Since other's are throwing ideas out there, I'll add my

Since you and your friend are experienced with ARs, and the bolt and firing pin are reported clean and lubed, have you actually looked at the firing pin itself. I know a lot of the guys I served with in the Marines used the firing pin as a scraper on the barrel crown just inside the flash hider, and sometimes on the ridges inside the bolt carrier. Over time it will dull the firing pin down a bit. Or it could just be a bad firing pin. Like I said, just my
