Firing pin replacement.

[57jeeper]

Hi to the group.
I have a 625 JM that I'm thinking of changing the firing pin on. I've seen a lot of Des reptiles and instructions for most everything to do with a S&W revolver except removing and replacing the frame mounted firing pin... Anyone have any suggestions for good sites where I could see the procedure ?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[tomcatt51]

Remove the sideplate.
Remove the hammer.
With the sideplate off you'll see the end of a pin (was under the sideplate) at the firing pin.
Pull it. It will slide right out.
Remove the firing pin. It will come out towards the hammer.
Pull the firing pin spring out of the hole.
Measure the firing pin. If it's .492" or longer put it back in.
If it's less than .492" get a new one (measure it too, reject any shorter than .492".
Or get an Apex tactical firing pin, comes with a new spring also.
https://apextactical.com/store/product-list.php?pg1-cid4.html
C&S firing pins are actually too long (and breakage prone), wad up the firing pin spring if dry fired without snap caps, and only usefull if you want to fire loose rds.
Re-assemble in reverse order.
Easy if you can do a basic dis-assembly.

FWIW I think the best firing pins are the .492"+ OEM S&W pins. They're titanium, ~ half the weight of the others and durable.

 

[57jeeper]

Tomcatt.

Thanks for the information and the website link. I've found a lot of info on all aspects of S&W revolvers, but hardly anything about the firing pin. Lots of talk about breakage, but you're the first one with explanations and measurements. I'll measure it when I put in the Wolff spring kit and clean up any burrs/rough edges on the parts. I'm pretty familiar with the workings of 1911's, but not so much with S&W revolvers.
I got Jerry Miculek's video on trigger jobs for S&W revolvers, which is good for identifying the areas where metal on metal contact can cause drag.

 

[tomcatt51]

I got Jerry Miculek's video on trigger jobs for S&W revolvers, which is good for identifying the areas where metal on metal contact can cause drag.

Way to go. It gives a good idea of what to do and maybe even more importantly, what NOT to do.

Jerry Kuhnhausens' book is a good (more like a must have), more general, reference manual to have too.

 

[stevehenry1]

I put an Apex firing pin in my 625PC. Not it always fires. I didn't remove the, just the hammer spring. Used a pair of tweezers to remove the pin and spring.

 

[tomcatt51]

I put an Apex firing pin in my 625PC.

If you're going to lighten the DA pull (and even if you're not but carry the gun for SD) it seems almost a necessity to check the firing pin length. We're talking about the MIM FMFP guns. As far as I know there's one "good" .492-.495" long factory titanium firing pin and about 4 configurations of shorter, "not so good", pins with different length and tip shape combinations. Not counting the steel firing pins the first of the "new" FMFP guns came with.

 

[57jeeper]

The video is very good, my next purchase is Jerry Kuhnhausen's book on the S&W revolver. I have Vol. I & II of his 1911 manuals and they are very helpful.

So, I followed the video and polished the parts as instructed. I also put in a Wolff mainspring, 14# trigger return spring, and a standard tension cylinder lock spring. The results are very good. A lot smoother DA pull and super crisp SA let off.

When I had it open I pulled the firing pin and found that it's .483" long. Quite a bit shorter than your recommended .492-.494 OAL.

I'll be ordering the Apex XP Ignition Kit tonight.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Remove the sideplate.
Remove the hammer.
With the sideplate off you'll see the end of a pin (was under the sideplate) at the firing pin.
Pull it. It will slide right out.
Remove the firing pin. It will come out towards the hammer.
Pull the firing pin spring out of the hole.
Measure the firing pin. If it's .492" or longer put it back in.
If it's less than .492" get a new one (measure it too, reject any shorter than .492".
Or get an Apex tactical firing pin, comes with a new spring also.
https://apextactical.com/store/product-list.php?pg1-cid4.html
C&S firing pins are actually too long (and breakage prone), wad up the firing pin spring if dry fired without snap caps, and only usefull if you want to fire loose rds.
Re-assemble in reverse order.
Easy if you can do a basic dis-assembly.

FWIW I think the best firing pins are the .492"+ OEM S&W pins. They're titanium, ~ half the weight of the others and durable.

This is all very good information.

Although not widely known, the Performance Center has a firing pin that is very slightly different than the regular one. I had a Model 67 with the FMFP modified at the PC a couple of years ago as a birthday present for a long time friend. I told them it would be used for self-defense and that reliability of ignition was paramount.

They said that I should ask in the letter of instructions for the performance center special firing pin and send the revolver to the attention of the gunsmith to whom I spoke to arrange the project.

I always prefer S&W parts as opposed to any after market suppliers.

 

[tomcatt51]

They said that I should ask in the letter of instructions for the performance center special firing pin.

If you have it apart I'd love to know what they installed. There seem to be "shorter" pins, <.489 (down to close to .480) with both half round and tapered tips but I have seen only half round (hemispherical) tipped pins in the .492 - .495 bracket.

