Hi All,

About 20 years ago I bought a "gunsmith special" 1885 Winchester Lo Wall from a shop in Australia. The little rifle had quite a few problems that I have addressed over the years. Now it is stocked, rust blued, off center scope base holes corrected, horrible rifling corrected with a .17 caliber liner and chambered in .17 Ackely Hornet.

Yesterday, I took it out to the range and shot it for the first time. The little rifle shot quite well WHEN it FIRED, one out of five rounds did not pop! Upon inspection, I noticed that the firing pin was striking the primer at 6 o'clock between the center of the primer and the rim of the primer. The firing pin indents appear to be the same on the rounds that fired as on those that did not.

My first thought was a worn link but in spite of the prior neglect and rough life, the little action is very smooth and tight, still a possibility. Then I thought about the fact that I was using magnum primers that might be too hard even though four out of five fired. 

So now I am really confused, I believe I saw that some one does sell new links that can be drilled to raise the breech block that may solve my miss fires. OR

I can load up some more using regular primers and/or small pistol primers, even though I am not sure that they will not puncture, being weaker and the pin hitting so close to the edge.

I have always received good sound advice from you experienced and learned gentlemen and am hoping for sound guidance once again.

Thank you all in advance,
Marcos (elalto)
 

First make sure it is a center fire block and not a rim fire block. Yes, you can make a new link to center the firing pin but raising the block can lead to other problems such as the hammer not coming to full cock except when closing the action. It all has to work together and when something is off the geometry gets tricky. The bottom edges of the block should be about flush with the bottom of the action. If the block is below the action sides then raising it will probably be the correct solution.