marklbucla
Member
I've got a Ciener Hi-Power kit that's having problems with light primer strikes. How much should I look to pay for a gunsmith to fix this?
How much to fix light primer strikes?
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FieroCDSP
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Does it do the light strikes with all ammo, or just some? I've had light strikes on Winchester WB and PMC cheapies with my Sigma 40, but fires CCI like a dream. Different primers is all I can figure.
Does it do the light strikes with all ammo, or just some? I've had light strikes on Winchester WB and PMC cheapies with my Sigma 40, but fires CCI like a dream. Different primers is all I can figure.
marklbucla
Member
Yep, it's not the ammo.
FieroCDSP
Member
Eew.... I have no clue as to a repair cost. I'd personally figure a hundred plus if it were one of mine, but I'm a pessimist (or so I'm told. 
)That's part of the reason I went with S&W: lifetime warranty. peace of mind and all that jazz. Hope you get it working quick, and preferably cheap.
)That's part of the reason I went with S&W: lifetime warranty. peace of mind and all that jazz. Hope you get it working quick, and preferably cheap.
Possible Causes, Possible easy solution
Not familiar with the Hi-Power (wish I were) but it looks like it has essentially the same firing pin arrangement as the 1911. The conversion kit probably is similar.
So, just some sugggestions which may or may not be appropriate, depending on the mechanism.
Possible causes:
(0) Slide not fitted to frame properly or too long, so that the hammer does not strike a straight blow on the firing pin.
(1) Excessive headspace. The .22LR should have a headspace of .044" to .046". A talented amateur mechanic can measure this with a bit of ingenuity. (NOTE: insufficient headspace will result in slamfires, excessive headspace will result in misfires.)
(2) Firing pin too short.
(3) Too much of or too thick an oil, or dirt on the firing pin spring or in the firing pin channel. This may soften the blow of the firing pin against the rim of the cartride.
Three is an easy fix, which you might try before sending the gun back or bringing it to a 'smith.
Get a pair of goggles and a magnet.
Remove the firing pin and spring and make sure they are clean and not oiled excessively. These parts require only a tiny amount of oil, which should be very thin. One way of doing this is to put a tiny amount of Hoppe's on your rubber-gloved fingertip and rub it lightly on the clean firing pin and firing pin spring.
Make sure the firing pin channel is clean as well.
The firing pin on the 1911 is spring-loaded toward the rear and releasing the retaining clip (extreme rear of the slide) can result in the pin and spring jumping out of the gun.
The firing pin sticks out from the retaining clip slightly thereby holding it in the slide. Depress the firing pin with a small piece of wire or other implement until it is below the retaining clip. The retaining clip can then be slid out of the slide. At this point, unless you have covered the rear of the slide with your hand, the firing pin and spring will jump out. (The hammer strut is often used for this operation, but it is unnessesary. A paper clip will do.)
The goggles are to protect your eyes if the parts jump out unexpectedly. The magnet is to find these two pieces when they fall on the floor. But it helps to point the back of the slide toward a wall while removing the firing pin retainer clip as well as hold your hand over the back of the slide.
They also have a tendency to seek freedom while you're reinstalling them.
Over the years I've lost two firing pins on this account. The first one was because I didn't know what I was doing. The second one was because I'm a slow learner.
For what it's worth in your case. Hope it helps save a couple of bucks for you.
Not familiar with the Hi-Power (wish I were) but it looks like it has essentially the same firing pin arrangement as the 1911. The conversion kit probably is similar.
So, just some sugggestions which may or may not be appropriate, depending on the mechanism.
Possible causes:
(0) Slide not fitted to frame properly or too long, so that the hammer does not strike a straight blow on the firing pin.
(1) Excessive headspace. The .22LR should have a headspace of .044" to .046". A talented amateur mechanic can measure this with a bit of ingenuity. (NOTE: insufficient headspace will result in slamfires, excessive headspace will result in misfires.)
(2) Firing pin too short.
(3) Too much of or too thick an oil, or dirt on the firing pin spring or in the firing pin channel. This may soften the blow of the firing pin against the rim of the cartride.
Three is an easy fix, which you might try before sending the gun back or bringing it to a 'smith.
Get a pair of goggles and a magnet.
Remove the firing pin and spring and make sure they are clean and not oiled excessively. These parts require only a tiny amount of oil, which should be very thin. One way of doing this is to put a tiny amount of Hoppe's on your rubber-gloved fingertip and rub it lightly on the clean firing pin and firing pin spring.
Make sure the firing pin channel is clean as well.
The firing pin on the 1911 is spring-loaded toward the rear and releasing the retaining clip (extreme rear of the slide) can result in the pin and spring jumping out of the gun.
