[Phil DeGraves]

I'm getting light hits on my 60s vintage M34. Changed the mainspring. Still occasionally misfiring with all types of ammo. Anyone got a suggestion?

[Starter52]

Damage from dryfiring? Is it the same chamber misfiring each time?

[rcmodel]

Might check under the ejector star and see if any stray powder got under it. Sometimes a little dirt will hold it up just enough to cushion the FP blow, but not bind up the gun.

Same with any fouling in any of the rim recesses.

Did you replace the spring with another S&W spring, or a reduced power Wolff?

rcmodel

[Phil DeGraves]

Damage from dryfiring? Is it the same chamber misfiring each time?

Seems random.

Might check under the ejector star and see if any stray powder got under it. Sometimes a little dirt will hold it up just enough to cushion the FP blow, but not bind up the gun.

Same with any fouling in any of the rim recesses.


Already did that.

Did you replace the spring with another S&W spring, or a reduced power Wolff?


New S&W springs.

[rcmodel]

O.K. then!

* Excess end-shake?
(causing excess headspace problem)

* Firing pin protrusion & movement O.K.?
(FP retractor spring might have broken / stacked up and not allowing full travel.)

* Hammer face dented from FP impact?

Running out of ideas here! :(

rcmodel

[Brian Williams]

Make sure the cartridges are going into the chambers completely, If not the chambers might be dirty or real tight and not allowing the cartridges to enter them very well.

[VA27]

I had the same problem last year with an old '34 I 'rescued' from a pawn shop. I finally tracked it down to the hole in the firing pin bushing. The hole was oversized and the firing pin would move up and down causing intermittient non-fires. I wound up ordering a firing pin, spring and firing pin bushing from GPC. No more problems.