Light strikes on new rifle

[tomcatt51]

I'll talk to S&W Monday and depending on the answers I'll get an old style pin from them or I'll hunt one down or worst case I'll get some Ti round bar stock in the mail and turn what I need out on the mini lathe. I really should not have to be fixing this though because the old stuff worked wonderfully. They did the same thing in the revolvers with the frame mounted firing pins, they kept getting shorter until they were no longer reliable. At that point their unreliability became a liability so now they are back longer than ever and reliability of ignition is back.

I know my 15-22s run extremely reliably with the latest S&W firing pins which are, FWIW, the same firing pin my 3 1/2 yr old 15-22s came with. I just got a couple of the latest pins as I finally broke an original.

Comparing this with the S&W revolver firing pin debacle is meaningless. The 15-22 uses an intertial firing pin which the revolvers don't and FWIW the latest revolver firing pins are the same length as the original "good" titanium firing pins.

Good luck on your endeavor. There's a very fine line regarding material and heat treat to get a firing pin the is hard enough to not deform and ductile enough to not break.

 

[onebadvet]

Last Wednesday took my never fired 15-22 to the range with 8 loaded magazines, and zero in the red dot at 75 yards, with 4 rounds, and let rest rip at the different targets I set, without failure.
Love the rifle, so much fun compared to shooting pistol, but will say 200 rounds goes quickly.

 

[TLE]

I know my 15-22s run extremely reliably with the latest S&W firing pins which are, FWIW, the same firing pin my 3 1/2 yr old 15-22s came with. I just got a couple of the latest pins as I finally broke an original.

Comparing this with the S&W revolver firing pin debacle is meaningless. The 15-22 uses an intertial firing pin which the revolvers don't and FWIW the latest revolver firing pins are the same length as the original "good" titanium firing pins.

I forget how old my 15-22 is. I bought it while shooting an indoor match at the S&W HQ when they gave us a huge discount on them. It's somewhere around 10 years old. You would have thought that for drop test and protection from slam fires that they would have stayed with the Ti pin. My old gun with a weak JP hammer spring will still run everything.

My 929 came with a .498 length pin strait from S&W and I never found one that long from the old days, I was thrilled to find one that was .490" back when they were turning out guns with a .482" pin.

 

[bamashooter]

I know my 15-22s run extremely reliably with the latest S&W firing pins which are, FWIW, the same firing pin my 3 1/2 yr old 15-22s came with. I just got a couple of the latest pins as I finally broke an original.

Comparing this with the S&W revolver firing pin debacle is meaningless. The 15-22 uses an intertial firing pin which the revolvers don't and FWIW the latest revolver firing pins are the same length as the original "good" titanium firing pins.

Good luck on your endeavor. There's a very fine line regarding material and heat treat to get a firing pin the is hard enough to not deform and ductile enough to not break.

Where'd you get the pins?

 

[tomcatt51]

Where'd you get the pins?

I called S&W.

 

[tomcatt51]

My 929 came with a .498 length pin strait from S&W and I never found one that long from the old days, I was thrilled to find one that was .490" back when they were turning out guns with a .482" pin.

929s got a different firing pin for some reason. The others went back to the "good" titanium .495" firing pin.

I didn't know the early 15-22s had titanium firing pins. Mine are both "blue spring" guns that came with what are still the latest version parts.

 

[TLE]

double tap

 

[TLE]

I forgot to mention that my early 15-22 does not require inertia to fire. When the back of the firing pin is flush with the back of the bolt the pin is as far forward as it can go. If it went any further you could not dry fire the rifle. The new gun must overcome the spring to make it to the cartridge.
I think I'll call Randy Lee tomorrow to see if I can spur any interest to make 15-22 firing pins.

 

[TLE]

Here is a picture of the new and old bolts, notice the resting position of the firing pin in the old bolt on the right.

 

[tomcatt51]

Interesting, they have changed them a bit. Thx for the info.

