Is a bent firing pin garbage?

[Ivy Mike]

I've got a JC Higgins model 20 that decided its action didn't want to move anymore. I took it apart this morning and discovered that the firing pin retaining pin was gone and that the firing pin had come out of its channel and gotten bent by the action.
My question is it possible to straighten a firing pin or is that just asking for trouble. The new parts are less than $20 from Numrich and readily available so its not like this is critical. The bend isn't severe at all, just enough to keep it from moving freely.
Is it worth trying to straighten or should I trash it and buy a new one?

 

[Pete409]

Bent Firing Pin

I think I would get out my hammer and anvil and do a little "rolling and tapping" on the bent firing pin in an attempt to straighten it out. If it doesn't work, what have you lost?

 

[speedydave]

I'm no expert, but for $20 you might as well get a new one and forget about it.

If you really wanted to shoot before you are able to get a replacement, straitening might be an option, for a temporary solution. If the firing pin is hardened steel (I have no idea) it may just break or shatter if you try to fix it, or it could break or shatter if you try to use it.

 

[Ivy Mike]

The firing pin isn't subject to all that much pressure is it? I'm really just curious about the safety aspects.

 

[Regolith]

Go ahead and give it a try. Worst case is you still have to buy a new firing pin. Best case is you saved yourself $20.

The only problems I can think of is that the pin may be more prone to breaking in the future, as the metal at the point of the bend will probably be weakened by the stress.

But, I am not a gunsmith.

 

[foghornl]

If it only has a small bend, yeah, the roll-n-tap might work for a short-term fix.

I would buy a new one and install at my leisure, though.

Another thing to consider...why did it get bent in the first place? I broke a firing pin on "Pops" Savage/Stevens 94B, but that was because the primer split, and I couldn't retract the pin...broke it when I opened the action.

 

[Ivy Mike]

foghorn, it bent because the retaining pin snapped and the firing pin came out of its channel and got caught in the action. I found the remains of the retaining pin at the back of the receiver. Since I've got to get a new retaining pin, I just went ahead and ordered the new firing pin.

 

[foghornl]

Clean97:

Isn't it FUN sometimes just to get an older gun running again? "Pops" old Savage 94b now resides with my oldest brother, but he still takes it out for a shoot every now and then. He had a primer split and got the pin stuck again, but he somehow managed to get the whole barrel off...IIRC, the "hinge/pivot" pin for the barrel was removeable, so he got that off, and took the stock, complete with shell still stuck on the firing pin, to the 'smith for a fix.