[ithacaartist]

Cliff,

The "fluted"/"relieved" firing pin is easy to spot. Three cuts were made into their front ends, starting a bit behind the tip and extending back far enough to make notches in the front edge of the main body. The prevailing theory about why this operation was performed is that the three notches allow an escape route for high pressure gasses produced by a pierced primer, as opposed to turning the f.p. into a gas piston which rams back to destroy the firing pin guide and possibly the breech block itself. Some think the relief cuts were to allow the firing system to accommodate a greater accumulation of crud before binding from the buildup.