The firing pin sticks out from the retaining clip slightly thereby holding it in the slide. Depress the firing pin with a small piece of wire or other implement until it is below the retaining clip. The retaining clip can then be slid out of the slide. At this point, unless you have covered the rear of the slide with your hand, the firing pin and spring will jump out. (The hammer strut is often used for this operation, but it is unnessesary. A paper clip will do.)
The goggles are to protect your eyes if the parts jump out unexpectedly. The magnet is to find these two pieces when they fall on the floor. But it helps to point the back of the slide toward a wall while removing the firing pin retainer clip as well as hold your hand over the back of the slide.
They also have a tendency to seek freedom while you're reinstalling them.
Over the years I've lost two firing pins on this account. The first one was because I didn't know what I was doing. The second one was because I'm a slow learner.
For what it's worth in your case. Hope it helps save a couple of bucks for you.
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marklbucla
Member
Thanks for the advice, but this is what I can't do on my own.
Owen
Moderator Emeritus
Mark,
Have you called Ciener yet?
Have you called Ciener yet?
marklbucla
Member
No, but others here have. I didn't want to go to the trouble of dealing with him.
You may need to put a fresh hammer spring in, or even an extra power hammer spring. Both are available from www.gunsprings.com for less than $5 each.
Any local smith can swap them out for you in just a few minutes. I don't know what they would charge, but it probably wouldn't be much ($15?). They may even have fresh hammer springs in stock.
The .22 kits in general need a full power spring for consistent ingition.
Good Luck...
Joe
Any local smith can swap them out for you in just a few minutes. I don't know what they would charge, but it probably wouldn't be much ($15?). They may even have fresh hammer springs in stock.
The .22 kits in general need a full power spring for consistent ingition.
Good Luck...
Joe
RogersPrecision
Member
Well you could contact Jonathan Ciener himself and ask he makes it right.....
Next time buy product from somebody that cares.
Next time buy product from somebody that cares.
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Just a general comment that, contrary to what one may think, it takes a lot more force to set off a rimfire than it does a center fire primer. Unlike the primer, the rimfire cartridge material has to be strong enough to resist the full pressure inside the round, which means, in modern high pressure ammo, that the brass has to be strong and hard. That means it also is hard to dent.
The extra power mainspring (hammer spring) may be the answer; at least it is the one I would try first.
Jim
The extra power mainspring (hammer spring) may be the answer; at least it is the one I would try first.
Jim
light strikes
light strikes..
one of our shooting team members was having the same problem,no matter what primer,he always had the odd light strike,went through his .40sti,thried a heavier main spring,worked but it changed the whole trigger feel and had hammer follow,(he has an 750gram trigger)..we changed back the original mainspring.closer inspection we found that a burr over the firing pin exit hole had developed,de-burr'd slightly and havent had a problem since..can only think the way the burr occured was when the slide stripes another round from the mag,the rim of the brass slides over the firing pin hole and given 50000 rounds in 2 years its highly likely a burr would develop.
light strikes..
one of our shooting team members was having the same problem,no matter what primer,he always had the odd light strike,went through his .40sti,thried a heavier main spring,worked but it changed the whole trigger feel and had hammer follow,(he has an 750gram trigger)..we changed back the original mainspring.closer inspection we found that a burr over the firing pin exit hole had developed,de-burr'd slightly and havent had a problem since..can only think the way the burr occured was when the slide stripes another round from the mag,the rim of the brass slides over the firing pin hole and given 50000 rounds in 2 years its highly likely a burr would develop.
Winger Ed.
Member
Something that's cheap to try before you take it in-
If the oil used when it was assembled has turned hard, it can slow down the firing pin enough to cause a miss-fire:
Put the little straw on a WD-40 can, and try to flush out the firing pin hole, going both ways on it, and the pivot point of the hammer too. Then blow it out with air, even a spray can of that computer keyboard cleaning stuff will work. (get most of the WD-40 back out, or it will eventually turn gummy itself)
You might try a 'before & after' test by pushing in on the firing pin a few times with a match stick or something to see if it limbers up some (or not) after the flushing/cleaning.
No big promises, but that might be all that is wrong with it.
.
If the oil used when it was assembled has turned hard, it can slow down the firing pin enough to cause a miss-fire:
Put the little straw on a WD-40 can, and try to flush out the firing pin hole, going both ways on it, and the pivot point of the hammer too. Then blow it out with air, even a spray can of that computer keyboard cleaning stuff will work. (get most of the WD-40 back out, or it will eventually turn gummy itself)
You might try a 'before & after' test by pushing in on the firing pin a few times with a match stick or something to see if it limbers up some (or not) after the flushing/cleaning.
No big promises, but that might be all that is wrong with it.
.
mrmeval
Member
Is there a problem with Ciener or his product or both?
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