AR-7 Survival Rifle FTFs

[dubious]

Hey folks, I've got a new Henry Survival Rifle. I've worked most of the kinks out of it, but it's firing reliability leaves something to be desired. I've tried a wide variety of ammo and have a failure to fire about once in 10 or 15 rounds. The indentation on the rim is sometimes a little bit light.

I'm thinking about increasing the forward travel of the firing pin by grinding off just a hair (less than 1/16") from the back of the retaining hole. That's the hole in the side of the firing pin that the retaining pin goes into.

In the following pic, you can see the retaining hole clearly in the middle of the pin. I want to grind down the right side of the hole. The left side of the pin is the striking surface.

I don't foresee how this could damage the rifle, and I think it SHOULD correct my problems. Do any of y'all know how this could fail?

Thanks
Dubious

 

[lee n. field]

You can get another firing pin, right?

Knock yourself out. I doubt it will make the rifle reliable, if it's anything like my old and long gone Charter Arms version.

 

[arthurcw]

If you can get another pin then I would try it.

Strange, it's usually Failure to Feeds that plague this type of rifle. If it's feeding ok, then I'd certainly stick with it and try a new pin and to alter the one you have.

My advice is to order the new pin first.

Also if it’s new, call Henry and see what they say.

 

[MCgunner]

The failures to feed in AR7s are easy, easy fixes for someone with ANY mechanical ability. It's usually the "feed ramp" on the front of the magazine and that can be bent to proper angle with a pair of needle nose. You can also chamfer the chamber mouth a tad, a little tricky, but doable.

I've owned two. One got stolen, bought another off a friend. Parts are cheap, cheap! I'd also maybe buy another firing pin spring, might be a little light on that AR. I have had no firing problems out of the ordinary on either of my AR7s or my Explorer 2 pistol, but did have feeding problems I had to fix by bending feed ramps around. I have tried and tried to improve the trigger and bought probably a half dozen triggers to file on, but never was able to reliably reduce creep, just the basic design. One of 'em turned the danged thing into a full auto... Got rid of that one QUICK. LOL! But, the parts are so friggin' cheap, it's just fun to at least TRY to improve the thing. I can shoot it with that trigger, it's just not exactly match grade, LOL! It's stiff and creepy, but I've killed a fair share of squirrel and one Nutria rat with it, my older one that is. the trigger on that Explorer pistol is so stiff, after a couple hundred rounds my trigger finger is hurting. I'd rather shoot 200 rounds with my DA guns. :banghead: But, the danged thing is accurate, if fugly. I bought it cheap, just a play toy gun. I even got two barrels with it, 6" and 8", all for fifty bucks. Pretty good deal for a reliable, accurate .22 autoloader even if it has the trigger from hell.

 

[dubious]

oops i thought FTF meant Failure to Fire...