Firing pin cracked

[ithacaartist]

OK, well. somebody will try it with just the front end of a firing pin installed, and we'll see. I think it will fire.

[G.T.]

Hi guys, well I was working on memory and so, just went to the bench to see if I could determine what actually happened at the range... here's what I found out at the bench.. I took out all my firing pin springs that I have in stock, a dozen plus... and I find that there is a 3/8" variance in free length between the longest and the shortest... I don't know if this would factor in, but you again are correct that there is some spring pressure even with the broken pin and shortest spring... although still nothing like the tension power of the spring tension when compressed approx. 3/8"with a good firing pin locked on the sear notch...But, again, the broken firing pin is not pushed, or released, (or held) by anything?? The breechblock carries it, but does not allow the transfer of inertia necessary for the now, less than half as heavy firing pin, to strike from near zero forward movement ?? To further complicate things, I think the loading case rim, is pushing the firing pin back flush before it ever goes into battery, thus simply resting, sliding, against the primer throughout the whole chambering process?? Otherwise I believe, it, (the cartridge) would jam against the protruding pin point?? At any rate, it didn't fire for me on failure, and on the next round, or the next?? On two occasions... .. next one might go off.. but I really hope we never see that!..... It was an Erfurt! Might have been the whole issue... BTW, one of the pins broke right smack dab in the middle... almost as if cut... I'm sorry to say, I can't remember if it marked the primer at all, like an AR will sometimes do... I looked, just can't remember... it was WW box ammo... Get out your hacksaws boys! ... Best to all, til...lat'r....GT BTW, An MP / Uzi, anything bolt is probably 100 times, or more, the mass of a complete Luger firing pin, with a rock solid pin point, and it's coming in, all the way from center field!!!... BTW, David, I'm betting it don't! lets set up a pool!

[G.T.]

Hi Alx, In reading more of your post, I think the reason for the breakage might be two fold, and some of it my fault... the first time, it broke immediately and may have already been fractured, and other then being numbered, old dark and dirty I have no idea.. the second pin broke right thru the number as well, but I was shooting 9MM NATO ammo and was having all kinds of issues until the firing pin broke and the day was done... It wasn't visibly broken when I started and I had looked at it upon a prior inspection. it was a matching gun too! I just don't trust any / all junky WW1 firing pins anymore... ... best to all, til...lat'r...GT

[G.T.]

I have an idea, (dangerous all by itself!) which I will try later this week..... I am going to the range, and will remove the sear bar and hold open.... then with one round in the mag... pointed down range, I will release the toggle and see if it goes off, and if I was just lucky! Or otherwise...... best to all, til...lat'r...GT