DARN!! My first ever K frame failure...

[stiab]

...note the broken firing pin. The gun will not fire. This hurts from several directions. Not only was it my favorite CCW piece, but no longer will I be able to proclaim on those other forums that the typical S&W revolver is much more reliable than the typical bottom feeder. This happened during a range trip, and she just quit shooting.

Has this ever happened to one of your guns? Is it an argument for frame mounted firing pins? Console me, please...

 

[David Sinko]

As I see it, a broken firing pin really has nothing to do with "reliability." All parts can break at one time or another and a firing pin can break in a $5000 auto just the same. It never happened to me with any of my hard use revolvers and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen. It's just one of those things, and I'd get it fixed and not lose a moment of sleep over it.

Dave Sinko

 

[stiab]

As I see it, a broken firing pin really has nothing to do with "reliability."

I think the difference in our opinions is because I CCW everyday, and for several years this has been my favorite gun for that purpose. It scares me to know how close to failure it was all that time.

 

[the45automan]

This is the first real evidence that I can remember seeing on the forum regarding a component failure. Wow, no lock, no MIM and no internal firing pin. Parts can and do break. Thank you for your courage for sharing.

 

[Rock185]

In 40+ years of shooting S&W revolvers, and being around lots of other, mostly K frame shooters, I have only personally seen one firing pin break. A "high milage" model 19 owned by a Very good revolver shooter who practiced a lot.

 

[danski]

Purchased a Model 66 around 1985 or 1986 and with the first 20 rounds the firing pin broke. Only
time it has ever happened on all the Smiths I've owned and shot extensively and the 66 was on its
trial run. Stuff happens.

I've read here and elsewhere that dry firing doesn't hurt a center-fire Smith but I've also read that extensive dry firing can cause a
crystalization of the firing pin and it fails.
Don't know that that is true.

 

[Dale53]

I value my S&W revolvers VERY highly. However, they are machines. Machines can break. I have had TWO hammer mounted firing pins break. They are easily replaced (you will need a new rivet and if a spring is fitted it is a good idea to replace the spring).

Dale53

 

[davel686]

I agree, S%it happens.
I would replace the part, run a couple hundred rounds through it and inspect the new pin, if it don't show any unusual wear then load it and carry it with confidence.

 

[Sgt 127]

I have only heard of firing pins breaking. I have been shooting Smith revovlers for over 30 years and have never broken one.

Pure parts beakage can occur on anything. If it makes you feel better, I have replaced firing pins, extractors, slide stop pins and ejectors in .45's that broke.

Everything I have ever replaced on a revovler was to tighten it up or adjust the timing.

 

[BUFF]

The firing pin in my M-14 broke during a match. The gun had several thousand rounds through it at the time.

I was shocked, I tell you, positively shocked.

It is the only S&W part I have ever had break on me.

 

[bountyhunter]

Originally posted by stiab:
...note the broken firing pin. The gun will not fire. This hurts from several directions. Not only was it my favorite CCW piece, but no longer will I be able to proclaim on those other forums that the typical S&W revolver is much more reliable than the typical bottom feeder. This happened during a range trip, and she just quit shooting.

Has this ever happened to one of your guns? Is it an argument for frame mounted firing pins? Console me, please...

Blind guess, I would wager it was just a fluke (defective part) or the FP is not aligning well to the breech face hole and getting some side torque as it goes through. make sure the new one is fitted right.

 

[bountyhunter]

Originally posted by stiab:

As I see it, a broken firing pin really has nothing to do with "reliability."

I think the difference in our opinions is because I CCW everyday, and for several years this has been my favorite gun for that purpose. It scares me to know how close to failure it was all that time.

If it's any consolation, my next door neighbor used to be a captain of detectives. One of his guys got in a tussle and used his Colt Detective Special to whack a guy with. Six months later when he went to qualify, he heard:

CLICK.....CLICK.....CLICK......CLICK

The action had been knocked far enough out of time to not even fire. And this guy worked homicide where you have to chase REALLY bad guys.....

 

[yugolovr]

I broke a firing pin on a model 66-2. It's one of those things that happens to all guns. If gun parts didn't break think about how small the Brownells catalog would be.Also all that the new frame mounted firing pin really does is make it easier to replace a broken firing pin.

 

[stiab]

I was shocked, I tell you, positively shocked.

That is exactly how I felt when this one broke. I know full well that parts can break, but was shocked when it happened.

I was issued my first S&W revolver in 1969, bought my first one in 1970 (which I still have), and since then have owned a couple dozen and put untold thousands of rounds thru them, all without a failure. After 40 years of issue free use, I surely did not expect this to happen.

 

[ColbyBruce]

stiab, I bet I have seen a dozen broken S&W firing pins over the years, and most of them on guns that had not seen extensive use. The only two that belonged to me was a #12 with less than 100 rounds through it and a #28 that did get a steady diet of handloads that would of scared Roy Weatherby.

BTW, did you locate a Astra A75 yet?

 

[stiab]

BTW, did you locate a Astra A75 yet?

Not yet, but thanks for remembering. I see the 9mm in steel frame on a regular basis, but not the alloy frame like I'm looking. Astra made quality guns, I'm sorry they went out of business (or were put out of business) after 100 years or so.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

yikes! glad it was just a target instead of a BG.

 

[robotoid]

I had the same thing (broken hammer nose) happen on 2 different guns within a few months of each other. Both were high mileage police trade in's though. I paad a 'smith to fix the first, I did the second, nothing to the fix except parts swap.

 

[feralmerril]

Slightly off thread, but did you ever have a cartridge not go off? I have. And NOT from a light hammer strike! Popular modern ammo, maybe 2 or 3 times in many years. Once I bought a new model 39 about 40 years ago and it misfired the first time. But that was with some hard primers from some surplus ammo probley for a sub machine gun.

 

[stiab]

did you ever have a cartridge not go off?

I've been lucky, and for me that has only happened with rim fire and one box of old .45acp, in which all 50 failed to fire. Had a no fire with a new to me Model 12 .38 Special, but I had not checked tension screw, and it needed 3/4 turn, which fixed the problem, so am not counting that one. Has also happened with some shotshell reloads, but they were old paper shells, and they got wet in the truck of my car back in the 1970's.