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Originally Posted by lefty_jake
One thing that I have learned is that when a firearm has a problem, and that firearm is always shot with reloads, then the problem should be confirmed with factory ammo. Usually this testing will give you a very good idea whether the problem is with the gun or the ammo.
Good luck with this issue. Sometimes these problems are frustrating, but they do eventually get solved.
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Agreed 100%. Hopefully this isn't too far off topic but I was having a light strike issue with my Ruger Security 9 and it was driving me crazy. I am also a reloader and wondered if the problem was with my ammo, even though my two M&P's had no problems at all running those same reloads. I had just decided to run some factory ammo to see if that made a difference when I found the problem.
I assume this is not your problem but I'd like to add the post I made for a Ruger forum about my findings as it does show that by process of elimination you should be able to isolate what the problem actually is:
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I bought a new Security 9 a few months ago and from day one I had light strike issues with it. Lately it's been 2-3 times per mag which is pretty bad. I was shooting factory Blazer Brass 115's and 124's as well as my reloads and the problem persisted no matter what ammo I used.
I read on a reloading forum that CCI primers were harder than some others so I loaded up some ammo using winchester primers but that didn't help either.
I have 2 Smith & Wesson 9mm's that have no problems with the same ammo that wouldn't run in the Ruger so I was certain the problem was with the gun. I took it to the range yesterday with 4 different combos of primer, charge and bullet weight. None would run without frequent light strikes. And then I noticed something that was the key to solving the riddle.
Every time there was a light strike there was a piece of primer stuck in the firing pin hole. I saved a couple of them:
They are perfect circles like they were punched out by a machine, so that was the clue I needed. When I got home and disassembled the firing pin and spring I could see that the hole the firing pin goes through was completely flat with a sharp edge to it.
I examined both of my Smiths and that same hole on them is chamfered. I think on my Ruger the firing pin ignites a round and when the case is pushed back the sharp edge cuts out that piece of primer which then gets stuck in the hole. Then when the pin tries to fire the next round the debris blocks it and causes the light strike.
I got a small cone shaped stone from my dremel kit and twirled it between my fingers in the hole till I could see a slight chamfer, then polished it up with some 1500 grit sandpaper. If you look close I think you can see the difference in this pic.
I'm happy to say that did the trick! The gun is now working the way it should. I went to the range today and fired 4 different ammos for a total of 103 rounds and didn't have a single problem. It eats factory, it eats reloads, 115 grain, 124 grain, CCI primers, Winchester primers, all of it works. This is how my Smiths have always been. I'm just glad to finally have the Ruger reliable as well.
I would think that the hole should have been chamfered at the factory and a step was missed or something. Anybody examine that hole on their own Ruger, especially if you have a Security 9, as I'm curious.
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