[GBertolet]

I am having occasional misfires when shooting DA in this revolver. SA shooting is OK. The hits on the cases are very light, even in SA shooting. The strain screw is in and I have no endshake in cylinder. When the firing pin is depressed all the way, only a small amount is protruding from the frame. I think there is the possibility of a worn firing pin or some crud blocking full travel of the pin. How much firing pin protusion should there be from the frame when depressed? And what is the proper way to remove the firing pin? I tried tapping the cross pin out left to right and it will not move, and not willing to force it, I stopped. I have a new replacement firing pin to compare the old to. Any suggestions?

My header didn't come through. The gun is a S&W 18-3 in 22 rimfire.

 

[Sebago Son]

With all due respect, box it up and send it back to Smith & Wesson. Let them do it right....

In my opinion, Frame Mounted Firing Pin Removal / Reinstallation is not a Kitchen Table or Home Workshop Project.....

Alot of dryfiring will wear a firing pin in this fashion also, it will leave indentations on the cylinder / chamber edge..... is there any evidence of this?

 

[GBertolet]

No marks on cylinder from firing pin hits

 

[kritter]

it might be "crud" keeping the fireing pin from full travel.. you might try removing the stocks (grips) and flushing the fireing pin with gunscrubber, or something like brake cleaner. anything that will allow you to direct the flow directly into the fireing pin..
also check that the strain screw hasn't been messed with..filed shorter.. (and sometimes mainsprings go weak too)
but if nothing works.. call S&W , like Sabago Son stated, it's not a home workshop project

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

When you hold the trigger all the way down, the firing pin will stick thru the breech around .030 thousands.

When removing the bushing, you need to press out that retaining pin using a cup punch. then dry fire it some, it should move the bushing towards the breech where it can be removed. If not, tools will need to be used to drive it out.

There could be many reasons for misfires. Any of these need to be addressed:

Faulty ammunition
light mainspring
dirt under cartridge head
hammer bind
dirt in lock work
cylinder end shake
excessive head space
timing
cylinder stop remains down
hammer hits rebound

Well, there are some possible reasons for your problem.
Personally, I bet it's dirty. Rimfires are filthy, but fun to shoot!

 

[mikey357]

SS is RIGHT about the firing pin removal NOT being a "Kitchen Table Job"...VERY easy to MAR the Frame--or worse..

However, I believe that any of the "Model Numbered" S&W K-22's are Perfectly SAFE to "Dry Fire" without Snap Caps or other "Precautions"...IIRC, the firing pin LENGTH is set such that the FP cannot strike the rear of the chamber, assuming everything is "In Spec"...

FWIW, Ruger uses a transverse limiting pin thru the Firing Pin itself to accomplish the same thing in their MKI/MKII/MKIII series of Autopistols...but that's ANOTHER story...HTH....mikey357

In my opinion, Frame Mounted Firing Pin Removal / Reinstallation is not a Kitchen Table or Home Workshop Project.....

Alot of dryfiring will wear a firing pin in this fashion also, it will leave indentations on the cylinder / chamber edge..... is there any evidence of this?

 

[GBertolet]

Your absolutely right , there is no way the firing pin protrudes enough to even come close to reaching the cylinder edge in my mod 18. Even though I had minimal endshake I placed a 2 thou shim to setback the cylinder, and the firing pin hits are a little better now. I will see if I can live with it.