Colt SSA -- firing-pin question

Wali-P · Dec 15, 2015

Hi all. I recently replaced the FP on my dad's old Series 1 Colt SAA. And I'm wondering if it isn't too long. is there a spec? I bought the FP from MidwayUSA. I can't remember the manufacturer offhand, but I believe the FP is the correct type for my application, a Colt SAA made in 1906. The pin is the concave type, case hardened.

I have installed this FP. Now I am wondering if it's safe to use as is, or if I need to maybe file/sand it down a little bit. It seems to protrude more than I would think it should---though this is my only experience with Colt SAAs so I could use more opinions. See pics below.

As a very crude test, I've dropped the hammer on a few fired .45 Colt cases to estimate how deep it impresses the already fired primers. It definitely pushes them in more than does my Colt New Service pistol. Beyond that, I can't tell anything more. I do not know if the FP would puncture a live primer or what.

The whole reason I'm asking is that I'd like to be able to fire some 200-gr cowboy loads through it. FYI, this is ammo I can shoot quite pleasantly through my New Service. I think it's rated at 700 fps.

LoboGunLeather · Dec 15, 2015

What your photos show is not markedly different than what I can see on my Colts (1st, 2nd, 3rd generations) so I think your new firing pin is probably within tolerances.

Dropping the firing pin on a fired case will not provide the same impression as actually firing a cartridge because there is no recoil impulse provided by discharge. I would try a couple of rounds before deciding on any modification of the firing pin (easy to take metal off, not so easy to put it back on). Worst case would be a pierced primer, which would allow a bit of gas leakage toward the recoil shield (with the firing pin and hammer blocking the firing pin hole pretty effectively, and we all wear shooting glasses, don't we?).

I am reminded of a Colt Single Action Army revolver being fired at the range while I was there and the gun went full-auto for 3 rounds. Examination showed that the recoil shield was missing, so the primers blew out, hammer forced to full cock, advancing the cylinder, and discharged repeatedly because shooter's finger was still holding the trigger down. Only reason it stopped was bits of primer dropping into the frame internals and jamming the hammer.

Never would have thought it possible, but a Colt SAA can turn into a machinegun!

Wali-P · Dec 15, 2015

Thanks for the info. I've never had a pierced primer so I was not sure how bad it's actually be.

Also, I found the make/model of the FP I have in there, which I as I said, I got from Midway. It's made by PeaceMaker Specialists. I suppose it would not hurt to contact them and show them the pics.

And I definitely do wear shooting glasses. BTW, weird how that pistol machinegunned.

BigMuddy · Dec 15, 2015

Firing pin protrusion max is .060 and min is .055

The pic does look like its poking through pretty far but shoot it and see. Peacemaker Specialists has top quality parts.

And it's "SAA"

Dan

Wali-P · Dec 15, 2015

BigMuddy said:
Firing pin protrusion max is .060 and min is .055

...
And it's "SAA"

Dan

Dang it all! Thanks. At least I was saying "single-action army" in my head anyway. I will try to edit the title.

And thanks for the data. I will figure a way to measure. Maybe with feeler gauges.

DWalt · Dec 15, 2015

Best to fire a round or two and see what happens before you do anything irreversible to the firing pin. Just make sure you are wearing safety glasses. A pierced primer is an annoyance (I had one revolver years ago that did that a lot), but won't cause any damage to the gun or shooter, so long as your eyes are protected.

I recently bought a foreign revolver which appeared to have an unusually long firing pin, but during actual firing no pierced primers resulted.

2152hq · Dec 15, 2015

Just looking at the size of the firing pin and then all the room given to it with the large hole in the firing pin bushing itself,,I'd wonder if older cone shape style firing pin might be better suited.

The switch over from the cone shaped pin to the concave shape came 'about' 1905, so a 1906 gun could very easily have had the earlier style.
The earlier style cone shape point (so called black powder firing pin) is larger in dia at the point and would better fill the existing hole in the breech face bushing.
I'd be a bit suspect of primer flow back or piercing with the shown set-up with anything but very low pressure loads.
A breech/bolt face with a firing pin hole that size along w/a firing pin that small in dia would certainly not pass for safe on any other firearm I were to inspect. It shouldn't here either just because it's an elderly Colt SAA intended to shoot Cowboy loads.

I don't remember if there is a different spec for the Colt SAA as far as firing pin protrusion,,but I've always used .045/.055" on any gun I've worked on (headspace being correct.). A bit less will generally work fine too but I don't like to get down into the mid 30's. You may start to get occasional misfires with some ammo and some circumstances.

JMHO

Wali-P · Dec 16, 2015

Thanks for the input 2152hq. Much appreciated.

Can't say for certain what kind of pin it had when it left the factory. I'm sure the one I removed was in the hammer far back as the 1950s, when my dad was last playing around with this pistol... as far as I know. The one I removed was definitely concave in shape. However, that FP is much more blunt. Looks like it was either filed down or deformed from striking something hard repeatedly. I don't know for certain which. Makes me wonder if they had solid steel 'snap caps' in the old days that my dad may have overused. LOL. So anyway, that was my motivation to replace the FP in the first place: I did not trust the old one.

I suppose it would not hurt for me to obtain a cone-shaped FP also and try it out. It's not like they are terribly expensive. I may call Peacemaker Specialists and pick their brains. Their web site doesn't list an email address, so just sending those pics to the them is not an immediate option. But perhaps they will give me their email address on the phone.

Colt SSA -- firing-pin question

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