S&W Model 10-5: Firing Pin Not Protruding Frame

[gobsauce]

Good evening Folks,

I picked up my Grandad's S&W 10-5 and it seems that the firing pin will not come out at all from the frame. It's almost as if the firing pin is hitting the frame, as the hammer does not fall all the way. I don't know much about Wheelguns, so I'm reaching out. I'm not sure how to go about this, so I'm asking for a little guidance. Enclosed I have pictures of the frame where the firing pin should be protruding but isn't and a picture of the Firing Pin itself. I can take more pictures if needed.

Thank you ,Gob.

Frame

• gobsauce
• Nov 20, 2020

Picture of Frame where Firing Pin should be Protruding but is not.

Hammer

• gobsauce
• Nov 20, 2020

Picture of faulty (?) hammer in Grandad's S&W 10-5.

 

[edwardware]

. . . I have pictures of the frame where the firing pin should be protruding

The FP should only protrude from the the recoil plate when the trigger is pulled. This is normal, and it's why the gun doesn't fire when you drop it.

With the cylinder open, move the cylinder latch button back (and hold it back) to unblock the hammer, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger. Now you should see the FP protruding from the recoil plate. When you release the hammer, the FP with withdraw into the plate.

Additionally, you're missing (or removed) the front sideplate screw. I caution you against attempting to remove the sideplate, or meddling therein, until you've learned how. Kuhnhausen's S&W manual is the place to start; these machines look simple, but they are not.

 

[wiscoaster]

Ditto above. The firing pin is blocked until the trigger is pulled. If/when you take off the side plate the blocking bar will probably just fall out if you're removing the side plate the proper way by knocking the frame against something, not by prying. The blocking bar is just sitting in there loose in a channel where the side plate forms the outside edge of the channel.

View attachment 956770

 

[gobsauce]

The FP should only protrude from the the recoil plate when the trigger is pulled. This is normal, and it's why the gun doesn't fire when you drop it..

I'm sorry, I suppose it would have been wise to take a larger image. The trigger is in fact being pulled.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I'm sitting here looking at my M10-5 and I notice that your firing pin is slightly bent up more then mine. I'll bet on a bent firing pin striking the upper part of the frame just above the firing pin slot.

I would also look at the firing pin spring. The firing pin is a floating pin with a spring to hold it in the down position. If the you push the firing pin up and it does not rebound back down on its own then the spring is non-existent or broken.

 

[gobsauce]

I'm sitting here looking at my M10-5 and I notice that your firing pin is slightly more bent up then mine. I'll bet on a bent firing pin striking the upper part of the frame just above the firing pin slot.

That's exactly what I was thinking, but I still have somewhat of an issue. I myself don't own a DA Six Iron, all SA. I don't have a frame of reference for the angle it should be in. Not only that, how would I go about bending it back to shape?

 

[wiscoaster]

Here's a pic of my firing pin:

View attachment 956814

I'm guessing yours looks "bent" because of an optical illusion enhanced by the angle of the photo in relation to the frame outline. If the pin goes into the cutout without hitting the frame then it's normal. In any case, you don't bend it ... you replace it. It's pinned into the hammer.

 

[gobsauce]

Hammer_Flat

• gobsauce
• Nov 20, 2020

Here's a relatively flatter angle of the FP.

 

[wiscoaster]

OK, and if the firing pin is not hitting the frame the hammer should fully close and look like this:
View attachment 956823
Note how the pin that holds the firing pin in the hammer is just a little bit into the frame.

Ackkk ... I see I need to do some more polishing on that little beastie ...

 

[wiscoaster]

Numrich has a used firing pin available ("hammer nose" to use the proper term): https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/smith-wesson/revolvers-sw/10-sw

 

[The Bushmaster]

gobsauce...Looking at the picture of the cocked hammer. see if you can move the pin up and down. It should be free to move with a spring loaded feel. If it does not move freely then it is stuck in the up position.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Wiscoaster...The firing pin block is holding your hammer out of battery. Pull the trigger and see where the pivit pin ends up.

 

[gobsauce]

Wiscoaster, How much play should there be when it comes to the firing pin? This one barely moves at all and does not feel spring loaded.

 

[wiscoaster]

Wiscoaster, How much play should there be when it comes to the firing pin? This one barely moves at all and does not feel spring loaded.

There's no spring behind the pin. There should be a little "play" and it should feel like it's just flopping around in its recess. On my gun it looks to be about an eighth of an inch. If yours is stiff maybe it's just gunked up and you can fix that easily by spraying some aerosol action cleaner in there followed by compressed air to clean out the gunk and dry out the residue, followed by a teeny tiny drop of light gun oil.

 

[wiscoaster]

Wiscoaster...The firing pin block is holding your hammer out of battery. Pull the trigger and see where the pivit pin ends up.

Yes. The OP's problem is that he says the hammer doesn't fall all the way with the trigger pulled. (My descriptive terminology for my pic was incorrect).

I wanted to see if it was hitting the frame out of battery and at rest.

 

[The Bushmaster]

As noted in the photo of my avatar I have three M10s (M10-5, M10-7, M10-9). One has a spring loaded firing pin and two do not have the spring. Still...The firing pin is free floating and should be free to move. If not then its frozen by rust or "gunk".

All I'm asking gobsauce is to insure his is free floating. Is it? If it is free to move up and down then his pin is bent.

 

[wiscoaster]

Mine is a 10-5, same model as the OP's. It has no spring.

Ya, could be rust. Penetrating oil into the pivit pin and into the recess should fix that.

OP: if it's rust, DON'T use rust remover - that'll take your bluing off.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I also have a 19-5. Same hammer system with spring.

 

[gobsauce]

Okay, to answer Wisecoaster: The hammer is indeed hitting the frame out of battery and at rest as well. I'm gonna go ahead and try to free it up with penetrating oil. Honestly, I might just pull it out and let it soak in oil for a while. Is there any way to remove the Hammer Nose if need be?

 

[The Bushmaster]

Yes...Using a drift punch just slightly smaller then the initial hole (the hole in the hammer. Not the hole in the pin) and hammer drive the pin out. Make sure the revolver hammer is well supported.

 

[earplug]

The hammer pin functions like a rivet. Taking it out might force you to locate and fit a new pin. I think Powers or Clark had a improved firing pin replacement kit that included the pin. I used a set of rounded punches to set the new pin. Two steel ball bearings and a vice grip might do it.

 

[wiscoaster]

It goes out left to right. It goes back in right to left, preferably using a roll pin punch, since it has a roll pin like mine. I would recommend removing the hammer if you're going to punch out the hammer nose, but that's escalating the level of disassembly complexity quite a bit. Hopefully you can free it up without needing to punch it out. Patience is usually your best tool with something that's stuck.

 

[gobsauce]

Yes...Using a drift punch just slightly smaller then the initial hole (the hole in the hammer. Not the hole in the pin) and hammer drive the pin out. Make sure the revolver hammer is well supported.

So I removed the Hammer Nose and the hammer now actuates the way it should. However, I did not find any gunk stuck within. I think this may be an issue of an ill fitting hammer nose.

Wiscoaster, If it's not obvious, patience is my weakest virtue.

 

[gobsauce]

So once I removed the hammer nose, I put it back together and it works the way it should, except without a firing pin. In conclusion, it turns out the issue was the hammer nose after all. Now, what's my next step? I can try and fit it or I can just order another one, which may require fitting anyways. Thoughts?

 

[The Bushmaster]

"patience is my weakest virtue"...Me too.