Firing pin retainer broke on my Hi Power!

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FIVETWOSEVEN

FIVETWOSEVEN

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I closed the slide on my FM 90 Hi Power (Older FM90) and the bottom half of the retainer broke. I looked at replacements to replace it and they are around $20, why are they so expensive for such a small part?

The upper half is still in the gun and still shootable but I feel that it should be replaced anyway.
 
Yeah, I hear about them breaking a lot. Steven Camp mentioned that they commonly break at the 7 o'clock position.

Worse than that, it appears that many of the common Internet shops are out of stock now.

To minimize the wear, I use part of a foam earplug between the hammer and plate when I practice dry firing my BHP.
 
Happens on 1911's after a lot of dry firing somethimes, too. Some makers make a "Hardcore" type, which is better steel for the purpose. I don't think there are good aftermarket ones for the BHP; I'd get a couple factory ones as spares.
 
I've got thousands of rounds through a bunch of HPs, and I've been following HPs on the internet for years. I don't think it's accurate to say they are "breaking a lot" or that they "commonly" break. I've only ever heard of perhaps two or three incidents. Now, it is possible that of the few HP parts that do break more are FP retainers, but I think that buying any HP spares is simply insurance that you'll never need them.
 
If you've never broken a gun you just ain't been shooting enough! I've had one break on a 1911, replace it and get on with your shooting. Don't obsess about it.

It's so expensive because now you have to pay for someone having stored it for God knows how long and then actually find it and send it to you when you need it!

Try the surplus places like Numrich (Gun Parts Corp), Sarco, Northridge etc. Google might find someone willing to sell one for less
 
Weird coincidence, mine just broke. Racked the slide and the top 1/3 snapped off and dropped at my feet. It's basically a drop in part, but of course now that it's down I had to have the front sight melted off, slide dovetailed, and something tritium put on. Slippery slope...
 
It has something to do with the 32 lb mainspring (or everything to do with it). Dryfiring w/o some kind of protection is a no no.

I would be surprised if Cylinder and Slide could not help you out somehow.
 
FIVETWOSEVEN said:
I closed the slide on my FM 90 Hi Power (Older FM90) and the bottom half of the retainer broke. I looked at replacements to replace it and they are around $20, why are they so expensive for such a small part?

The upper half is still in the gun and still shootable but I feel that it should be replaced anyway.
Click to expand...

Although I've owned several Hi Powers, I do not have one now to look at and confirm this but, I wouldn't fire it in that condition. If you mean that the lower part is missing, that is, I believe, the part that initially contacts the hammer when the slide starts moving. You may damage, scratch or gouge the hammer face and the edge of the slide is now exposed to possible damage.

In other words, on 1911 style guns, the retainer is also the initial contact point for cocking the hammer.

I hope you can understand that explanation.
 
Oh I see, well I have cocked it by working the slide and the hammer doesn't contact the damaged part and still cocked fine but I see what you mean.
 
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