jamesakelbly
New member
We have been hearing rumors of shooters with Kelbly actions are trying heavier 28 pound firing pin springs. The standard for Kelbly actions is 22 – 24 pound springs. The Kelbly firing pin system was copied after Remington’s 700 design and for many years we used OEM Remington complete firing pin bought directly from Remington. When Remington introduced the J Lock firing pin system, Kelbly’s started producing our own complete firing pin system. The main reason Kelbly’s has used the Remington system is the amount of time and money Remington spent on testing the firing pin system and proper ignition in 1960 (approximate). Remington and Mike Walker were looking for the most accurate system and spent several years and around 150,000.00 dollars in the quest for ultimate accuracy. Mike Walker was an avid short range benchrest shooter till he died at the age of 101 in 2013. Mike was driven to get in HOF as a shooter but was 1 point short of the ten points needed. Now that 150,000.00 dollars plus that Remington spent would be equal in today’s dollars 1,303,418.92. Mike was a close enough friend to the Kelbly’s that he told us this story.
Mike had warned us about using firing pin springs that were lighter or heavier than the 22 – 24 pound spring would greatly affect accuracy. This was proven to Remington along with the amount of fall the firing pin itself must have. The firing pin fall MUST be .240ths or longer to not have negative effect on accuracy. And many a short range BR shooter has proved this over and over again in their pursuit of better accuracy. We have also heard long range shooters find changing to a shorter length of fall and heavier firing pin springs was detrimental to accuracy.
Kelbly’s is hearing that what many of you call timing a action, that while timing the action for smooth bolt closing, many shooters are reducing the length of fall to be shorter than .240ths. This as with using a 28 pound spring will cause accuracy to suffer. In many case it causes vertical or wild shots. We have over the past several years had to replace bolts that were “timed” with new bolts that are within Kelbly specs due to inaccuracies shooters started to experience.
It seems about every five to ten years, new shooters searching for more accuracy out of their rifles, are doing the same thing that has been tried since the 1950’s. I have personally seen it since the early 1980’s when I started at Kelbly’s.
We always encourage shooters to look at ways to improve accuracy, but using a heavier firing pin springs and reducing the length of fall of the firing pin is not the answer. This has been proven over the last 60 plus years, over and over again.
Jim
Mike had warned us about using firing pin springs that were lighter or heavier than the 22 – 24 pound spring would greatly affect accuracy. This was proven to Remington along with the amount of fall the firing pin itself must have. The firing pin fall MUST be .240ths or longer to not have negative effect on accuracy. And many a short range BR shooter has proved this over and over again in their pursuit of better accuracy. We have also heard long range shooters find changing to a shorter length of fall and heavier firing pin springs was detrimental to accuracy.
Kelbly’s is hearing that what many of you call timing a action, that while timing the action for smooth bolt closing, many shooters are reducing the length of fall to be shorter than .240ths. This as with using a 28 pound spring will cause accuracy to suffer. In many case it causes vertical or wild shots. We have over the past several years had to replace bolts that were “timed” with new bolts that are within Kelbly specs due to inaccuracies shooters started to experience.
It seems about every five to ten years, new shooters searching for more accuracy out of their rifles, are doing the same thing that has been tried since the 1950’s. I have personally seen it since the early 1980’s when I started at Kelbly’s.
We always encourage shooters to look at ways to improve accuracy, but using a heavier firing pin springs and reducing the length of fall of the firing pin is not the answer. This has been proven over the last 60 plus years, over and over again.
Jim
