Have you ever had a broken firing pin?

[malix]

Like the title says, has this ever happened to you? And if so, in what kind of gun?

Do you keep spare firing pins for any of your guns?

Im just wondering how common this is. I have never had one of mine break, but then again i havent been shooting nearly as long or as often as some of the members here.

 

[Zoogster]

I had one break on a trip once far from parts. I had one filed out of a nail in no time that worked fine until I could buy a new one.

 

[rcmodel]

A few.

A new Astra Constable .22 broke the firing pin within the first 100 rounds.
I made a new one out of drill rod and it hasn't broke again. That was in 1970.

I bought one 92 Winchester with a broken firing pin and replaced it. That was caused by 100 years of several owners dry-firing it.

I have repaired countless single barrel shotguns with broken firing pins. Again, very old guns with countless idjits dry-firing them countless times through the years.

I had to make a new firing pin for a brand new Uberti .45 Colt SAA.
Not because it broke, but because it was shaped wrong and was piercing primers.

I have never broken a firing pin on any S&W, Colt, Walther, Glock, Browning, or any number of other modern firearms.

I think it is so rare as to be a non-issue on modern firearms anymore.

I keep spares for AR-15, 1911, and a few other guns I own.
Not because they break in normal use, but because I work on guns and sometimes need replacements for worn parts.

rc

 

[4D5]

Like this...

This is out of a Browning Challenger.

Fortunately I was able to find a replacement.

 

[shotgunjoel]

I had a broken firing pin on my JC Higgins Model 31. It's a .22 semi auto tube fed. It broke right in the middle. Ordered a brand new one online, no problem.

 

[LRaccuracy]

I have only had a broken firing pin in one firearm I own. A CZ-52

The following is from CZ52.com

- The firing pin of the CZ-52 is a weak steel, which makes them relatively brittle. Dry firing the pistol, that is firing without a cartridge or "snap cap," is not recommended. Here's a picture of a busted firing pin.

 

[hanno]

Had a firing pin shear in half on my Lee Enfield #4 Mk1.

 

[wally]

Firing pin broke on my S&W M22A. They fixed in 10 days and paid shipping both ways. I've had it about 5 years and its become my favorite .22 pistol.

--wally.

 

[CTGunner]

A new Smith & Wesson 686 4 inch barrel. After about 400 rounds. It was very very disappointing and came with no warning. After that I switched to Ruger for a SD revolver. It took almost 4 weeks to get the gun back from S&W. At the time it was my only gun so I had to buy another gun to cover me for the Smith's 4 week vacation...hahaha.

 

[garyhan]

In my earliest years of shooting , I had firing pins break on a Mossberg .22, and a Winchester 94 .30/30. At that time, I dry fired my guns extensively. Writers of the day were split on whether this was damaging to the firing pin, and I still see different opinions on the subject. After the second breakage, I began dry firing only with a snap cap or once fired case, and have not had another firing pin break in over 40 years.

gary

 

[rcmodel]

The only opinion that is right is that if you dry-fire old Winchester lever actions, you will break the firing pins.

rc

 

[cyclopsshooter]

Colt 1911 22 conversion had one bust... Not cool!

 

[AK103K]

In close to 50 years of shooting now, just one, a GI firing pin in a heavily shot and dry fired M1A.

 

[LaserSpot]

I broke the firing ping on my Ruger MK II twice from dry firing. The firing pin has a slot for a cross pin that holds it in and limits the travel. I broke the cross pin once; peened the edge of the chamber a little (was easy to file out the burr). The parts were inexpensive so I kept dry firing and bought some spares.

This is why you should never dry fire a rimfire.

 

[Quentin]

Yes, about three years ago I broke the firing pin in my Star PD which was bought new in 1981. Dry firing did it, I didn't know it was a problem in that gun but found out online it happens a lot with the PD. Couldn't find a replacement so instead found a gunsmith who fabricated a new one using the broken one as a guide.

However I dry fired my 1976 Colt Series 70 much more than the Star with no signs of abuse at all.

 

[Clifford]

Broken into two pieces, no. I have bent two firing pins. One was on a High-Point C9, the gun had around 1000 rounds thru it and the track for the striker was worn out pretty badly. The loose fit on top of the fact that The firing pin pulls double duty as the ejector don't help the poor thing.

My Colt 1911 in .38 super also has a bent firing pin but I'm not sure what the deal is with that one. I purchased the gun NIB and the first round I ever fired out of it was a light strike. I noticed the bent pin at around 200 rounds, the gun also leaves primer strikes low on the primer so that may have something to do with it. 1100 rounds and not one other light strike and yes I left the bent pin in the gun.

 

[proplinker]

I have been shooting for over30 years and have never had a firing pin problem. and I have blown primers out of cases in three different rifles. you can buy all kinds of after market products from firing pins , to lighter or heavier springs. then you will need to have tools to take apart your bolts. Don't put yourself through it. (Now watch I'll screw up a pin in the morning)

 

[Mauserguy]

About twelve years ago my dad gave me an old mauser that he had in the closet. It was a really nice Radom, Polish, mauser. He had picked it up some time in the sixties and had never shot it.

I took it to the range, loaded her up, and click, no fire! I checked it out and the firing pin was busted. The tip was broken off and was nowhere to be found. I don't think I broke it, I think that some poor Polish grunt broke it in September of 1939 and it hadn't been fired since...
Mauserguy

 

[Sunray]

"...had one break on a trip once far from parts..." Naturally. It's that Murphy guy and his laws. A nail really shouldn't have worked. Nails are soft steel compared to an FP. Falls under Rule # 2. If it works don't argue with it.
Have an old Marlin .44-40 with a busted pin. Not worth fixing given the heavily rusted barrel.
Never had one break on me though.

 

[fireflyfather]

rcmodel: Friend of mine had one go bad on an astra as well. Dry fire using snap caps broke the pin, and bound the cylinder to boot. (astra .357). Was messy. Had to order parts and fix it for him. Of course, I got to shoot it after that...for "testing purposes".

 

[Hanzerik]

Romanian WASR-10/63, had a broken firing pin when I bought it. I didn't realize it until I shot it for the first time. Bought a new pin from K-Var while waiting on the warranty pin from Century. Took a couple minutes to swap out.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have broken several in my old Mossberg 22 semi-auto. They were great little rifles, but they simply wore out.... springs, pins shearing, firing pins, etc. Never dry fired it intentionally either.

 

[hardluk1]

Never had a pin break or for that fact ,never had a gun go down in 38 years. A couple of those have had much closer to ten thousand + . A colt huntman and a dan wesson revolver. Colts 38 and the dw is 30+.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Two that I remember. I was shooting my dad's old Springfield single shot .22 when I was a teenager and the firing pin broke and I lost part of it. Dad had it fixed but it was never right, it would blow gas back into your face. I recently inherited it so I took it to a good gunsmith who made a new part out of 3/8" bar stock. It shoots as good as new now.

The other was a Stevens Favorite that had a broken firing pin when I bought it. The same gunsmith made me a new one.

 

[p85]

I made a hell of a deal on a Marlin lever action .35 remington at a gun show about 20 years ago. (used of course) First time to the range, click, no bang. No wonder I got it so cheap. Marlin sent me a firing pin, free of charge. Was an excellent shooter after that. Lesson learned, buyer beware.