Model 13-3 issues

[ryan01]

I have been experiencing light primer strikes with my handloads, shooting double action. Primers are CCI. They touch off on the second hit always.
I thought maybe the primer seating was the culprit, so I tried seating them as deep as I could with my RCBS hand primer. No change. Then I seated them with less pressure. Still not reliable.
I bought a new mainspring from Wolff. That was worse.
Running out of ideas here. Any ideas?

 

[AManWearingAHat]

Hmmm... lose tension screw?

 

[ryan01]

Strain screw tight.

 

[cowboy4evr]

You didn't say if you had just bought it or not . Sometimes the previous owner files down the main spring tension screw (strain screw ) to have a tight screw with a light double action . Try taking a spent primer , pull out the insides and just have the primer cup . Back out the strain screw enough to insert the primer cup then tighten down the strain screw . See if that adds enough tension to solve your problem . If you used federal primers it probably would work reliability . Good luck , Regards, Paul

 

[ryan01]

I bought this gun new back in 86 and I always used Federal Primers until recently, so I will go back to them. I have just installed a primer cup on the strain screw, will try that out. I don't have a trigger pull gauge, but improvising with a luggage scale shows about a 2 lb increase in trigger pull with that primer in there.

 

[9mmsubgun-m11]

Winchester primers always go bang for me.

 

[UncleEd]

1. Does firing pin look intact?

2. Might be CCI primers but still
a combat gun like that should make
all primers go bang....

3. ... perhaps time to buy a new set of
springs, particularly hammer spring.
They're cheap from Wilson or Wolff.

4. Increasing hammer tension via the spent
primer under strain screw just might do trick
but I'd still figure on trying a new hammer spring,
one of those snappier designs ala Wilson.

5. Cylinder head space still up to snuff?

 

[ryan01]

Firing pin is good, headspace checks out good, I already tried a new Wolff mainspring.
Another thing I just tried is the mainspring from a model 10. The trigger pull is easily 4 lbs heavier on the model 10 than the model 13 is. But with the model 10 spring installed in the model 13, the trigger pull is the same as the original model 13 spring.
This leads me to believe its not a spring problem. Something is going on, and I haven't figured it out yet.

 

[mh51]

Check for cylinder end-shake on each chamber. With the gun empty, dry-fire it on each chamber. While the trigger is still pulled, see if there is forward-backward play on the cylinder on any chamber. End-shake is possible on only one or two chambers, but it will give misfires.

 

[JB4570]

Winchester primers always go bang for me.


Have shot thousands of rounds of Winchester and Federal, CCI has always been a hard primer for myself and several friends.

We all keep the CCI's for the bottom feeders with out any issues.

 

[jeed]

Primer may not be fully seated.

 

[Laketime]

Colt didn't make this Smith & Wesson by chance did they?

 

[Sistema1927]

CCI Primers are about the hardest out there.

My guess is the strain screw.

 

[stansdds]

Firing pin is good, headspace checks out good, I already tried a new Wolff mainspring.
Another thing I just tried is the mainspring from a model 10. The trigger pull is easily 4 lbs heavier on the model 10 than the model 13 is. But with the model 10 spring installed in the model 13, the trigger pull is the same as the original model 13 spring.
This leads me to believe its not a spring problem. Something is going on, and I haven't figured it out yet.

Someone may have shortened the strain screw in your Model 13. Doing so will result in a lighter trigger pull, but reduces primer ignition reliability.

 

[glenwolde]

Did you actually inspect the primer before the second attempt?

I only ask because I've run into cases where shooters said they had "light strikes" but upon my inspection it turned out to be "no strike", which is a different story. They were just making a second attempt without inspection and assuming the failure to fire was a "light strike".

 

[ryan01]

Did you actually inspect the primer before the second attempt?

I only ask because I've run into cases where shooters said they had "light strikes" but upon my inspection it turned out to be "no strike", which is a different story. They were just making a second attempt without inspection and assuming the failure to fire was a "light strike".

Good question. I didn't at first, but eventually I did, and yes, light strikes.

 

[ryan01]

Check for cylinder end-shake on each chamber. With the gun empty, dry-fire it on each chamber. While the trigger is still pulled, see if there is forward-backward play on the cylinder on any chamber. End-shake is possible on only one or two chambers, but it will give misfires.

I will check the end-shake today.