Light primer strikes?

[Pyro]

My .32 S&W-L revolver had been shooting fine but lately have been having misfires. Today at the range I "clicked" on a round three times before it fired, after two times I took it out and looked at the nice dents I put in the unfired primer. I was using Magtech wadcutters. 3 rounds out of 12 clicked on me, I had a similar instance happen with this ammo last week when I had two "clicks" out of about 30; one was a wadcutter and the other was a SJHP.
What brand of primer does Magtech use?
I've ordered some Federal .32 S&W-L since I know they manufacture/load very reliable primers.

The revolver is quite old so it might just be the hammer spring going out.

 

[greyling22]

first and easiest thing to look for on a smith that used to work is to look at the strain screw and make sure it's not loose. it's at the bottom front of the grip and puts tension on the hammer spring. it might be covered with a grip if your grips wrap around the front of the gun. take a look at the pictures. http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/revolver_S_W_L-Frame_Internal_Drawing.jpg

http://imageshack.us/f/396/kscrewrf5.jpg/

 

[Pyro]

It is an older Forehand Arms model but I do know what you are talking about.
I'll have to break it open later to take a look; if I remember correctly though that screw is rusted tight and refuses to budge.

 

[ExMachina]

Do you have a set of feeler gauges? If you do, you can check the headspace in the gun--simply chamber a round and then check the gap between the case head and the frame. Should be around 0.010". If it's much more, then you can look into having S&W reduce it for you.

 

[Pyro]

The headspace is quite open, the rounds slide slightly up and down the cylinder just enough to make a noise against the recoil shield. Not much I can do to it though, again this is not a S&W model.

 

[ExMachina]

Misread you message, thought it was a Smith. Cartridges should rattle a bit, but the difference of just a few thousandths can make the difference between hitting solid and a misfire.

 

[Pyro]

Yes I have been noticing that.
The problem I had to fix was a limp firing pin, it just dug so far into the primers it actually punctured a few and would not extract. So saving the time from taking this thing apart and replacing the firing pin retraction spring I just filed it down and reshaped it to the point where it will contact the primer and give a nice indent without digging into the cap and jamming the cylinder.
Most times it will shoot nice and leave a normal indent on the primer. But 5 rounds of this Magtech stuff were given less than adequate indentations it seemed. The second time around set them off, except one that took three tries. The DA pull is very light so I am certain it is the hammer spring (being 100+ years old and with God knows how many shots fired). Federal ammo arrives tomorrow, heard that their primers are the best for a "tuned down" revolver. If I can go 6 rounds rapid fire without a misfire I will be happy.