I've owned this pistol for 5 years now. From day one of my ownership it has had 'Striker Follow'. Would be hammer follow but this is a striker fired pistol. I do own a 1907 in 32 ACP that functions normally. So I have a pistol I can view for normal function and parts placement. After cleaning 5 years ago, this project went back into the drawer. I have reacquainted myself with the function and disassembly of all but the breach bolt. I have avoided taking it apart because I can see it will take more than 2 hands to reassemble it. I am detail cleaning it right now but have done as much troubleshooting as I can think of and come up with the problem being in the fire control located in the breach bolt. Here are the troubleshooting steps I have taken that lead me to believe the breach bolt will need to come apart for complete cleaning and parts inspection.
- When cycled slowly the striker will remain cocked
- When cycled vigorously the striker will follow the slide forward. I cannot determine if the striker follows on the initial movement forward or if it waits for the abrupt stop when the slide reaches the forward most position. The motion is too fast for my eyes to register either way.
- I removed the trigger and sear trip and can replicate the striker follow manually
- I then removed the barrel/recoil spring and can replicate the striker follow manually
- oddly, I can install the 32 ACP breach bolt in the 380 and the striker follow is still there. This doesn't make any sense but it is what I observed. I cannot install the 380 breach bolt in the 32 gun. It apparently would need to be fitted though the parts appear to be interchangeable. I am not going to do that.
- the actual Sears look physically different between the 32 and the 380 dispite both being manufactured in 1913 and should be the same engineering revision. No one can account for what parts have been replaced in the last 107 years though.
- I have been staring at both firearms and have performed several other tests to see if I could better define what the problem is. But the above tests show both the supporting and contradicting observations for disassembly of the breach bolt.
Up until I tested the 32 breach bolt in the 380 I was certain that the problem resided within the 380 breach bolt. But when the 32 breach also followed it directs my attention to the cocking indicator tail that actually cocks the firearm. But I have operated the cocking piece (hammer looking piece) on both breach bolts and they both reach a point where the sear engages the top of the firing pin and although both cocking piece tails can can travel further 'upwards` neither changes the final engagement of the sear to them firing pin. I cannot push the striker/cocking piece forward with my hands no matter how the cocking piece was cocked (manually out of the gun or mechanicall by the gun in normal operation. Now, could it be that the striker follow using the 32 breach bolt in the 380 pistol is just a coincidence and related to final fit of pieces in each particular firearm? I dont know but there is no striker follow when using the 32 breach bolt in the 32 firearm. *
The first question is if I should endeavor to disassemble the 380 breach bolt for final cleaning and parts inspection? There is a level of commitment once the breach bolt is disassembled. I'm willing to commit to it as long as it makes sense and I haven't left something else untested before I do.
The next question would be if anyone has experience taking a breach bolt apart.
The above really assumes that the respondent(s) are familiar with the firearm and how it works. It doesn't work like most would think. Below are some resources if you are so inclined to learn something new or need to see how it actually works. The C&Arsenal function video is really great. I have added some pictures for a general view of the parts in question.
Numrich parts diagram https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/savstevspgfld/auto-pistols-sav/1907
380 breach bolt on left. Notice the difference between Sears and the 'nun's on the bottom of the cocking piece tail (bottom)
This image shows how the sear trip/trigger assembly works and is a general arrangement of the parts without the barrel/recoil spring/slide attached. This picture helps understand the function video quite well
General arrangement.
* I reread my post 5 years ago on TFL and apparently the 32 did once have a striker follow that resulted in a round going downrange when the bolt closed. I cannot replicate it today though. I dont know if I had cleaned that pistol after that or not.
- When cycled slowly the striker will remain cocked
- When cycled vigorously the striker will follow the slide forward. I cannot determine if the striker follows on the initial movement forward or if it waits for the abrupt stop when the slide reaches the forward most position. The motion is too fast for my eyes to register either way.
- I removed the trigger and sear trip and can replicate the striker follow manually
- I then removed the barrel/recoil spring and can replicate the striker follow manually
- oddly, I can install the 32 ACP breach bolt in the 380 and the striker follow is still there. This doesn't make any sense but it is what I observed. I cannot install the 380 breach bolt in the 32 gun. It apparently would need to be fitted though the parts appear to be interchangeable. I am not going to do that.
- the actual Sears look physically different between the 32 and the 380 dispite both being manufactured in 1913 and should be the same engineering revision. No one can account for what parts have been replaced in the last 107 years though.
- I have been staring at both firearms and have performed several other tests to see if I could better define what the problem is. But the above tests show both the supporting and contradicting observations for disassembly of the breach bolt.
Up until I tested the 32 breach bolt in the 380 I was certain that the problem resided within the 380 breach bolt. But when the 32 breach also followed it directs my attention to the cocking indicator tail that actually cocks the firearm. But I have operated the cocking piece (hammer looking piece) on both breach bolts and they both reach a point where the sear engages the top of the firing pin and although both cocking piece tails can can travel further 'upwards` neither changes the final engagement of the sear to them firing pin. I cannot push the striker/cocking piece forward with my hands no matter how the cocking piece was cocked (manually out of the gun or mechanicall by the gun in normal operation. Now, could it be that the striker follow using the 32 breach bolt in the 380 pistol is just a coincidence and related to final fit of pieces in each particular firearm? I dont know but there is no striker follow when using the 32 breach bolt in the 32 firearm. *
The first question is if I should endeavor to disassemble the 380 breach bolt for final cleaning and parts inspection? There is a level of commitment once the breach bolt is disassembled. I'm willing to commit to it as long as it makes sense and I haven't left something else untested before I do.
The next question would be if anyone has experience taking a breach bolt apart.
The above really assumes that the respondent(s) are familiar with the firearm and how it works. It doesn't work like most would think. Below are some resources if you are so inclined to learn something new or need to see how it actually works. The C&Arsenal function video is really great. I have added some pictures for a general view of the parts in question.
Numrich parts diagram https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/savstevspgfld/auto-pistols-sav/1907
380 breach bolt on left. Notice the difference between Sears and the 'nun's on the bottom of the cocking piece tail (bottom)
This image shows how the sear trip/trigger assembly works and is a general arrangement of the parts without the barrel/recoil spring/slide attached. This picture helps understand the function video quite well
General arrangement.
* I reread my post 5 years ago on TFL and apparently the 32 did once have a striker follow that resulted in a round going downrange when the bolt closed. I cannot replicate it today though. I dont know if I had cleaned that pistol after that or not.
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