Would be interesting to know which pin they installed. My bet is a .492+ hemispherical tipped pin.

A number of different length/tip shape pins have been the "regular" pin.

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

Remove the sideplate.
Remove the hammer.
With the sideplate off you'll see the end of a pin (was under the sideplate) at the firing pin.
Pull it. It will slide right out.
Remove the firing pin. It will come out towards the hammer.
Pull the firing pin spring out of the hole.
Measure the firing pin. If it's .492" or longer put it back in.
If it's less than .492" get a new one (measure it too, reject any shorter than .492".
Or get an Apex tactical firing pin, comes with a new spring also.
https://apextactical.com/store/product-list.php?pg1-cid4.html
C&S firing pins are actually too long (and breakage prone), wad up the firing pin spring if dry fired without snap caps, and only usefull if you want to fire loose rds.
Re-assemble in reverse order.
Easy if you can do a basic dis-assembly.

FWIW I think the best firing pins are the .492"+ OEM S&W pins. They're titanium, ~ half the weight of the others and durable.

Thank you for actually posting the truth, too many people automatically want extended firing pins when stock can already be 0.492-0.495 and are Ti to boot. Not to mention they only cost $4-5.

Extended pins like Apex have their place in really light action revolvers it can help a lot, but the stock pin in my 625 makes ammo go bang down to 5.75lb DA. Apex pins with the "point" also really help a lot if you have a hard time lighting REALLY hard primers like those found in Euro&Russian ammo. You also MUST use their light FP spring since the FP notch is reworked for more travel.

 

[57jeeper]

In the weeks since I originally posted this question which started the FP length discussion, Tomcatt51 said that if my FP was shorter he would replace it. Well, I measured mine and it was .483" long, so I ordered the Apex FP kit.

I also checked the cylinder gap and found it was .007 on one side and .017 on the other. I contacted S&W and they said the tolerance on the gap was .004" - .010" so they replaced the barrel at no charge. They only had the gun in their possession for less than 2 days before it was returned to me.

Well, long story short, I decided to install the Apex FP yesterday and before I put it in I checked the old one for the hell of it. I was shocked when it measured .495 long.

It seems S&W installed a new titanium FP and spring. In fact, it looks just like the Apex unit but I think the Apex is steel.

The Apex unit is .494 long, so I just left the factory pin in place until I can try it out, but I can't see any reason why it would be any different than the Apex unit. So now I have a spare FP.

I didn't mention anything about the short FP it in the letter that I enclosed with the gun when I returned it Curiously it wasn't mentioned on the work order that was returned with the weapon. Maybe they had problems with short FP's and just routinely replace them.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the feedback and pass along the info about the factory replacing my FP.

 

[H Richard]

When S&W gets a gun back for repair they usually go completely through it and return it to factory spec. +1 for S&W customer service.

 

[57jeeper]

Hmmmm. Good to know.
I had installed a Wolfe mainspring, trigger return spring, and cylinder stop spring. I have to pull the grip to see if they switched my aftermarket spring out.

 

[tomcatt51]

When S&W gets a gun back for repair they usually go completely through it and return it to factory spec.

They usually don't (or at least didn't) "undo" owner mods.

Ruger does. Send in a carefully modified gun and it will come back completely stock. Unfortunate considering (unlike S&W) there are quite a few internal parts they won't sell you. Factory installed only.

In this case S&W replaced the factory installed "short" (.483) pin with an arguably "best" .495 firing pin on a gun sent in for a barrel R&R. Definitely says something.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Tomcatt51: The revolver was a birthday gift for a friend and I do not have access to pull it apart and check it. Sorry about that. I do know that it has never had a failure to fire after many thousands of rounds.

 

[57jeeper]

Tomcatt51:
I know that Ruger is really anal about mods to their guns. I bought my son a MK III 22/45 with the molded in grip panels. I got some after market grips that mimic the 1911 grip panels, but you have to drill 2 holes in the grip and thread the grip screws in. A lot of people on the Ruger forum caution that if you do drill the holes they will refuse to perform any work on the pistol.

 

[tomcatt51]

MK III 22/45... the 1911 grip panels... you have to drill 2 holes in the grip and thread the grip screws in. A lot of people on the Ruger forum caution that if you do drill the holes they will refuse to perform any work on the pistol.

That is really nuts, even for Ruger. Is that verified or just "internet experts" talking?

 

[57jeeper]

I have no idea, however, it came from multiple sources, so it's either tribal lore, or the truth.

Either of the above, i didn't want to find out the hard way.

 

[tomcatt51]

it came from multiple sources, so it's either tribal lore...

Nonsense travels fast and is frequently repeated. There's no shortage of "internet parrots" who mindlessly repeat what they've read like it's gospel.

That said, if I was going to do the grip mod and really wanted to know I'd just call Ruger.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Curiously it wasn't mentioned on the work order that was returned with the weapon.

You got some paperwork returned for the warranty work done on your gun? All I got was a blank sheet returned with mine. So now I don't have any documentation for the warranty work or the additional work I paid for.