Newbie question. Light strikes on a nib 625 *final update *

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carcrazysammy

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Sorry if this has been gone over before. I did a search and found nothing helpful to my problem.


I got a NIB Performance Center 625-8 a couple weeks ago. So far I like the pistol and chose it because I reload lots of .45acp.

The first trip out it ran 100% as a revolver should.

Today, fresh out of the bag a buddy wants to give it a try. I have my moon clips all loaded up so he loads his ammo without the clips and gives it a go. Factory ammo. Well the plus is we found out he has a wicked flinch but it would not fire a single cartridge. He then loads up a moon clip with my ammo and it fires 5 but gets a light strike on one.
Long story short, I am getting light strikes in 2 out of 6 rounds, with or without moon clips. We removed the grips and turned the strain screw all the way in which was only about one turn but it made no difference. Seems to happen more with DA than SA.

The same lot of ammo was used as the previous day. This is using range brass with Wolf primers. Never a single problem in any of my other guns.

With a factory gun do they shorten the strain screw to fine tune the gun. I am thinking about ordering a new strain screw if this is the case. Does anyone have the length of a new strain screw so I can see if mine has been shortened?


There has to be an easy fix for this without sending it back to the factory. Thanks for the help!! Sammy
 
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New gun?
Plastic moon clips?
Factory main spring?
Dirty under extractor, or a lot of end shake?
Reloads? Primers seated all the way?


I don't know if they tune the new guns or not. You need to check the tension on the hammer. In the faq it shows what the tension of the hammer is. Basically, you add weights to the hammer spur and see what the min weight is.


Also check what the length of the firing pin is sticking thru the breach face. Needs to stick thru about .045 inch. Maybe the pin is too short.
 
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Possible broken/defective firing pin. This certainly not common with a new gun, but stuff happens once in a while. Call S&W factory and tell them what's going on.....stress you are using factory ammo!!
 
Sorry, I replied to the wrong thread. Oooooops.
 
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I shot a new 625 PC that came from the factory with the strain screw backed out almost two turns. Misfires was cured when screw was tightened all the way down.
 
Sorry, I replied to the wrong thread.
 
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I would recommend trying some factory rounds, or some other reloads with primers other than Wolf. I know you mentioned that these loads work in all of your other guns, but I've had light strike issues with Wolf primers in many of my guns over the years. I try to stick with Winchester or Federal Primers. (Federal being the softest)
 
Well thanks everyone.

The gun is factory new and I m using factory S&W moon clips. The problem happens with clips, no clips and factory PMC ammo.

I called S&W and the customer service guy said they might sand downt he strain screw on the Performance Center guns but did not sound very sure of himself. He is sending me a new strain screw today to replace the one I have. I will post my findings when I get it.

Thanks for the help. Sammy
 
The last S&W firing pins I bought were the "good" .492-.495 pins but I'm not sure if I lucked out or if they've gone back to the "good" longer pin.
 
Ok so I have the new strain screw and it is the same size as the one that came out of the gun.

I also got a Cylinder & Slide extended firing pin but it says right on the package "DO NOT DRY FIRE"

What is wrong with dryfiring with this pin? Does it damage the gun or the new pin? I have called the factory twice and never got a straight answer. It seems the people I need to ask are not there very much as I keep missing them. Dry practice is a religion to me in getting to know a new gun. I guess I will need to get some snap caps.
 
If this doesn't cure your problem, call S&W back and get a shipping label. For what they charge for PC revolvers, there's no way you should have to tinker with this weapon to make it reliable.......
 
The reason you don't want to dry fire with the Cylinder and Slide firing pin is because it features an extended travel slot. This allows the firing pin to travel further than the standard firing pin and can cause it to "wad up" the firing pin return spring.

I would also suggest that you reduce the DA trigger pull to 9.5 lbs. before installing the C&S firing pin because with a heavier mainspring then can cause micro cracking in the dimple in the primer. BTW, learned that with my 610-3 when the mainspring was still at full power, when I got home and trayed up the fired casings a full 30% showed darkened primers. Checking with a bit of magnification showed that every single dark primer had microscopic cracks in the dimples. Since then I've tuned the 610 to a 9 lbs. DA trigger and reliability is 100% and the primers do not show any indication of cracking or leakage.

BTW, with some testing if your 625 has a Service hammer you may get the DA trigger down to 8-8.5 lbs and have reliable ignition with Speer, Federal, Winchester, and Remington ammunition. However, you'll have to test as you go and I would suggest setting the final weight at 1/2 lbs. heavier than the point where you just start to see misfires in double action using Speer ammunition. If you have the heavier Target hammer, consider 9 lbs. even the lower limit on DA trigger weight, heavier hammers require more power from the mainspring to get up to speed.

Finally, snap caps are an absolute must for any extensive dryfirng no matter what firing pin is installed. If you don't use snap caps the hammer strikes the frame of the gun with each strike and that shock is NOT good for either the hammer, firing pin, or the cross pin that retains the firing pin.
 
scooter123 said:
Finally, snap caps are an absolute must for any extensive dryfirng no matter what firing pin is installed. If you don't use snap caps the hammer strikes the frame of the gun with each strike and that shock is NOT good for either the hammer, firing pin, or the cross pin that retains the firing pin.
Click to expand...
Nonsense. On every revolver S&W made with the hammer mounted firing pin the hammer hits the frame when dry firing. No Problem. Same is true of the FMFP guns with a stock or WELL DESIGNED after-market firing pin. Don't dry fire with the C&S pin. They usually break before it becomes an issue but sometimes they wad up the firing pin spring first.
 
Tomcatt is absolutely right. Every real S&W shooter knows the dry-fire trigger job was the quickest way to smooth up a new Smith. We all knew that. I won't opine on FMFPs because I have them 'Carmonized' before I shoot them.
 
tomcatt51 said:
Nonsense. On every revolver S&W made with the hammer mounted firing pin the hammer hits the frame when dry firing. No Problem. Same is true of the FMFP guns with a stock or WELL DESIGNED after-market firing pin. Don't dry fire with the C&S pin. They usually break before it becomes an issue but sometimes they wad up the firing pin spring first.
Click to expand...

Nonsense, I can prove that it's not nonsense. In normal operation the primer provides a cushion that reduces to force at which the hammer strikes the frame. Don't believe it, I'll prove it to you.

Take one of the rimfire revolvers and place fired casings in the cylinder with an undimpled area under the firing pin. Now start pulling the trigger. What you will HEAR is a dull thud with each pull of the trigger until you come to a previously struck case. At that point the sound will go from a thud to a distinct ring. Want to prove it with a centerfire, in that case you'll need casings loaded with unstruck primers that have been rendered inert by a long soak in oil. You'll hear very similar results, that is a distinct change in the sound as soon as you get to a primer that has been previously struck.

As for the manfactureres not recomending the use of snap caps and stating that dry fire is OK, IMO they haven't caught on to how much dry firing that some people engage in. I've seen posts by people who claim to snap their triggers from 2000 to 5000 times PER DAY. As a result I'm seeing complaints about retaining pins failing on semi autos and expect at some point to see a similar complaint about the retaining pin failing on S&W revolver with the frame mounted firing pins. I also saw one post where the hammer spur on a 686 sheared off due to an extreme number of dry fire cycles without the use of something to dampen the hammer strike.


IMO a few snaps of the trigger won't do any real harm if it's simply done to check function. However, if you are dry firing to improve trigger skills or strengthening, you should use a product that is designed to cushion the hammer strike.
If you don't, at some point you'll be purchasing parts to replace the ones that have been damaged by those repeated strikes to the frame.
 
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