best aid, increased weight second, and spring strength third. So while F does continue to equal MA, F is not the whole story.

Now lock time goes up with increased travel or increased mass, down with increased spring strength. Historically, the tendency has been to improve lock time. The question is, for benchrest, why? The only answer I can think of would be that vibration might go up with more mass or more travel. The rifle sure isn't moving. Lock time is like trigger over-travel. Of little interest in BR.

Well, adding fall to the firing pin, while perhaps the best answer, is hard work. Trigger position will change. You might even have to redo the cams, maybe a little welding. Easier to get the pin heavier. Easier still to get a stronger spring, but I believe that's not what (or all) that's being done on some of the reworked actions. If it has to be said, this is gunsmith work. You need to know what you're doing.
 
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Poor ignition starts well before primers do not ignite and it shows up in tuning.
 
Lee i bought a Bat S a little over a year ago used, 2003 model. The 1st match i was at i had 3 hall of famers tell me nice gun but you need to have Dwight or Dave tweak the bolt. I shot the gun the balance of last year the way i bought it with no problems. This spring at the Hog Roast i always had that bolt thing in the back of my mind, so i gave the bolt to Dave Bruno before i left for home and told him to do his thing to it. After i got it back and shot it the rest of 2010 i do think the groups were tighter, and i did eliminate that thought in the back of my mind that the bolt could be improved upon for a fraction of the cost of the price of a bench gun. So would i do it all over again, you bet i would.
 
There are a few areas that get relieved of material in order to allow the firing pin to travel as freely as possible. The spring is replaced with a higher quality, and non binding one. Also, a weight of heavy metal is added to the pin.
 
Lee,

Not all BAT or other actions have this problem, just like James Mock said in his post. I've had S/SV's that are just fine and some that were poor. Also, I've had 7.5 Bats that were ok and some not.

Some may argue with me on this but I have found that actions with ignition problems would usually drop the shot low and left. Sometimes barely sticking out of a group, sometimes half a ring away or more. I checked primers, primer seating depth, and a ton of other things. Had the mod done...problems went away. Gunsmith showed me where the drag was and the mods he did.

But don't think that this is limited to one action manufacture. Always send a new action to a smith and have him check it all out....the little extra money you spend may save a lot of headaches. However, I think I have a ignition problem popping up in another action, it's dropping shots low left and a friend said his spring went weak so I'm gonna check mine.

Just because it's a custom action....don't assume everything is perfect....that's the best advice I can give. There are some gunsmiths out there that go the extra mile to make sure the rifles iginition is right, everything is square and the stock tracks straight. Some even test fire some groups looking for tracking and iginition problems. Sure, they may cost a little more, but their actually making less.

Hovis
 
thanks fellas i am beggining to see the hole picture. what also comes to my mind is the need for a new primer design. we have state of the art everything else but the primers are old technology. i wonder if anyone is working on this. i think it could be a huge improvement. maybe anyway! lee
 
TRA said:
I'm confused, just what does this ignition issue have to do with the original question?
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I get the impression that the 3 lug BAT needs some mods for really consistent ignition - Tony Boyer was shooting off the next bench to me at the World Championships, and his silver rifle with the 3 lug had some considerable mods done to the back of the bolt. I think Wayne Campbell may have done this, but not sure.

I have a BAT DS (#148) and it has performed magnificently with no mods done. I set the trigger hanger to the number 0 position, and it the bolt is as slick as s--t through a goose.

I have a spare FP spring for it, and in the light of some of the info above, I may change to the new one before the next season starts. Then again, if it ain't broke, why fix it.

Brendan Atkinson
in South Australia
 
Ba

Please change it you need to do something the way it was shooting last I saw definitely needs adjusting some were.He Hee.
 
Thats just it. I haven't seen the need for any of these mods. I'm sure there is something to it, but for now I'm pretty content!! Lee
 
Skeet, I base a lot of feelings about this after what I saw at the 2009 Nationals, when really nice conditions allowed shooters who flat out had superior equipment to shoot phenominol aggs.

Many of us simply do not realize that we even have a problem untill we are hit with the stark reality of how inferior our program is. Not by much, mind you, but enough to make a big difference when it becomes a contest of Rifles, and not Shooters.

I think the barrel and bullet situation is lacking at this time. Not because our outstanding bullet makers are doing something wrong, but because they are simply at the mercy of the raw products they have to work with. It's the same with barrels..........jackie
 
How inferior our program is.

I agree 100% that the best of equipment will most definitely give you a certain edge however; when some of these Top shooters have their head in the right place they can - within limits - use whatever is there and still win.


Pete W. gives mention to this in thread: “How Many Are Just Trying To Get To Where You Were A Few Years Ago”

I watched a Hall of Famer pushing powder into his cases with his thumb after dropping the overflowing charge, with some of the powder falling away as he was about to seat a bullet and he still won the match.
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Ken
 
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