[105GunGrunt]

I purchased my SA M1A Super Match about two years ago. Over the course of about six months I put about 100 rounds through it with no apparent problems. The primary ammunition used was Federal American Eagle designed for the M1A. I bought about five boxes to break it in and make some initial sight settings.

Four weeks ago I took it to a club match. Again, I was using the Federal American Eagle with the 168gr OTM and (so I’ve been told) CCI #34 primers. After about 15-20 rounds I got a FTF due to a light strike on the primer. I kept shooting but about every 10 rounds, give or take, I would get another light strike FTF.

Today I took the rifle to the range and fired a combination of rounds of commercial ammo from various manufacturers with the following results.

5 rounds Federal American Eagle -- All fired without issue
5 rounds PMC – All fired without issue
5 rounds Hornady Match – three fired, two light strike FTF
5 rounds Federal Premium – one fired, four light strike FTF
Back to PMC
5 rounds PMC – all light strikes FTF

As you can see the more I fire the more likely I will get a light strike! What is going on here????

 

[botlaudio]

I purchased my SA M1A Super Match about two years ago. Over the course of about six months I put about 100 rounds through it with no apparent problems. The primary ammunition used was Federal American Eagle designed for the M1A. I bought about five boxes to break it in and make some initial sight settings.

Four weeks ago I took it to a club match. Again, I was using the Federal American Eagle with the 168gr OTM and (so I’ve been told) CCI #34 primers. After about 15-20 rounds I got a FTF due to a light strike on the primer. I kept shooting but about every 10 rounds, give or take, I would get another light strike FTF.

Today I took the rifle to the range and fired a combination of rounds of commercial ammo from various manufacturers with the following results.

5 rounds Federal American Eagle -- All fired without issue
5 rounds PMC — All fired without issue
5 rounds Hornady Match — three fired, two light strike FTF
5 rounds Federal Premium — one fired, four light strike FTF
Back to PMC
5 rounds PMC — all light strikes FTF

As you can see the more I fire the more likely I will get a light strike! What is going on here????

Have you every cleaned the chamber of this rifle? Are you sure the bolt is fully locked and rotated in lock position and the oprod is fully forward.

 

[105GunGrunt]

Yes, chamber cleaned after every firing. After first light strikes I began the hitting the op lever with the heel of my hand. Still no joy.

 

[ShootingSight]

Disassemble the trigger group. Use the skills you acquired in kindergarten to color in the entire hammer with a sharpie pen.

Do it twice to make sure it is fully coated.

After it is dry, reassemble and take it out shooting, until you have several light strikes.

Diassemble the trigger group, and examine the hammer under a good light with a magnifier, and look for spots where the sharpie ink is rubbed away and you see silver, especially around leading edges.

 

[MontanaLon]

I'll be watching this thread as I had similar issues this past week with mine.

Fed M1A shot fine
XM80C FTF with light strikes half the time
ZQI FTF with light strikes about half the time
FGMM shot fine

It isn't a big deal but if I run out of match ammo in the apocalypse I'm hosed.

 

[ShootingSight]

I suspect it is not an ammo issue. Here is where I have seen light strikes in the past:

The bottom outside edge of the safety cam just barely interferes with the safety bridge in the receiver. There was just barely a little side to side slop between the hammer and the trigger housing, such that if the hammer wandered a little to the right in the trigger housing, it would clear and work fine, but if it wandered to the left, it would strike the safety bridge with sufficient force to rob the hammer of energy, resulting in a light strike.

Take a careful look at your hammer, and see if there is a shiny spot in the steel on the underside, outside edge of the safety cam (the kind of nose shaped bump on the hammer face), and if there is, just round out that corner slightly on a belt sander.

 

[hytekrednek]

Maybe try a new usgi hammer spring, or a Tubb's hammer spring. Both cheap parts.