Fluted firing pin conversion
 

Hi,

Here are some photos of the original Erfurt-marked firing pins of my 2 Erfurts.

Number 1 (21) is unmodified. 1917 Erfurt P08 with no special markings, other than the standard Erfurt ones.

Number 2 (29) has been converted to the fluted design. The flutes have been milled later, somewhere during the service life of the pistol. It surfaced, untouched since the end of WW2, a while ago. The pistol has been in police service from 1918 - 1945.

Still limited to my phone camera. I will try to take better photos or scans at a later date, if needed.

Interesting pictures, and conversion. I have a couple questions, just to satisfy my curiosity...

- The pics are too faint to see machine/tool marks - the flutes are milled, not ground?

- It's generally accepted that this was a cheaper/easier conversion than gas ports in the breechblock (like Borchardt C93)?

- I pulled out my 1937 S/42 to check and see how far the flutes extended on a 'factory' flute, but the S/42 firing pin has no flutes...In fact, it has no markings at all...How did the conversion flute compare to the 'factory' flute in width, depth, and length???

Milling machines (and grinding machines) are not something you would see even at depot level...How ere the converted firing pins done? Send in the entire pistol, or just exchange firing pins? Wait until pistol needed rebuild or send in when change was posted?

They could be ground as well. Hard to say. What is noteworthy is that they almost went in too deep and almost cut into the recess that holds the spring.

A very interesting modification Vlim.

Yes. A fixture to mill it would be somewhat complicated to securely hold it without crushing it, while a fixture for grinding the flutes could be 'flimsier'...I did find a 'assembly line' firing pin here, the 'assembly line' firing pin flutes look shorter than the conversion flutes...But I can't tell if they are milled, the FP was never installed and has a coat of something black on it, almost like Parkerizing... :confused:

I have a 1917 DWM converted to police specs, also it has the same style conversion to the firing pin. It is ground in. Rough check of hardness on firing pin you will not be able to mill without solid carbide, not feasible or safe. As for fixturing to hold it, it would be a collet in a indexing head, the indexing head is very solid and rigid, I use them for grinding OD's on Dayton punches ( 60-62 Rc ). I will get pics of my fp when the snow stops if anyone is interested. GR