I have a 627 pro that I am considering as a duty gun. Obviously reliablity is #1, so is it recommended that I go with the longer firing pin from Cylinder and Slide? I will be using moon clips and have read lots of issues with the 625 light primer strikes. Necessary or not?

I would just to make sure. Goes easy on the mine to.

TJ, BE Smith, & Others:

The benefit of a long firing pin seems obvious. Are there any drawbacks?

Are they available for both hammer mounted & frame mounted firing pins?

Thanks for the input.

H-F Hank
NRA Bene
USAF Vet

i had a problem with a thunder ranch 45 acp revolver having light strikes and installed a cylinder and slide extended firing pin and the problem persisted,so after close examination i discovered that the head of the mainspring screw was thicker than the head on other s&w revolvers i had, so i turned a few thousands off the under side of the head so it would turn in more and that solved the problem and i installed the original firing pin. you might try an extra power mainspring,but i also had tried other springs from other guns that work fine but would not work in the thunder ranch.

They aren't usually necessary in (or available for) guns with hammer-mounted pins or, for that matter, with S&W's more than a couple of years old. Sure don't hurt anything, though. I used C&S for a long time with no problems but internet posters warned me of breakage so often that I finally got nervous, and switched to Apex pins Apex XP ignition kit - $14.99 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce .

+1 on the Apex firing pin. I have them in all my newer Smiths.

I had a problem with a 60-15 FTF 2-3 out of every 5 rounds of Magtech ammunition. The C&S firing pin completely resolved that. They do say to always use snap caps with their firing pin.

Are you allowed to make any modifications to a duty gun? If I were in LE, which I am not, I would never modify a gun used in enforcement operations.

The extended pins have solved far more problems than they've ever caused, IMHO? What do you think S&W is doing to them when they come back for not going bang?
Stick to snap caps or spent brass to dry fire on and you'll be fine! It's far too easy and cheap a piece of insurance for me to take a pass on.

Spot is spot-on. I put C&S extended pins in both my PC 681+ guns, as well as my 625. All three of these guns had occasional light strikes with hard primers before (none with Federals), and the long pins cured the problem. As long as you avoid dry firing, you'll be fine. They WILL eventually break if you dry fire with them, and the broken pieces can be hard to get out. I have no experience with the Apex pins, but I just might try one.

I use the C&S pins only if there are light strikes. As an LEO if your gun has FTF's I would return it to S&W for their fix. If there are no FTF's then you are ready to go and qualify with it.

For those of you that have used the apex kits, do you also use the enclosed reduced power spring? Also, what's involved in changing a frame mounted firing pin? all my other smiths have hammer mounted pins.

Thanks, Frank

__________________
S&WCA #2173

For years I owned one of the original 627-4 eight shot Supers and I recently bought an eight shot 647-5 .357. I haven't had any misfires with either revolver, but then I'm not a fan of the light "Federal primer only" action jobs. Neither am I a fan of the newer revolvers, but I never had any ignition problems with either of these, and both had frame mounted firing pins.

If the strain screws are somehow "different" I could see a potential problem with light hits. A thick screw head would result in less tension. I can't help but wonder if S&W is using strain screws that are not completely uniform. If you have a problem with your revolver, you should make some comparisons.

I would definitely NOT go with an extra power mainspring. Generally speaking, new S&W revolvers are always oversprung and can stand to use some form of mainspring reduction and still fire all commercial primers.

If you need to modify a duty gun to make it function properly, then go ahead and do so. This idea that only a "factory" can do proper modifications to firearms is ridiculous. Document whatever you do to your revolver and explain why it was done, and have it signed off by whoever does your firearms qualification. Making your sideram perform properly (or even efficiently in your hands) need not be some kind of dirty secret. But if your revolver functions properly with the strain screw sucked in tight, I wouldn't change a thing.

Dave Sinko

Good comments, Dave. I get awfully tired of the "only the factory can do it right" crowd, and most Smiths are badly oversprung. As for variations in strain screws, I've seen a pretty wide variety, both in head thickness and screw length.

To change the firing pin: Pop the sideplate. You'll see the firing pin retaining pin protruding slightly, right in front of the hammer, where the very top of the sideplate fits. Take a punch and depress the firing pin a bit, to remove tension on the retainer pin. It should be pretty loose in the hole. You can either roll the gun onto the right side and let it fall out, or pluck it out with tweezers or small needlenose pliers. The firing pin and spring will now come out to the rear, with the hammer pulled back a bit or cocked. Reverse to install the new pin and spring.

Only to add to 38/44's instructions.
Take the time to clean the slag out of the firing pins raceway. Whether anthracite from not having been cleaned in the past, or manufacturing debris. Clear it out of there so the F/P will slide freely fore and aft prior to installation of the return spring. It's been about 50%/50% with ones I've had open. I used a drill bit (dry) spun by hand.