Bergara Rifle Fail

[65WSM]

I saw a Bergara rifle fail on the bench next to me at the Range Yesterday. The rifle was a B-14 Tactical in 6.5 Creed. He was firing the new small primer pocket Lapua brass. He pierced a CCI 450 primer and the bolt shroud broke off and came back into his face. I examined the shroud, it broke at the first thread. It is made of cast zinc and is mostly hollow. Those of us of Mauser, Model 70 or Model 700 experience would not be impressed. He was using a chronograph at the time and the velocity was just under 2450 fps. He was shooting the 143 ELD Horny bullets. He was using R-17. He said this is the second time that the shroud broke off. The first time was with large rifle primers.

I examined the firing pin and cocking piece. The cocking piece also looks like cast zinc that is pinned to the firing pin. Not steel. I have had personal trials with 6.5-47 Lapua brass with small primer pockets piercing. Firing pins made for large primers in Model 70s are not perfect for small primers but at least your cheek and eyes are safe from flying bolt shrouds and primer metal. The whole bolt, with cast zinc parts, looks like it is under engineered for long and accurate shooting.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Doesn't that seem awful slow as far as velocity ? Or do you think it was lower due to the blow back out of the back of the action?? Or maybe an under loaded round that caused a detonation?

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

Hard to believe that would be enough to cause that to occur... So much for modern metals ! Stick to the large primer may be the lesson ...


In other words it's. JUNK !!!!

 

[65WSM]

The shooter did not feel he was hot rodding the 6.5 Creed. He had shot about 15 times successfully before I got there. Since he was shooting over a chronograph, I looked at his string and the pierced primer round was representative. He was cooling for several minutes at a time. He could have "cooked" the powder but again it was representative. I looked at the belts for expansion and I did not see any more that the slightest swelling to the chamber on the fired cases. I would have no trouble half neck sizing his cases in my Wilson die and fitting them in the same chamber again. I worked his fired cases through the chamber with the bolt, sans shroud, and they were not sticky or tight.

 

[sable tireur]

65WSM,

He said this is the second time that the shroud broke off. The first time was with large rifle primers.

If the shroud broke off before, who repaired/replaced it and how was it replaced or repaired?

Did he notify Bergara USA with his observations, broken part and comments?

I know this sounds too simplistic and logical but if he hasn't done so already, this should be is first/second stop. They need to be aware of this problem.

Regards.

 

[65WSM]

The shooter said he sent the whole rifle to where Berretta said to send it. What do you think of cast Zinc as the bolt shroud and cocking piece?

 

[sable tireur]

65WSM,

The shooter said he sent the whole rifle to where Berretta said to send it.

I'm sure you meant Bergara...

What do you think of cast Zinc as the bolt shroud and cocking piece?

While I am not a certified metals guy, I would initially doubt that it is cast zinc, although the possibility of being wrong exits.

It could be 'MIM'd parts, which 'metal injection molded'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_injection_molding

These can look suspiciously similar to cast zinc.

Regards.

 

[65WSM]

I am a retired Chemistry and Physics teacher. I believe the shroud to be zinc because of the heft. The part was denser than steel. It was clearly a casting because of flashing where the mold fit together. You could see the crystals at the break. The cocking piece looked to be cast from the same pot by color. And it had mold marks.

 

[sable tireur]

65WSM,

You should believe what your senses tell you.

But unless Bergara is about 50 years out of date, the parts are MIM. Remington pioneered the use of MIM parts in firearms in the 60's. Since that time the process has spread throughout the world, rapidly, to the point that it is considered to be THE method of making certain gun parts cheaply.

I have sent an e-mail to a technician friend of mine at Bergara, asking for an answer to this question. If and when he responds, I'll gladly pass this information along.

Enjoy the process!

 

[Bullet bumper]

To me it sounds like a case of maybe a bit of excess head clearance due maybe to over sizing and the case is rammed back onto the firing pin and pierces the primer .
Also primer may be a bit soft for the job . Firing pin end shape could be bad and act like a blanking punch and pierce the soft primer .
Also bolt gas escape design sounds wrong and is directing gas to the rear of the bolt instead of sideways or down . I have pierced a few primers in a Mauser action due to a bad firing pin but it was no drama due to proper gas venting design .
If that happened twice I would be sending it back and want a refund .

 

[Dgd6mm]

Tag gun)

 

[Andrewjns]

Following same exact issue. Same brass, bullet, velocity etc. Doing load development and it happened to me. Thought it was primer issue. Pulled bolt shroud and firing pin assembly. Noticed pulled threads on bolt shroud after degreasing. It blowed primers the would not cock after?