Model 34-1

[JamesSion]

I went to the range today and fired my model 34-1 for the first time. The gun is in as new condition but I had from one or more failures to fire in each 6 rounds fired/attempted. I thought it might be the ammo but I had the same results from two different boxes of ammo, one Federal and the other Remington.

Could it be light hammer strikes? Any suggestions to try to correct this are most appreciated.

Thank you.

Jim

 

[Camster]

How's the impression on the shell?
Does anything with the gun suggest that it is gummed up from sitting?

 

[JamesSion]

The strike impressions looked good and strong. So I thought it was ammo but the same ammo worked good in a Ruger semi-auto.

 

[judge]

If your sure the ammo is good, when loading press firmly on each shell to have them fully seated. The .22's are very sensitive to dirty chambers, excess endplay, or mainsprings which have been shortened. Any of these can cause light hits.

 

[JamesSion]

Thank you very much. I'll check it out next trip to the range. The ammo was the dirtiest I've shot and left a lot of residue. I tried to be sure they were well seated but may not have done a good job.

Can mainspring tension be increased without changing springs?

 

[judge]

Sir - The J frame use a coil mainspring which will work fine if it has not been trimmed, or ground down. If the spring is full length it should work OK. If it has an "aftermarket" mainspring, go back to factory spring. The J frames are very sensitive to mainspring adjustments.

 

[JamesSion]

Than you. I appreciate it.

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

22 ammo is known for this. If your dents are good and strong, then it's crappy ammo. All brands have a dud or two per 50. Seems like the new 22s are worse lately so I was told. I guess the ammo makers need to do a little inspection before running wide open.

Other than ammo issues, make sure underneath the ejector is clean. If it's dirty under there, the firing pins energy is reduced because it needs to be a solid hit, not a cushioning blow.
Cylinder endshake can cause this as well but I never seen a 22 that was so fired the endshake was out. 44s sure, but a 22 beating up a gun...never.

 

[Pisgah]

Combining all the answers will give you what I believe is the best answer.

First, rimfire ammo can vary wildly in primer reliability. El-cheapo stuff will almost always show some misfires, simply because the manufacturing process used for the cheap stuff is not as meticulous and the priming compound may not have fully filled the rim. Second, a small gun is simply not capable of hitting as hard a lick on the rim as a large gun. Fired in a rifle, or even a K-frame gun, I'll bet every one of those rounds would have gone off just fine. Any lightening of the mainspring will just make the small-pistol problem worse. And last, moreso than with centerfire revolvers, make darned sure that every round is fully seated in the chamber. If there is the slightest room for that round to be driven forward when the hammer hits, the blow is being cushioned and the primer may not go off.

 

[JamesSion]

You all are most helpful. I expect the dirty ammo was causing some or most all of the issue. The gun is new to me and looks "as new". So I'll clean it good and make sure of the seating of the rounds for the next range trip. Thank you, all.