FWIW mine are match reliable with all the stock parts in the bolts (original extractors are still in place) but I do run Geissele trigger groups that use an extra power hammer spring.

 

[TLE]

Which Geissele trigger are you running with the new type firing pin? I just picked up an S3G on the Memorial day sale and put it in my older rifle that I use for Steel Challenge. While her gun wasn't running she shot my rifle and said "I sure like that trigger" so I know I'll be buying another. I was wondering if the Geissele full power hammer spring would drive the new style firing pin hard enough. It looks like from your experience that it will.

 

[tomcatt51]

I'm running SD-3G trigger groups with a Hi-Speed National Match - Match Rifle trigger spring. It's a trigger spring "one step" lighter than the lighter of the two trigger springs supplied with the trigger.

It's extremely reliable.

 

[TLE]

I tried to have an open mind about the flat triggers even though I didn't like them in auto pistols. I tried a flat trigger in another rifle and just couldn't make myself like it. It may be due to my index fingers being short with a lot of curve to them and the flat trigger just didn't work for me. Lucky for me Geissele had the S3G option to take my money.

Thanks for the tip on the NM trigger spring, I'll get one since I'm used to lite triggers.

 

[cjt50]

When I broke my 8 year old 15-22's firing pin I had the same issue you are having now.

You are going to need a new bolt. As you have discovered S&W change the design and the newer firing pins are too short. Send it in to them and they will take care of it.

 

[TLE]

When I broke my 8 year old 15-22's firing pin I had the same issue you are having now.

You are going to need a new bolt. As you have discovered S&W change the design and the newer firing pins are too short. Send it in to them and they will take care of it.

Thanks for the information about the bolt. My old gun is fine so I don't need a bolt but after doing some more comparison I see that an old style pin won't work in the new bolts and vice versa. I really hope I never break my old pin because it gets direct contact with the cartridge and it fires everything and since it has such good ignition it stays pretty clean for a .22.

 

[TLE]

I talked to S&W today and they are going to send a new firing pin and hammer spring. We will see what that does for me.

After finding out about the design change of the bolt and firing pins I'm working on sourcing a few replacement Ti pins for my old bolt.

 

[tomcatt51]

I talked to S&W today and they are going to send a new firing pin and hammer spring. We will see what that does for me.

If you get a Geissele Match trigger spring you'll get an extra power hammer spring with it. I'd suggest running that.

Hi-Speed National Match: Match Rifle (Match) Parts Kit - Trigger Maintenance Kits - Lower Parts

I'd also suggest getting the 901 Colt trigger and hammer pins. They're long enough (just right actually) to sit flush with the outside of the lower instead of being recessed like the originals.

Trigger & Hammer Pins For COLT 901 - Trigger Maintenance Kits - Lower Parts

 

[tomcatt51]

I talked to S&W today and they are going to send a new firing pin and hammer spring. We will see what that does for me.

They're pretty good about that. Ask about extractors and you'll find the sore spot. Extractors seem to be a real touchy subject.

 

[TLE]

If you get a Geissele Match trigger spring you'll get an extra power hammer spring with it. I'd suggest running that.

Hi-Speed National Match: Match Rifle (Match) Parts Kit - Trigger Maintenance Kits - Lower Parts

I'd also suggest getting the 901 Colt trigger and hammer pins. They're long enough (just right actually) to sit flush with the outside of the lower instead of being recessed like the originals.

Trigger & Hammer Pins For COLT 901 - Trigger Maintenance Kits - Lower Parts

I ordered the spring kit this morning and had the same thought as to what I would do with the hammer spring. I also got my KNS trigger pins that are made for the 15-22 in the mail today and installed them in the problem gun.

 

[TLE]

They're pretty good about that. Ask about extractors and you'll find the sore spot. Extractors seem to be a real touchy subject.

I have a couple of Volquartsen extractors coming in the mail just to have but I really have had no problems with the stock one in my old rifle and it has a lot of miles on it.