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Why do I keep bending firing pins during dryfire? 2011 edge


nikdanja

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I've never had this problem before. I dunno if it's because when I'm loading dummy rounds in and the pin it's something hard and bends?  I don't know what the pin is hitting to bend it.  This one was a Dawson extended pin.

This is the second pin I have to buy now in less than a month. Wtf? 

I bent this one back so it's someone straight and was going out tomorrow regardless to shoot so we will see. 

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4 minutes ago, BoyGlock said:

Does your dummy round has a spent primer on it? If none, maybe the fp is hitting the edge of the primer flash hole. 

It does not have a spent primer in it. I punched it out during sizing and didn't put anything back in. 

I was thinking it might be hitting the edge but then why does all the spent cases have the pin hitting in the middle of the primer?

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6 minutes ago, nikdanja said:

It does not have a spent primer in it. I punched it out during sizing and didn't put anything back in. 

I was thinking it might be hitting the edge but then why does all the spent cases have the pin hitting in the middle of the primer?

It may appear to be centered even if the fp hole is a tiny bit offset. The flash hole is much farther inside from the fp hole so just a little misalignment of the fp hole will be magnified at the distant flash hole. 

I didnt want any spent primer in my dummy rounds too for easier visual inspection. Initially I plugged the primer hole with silicon sealant to protect my fp but it easily got chewed up. Now I put a spent primer upside down and it last forever. 

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Also another problem with an unplugged primer hole is when the fp tip binds and got stuck in the flash hole. You cannot retract the slide back becsuse the fp is preventing it. Its a pita to clear the jam. Once you cleared it your fp is totally ruined. 

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6 minutes ago, BoyGlock said:

Also another problem with an unplugged primer hole is when the fp tip binds and got stuck in the flash hole. You cannot retract the slide back becsuse the fp is preventing it. Its a pita to clear the jam. Once you cleared it your fp is totally ruined. 

That makes total sense and looking back that's what happened. Before I noticed the bent pin, I dryfired and the gun locked up like the bullet got jammed into the barrel. 

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9 minutes ago, Dan Sierpina said:

Take one of your bent firing pins, cut the pin at the front of the tapered portion, if it's not broken. Use that for dry fire. It can't extend past the breech face, and can't bend, or break.

Why are you using dummy rounds?

I'm using reloaded dummy rounds for weight. I shoot 180 grai bullets and I'll load a mag that is meant for dryfire with 15 reloaded 200 grain bullets that have been sized but has no powder or primer so it mimicks the weight of a full loaded mag that's ready to fire. 

Edited by nikdanja
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While this won't tell you what is causing the bent FP, it might prevent it..........I use dummy rounds colored with machinest dye, with the primer removed, fully loaded mags that are only used for practice, and do not cycle a round into the chamber. This gives the feel of a fully loaded gun albeit minus the one round in the chamber. I've dry fired thousands of times with no issues.

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14 minutes ago, glassblower said:

While this won't tell you what is causing the bent FP, it might prevent it..........I use dummy rounds colored with machinest dye, with the primer removed, fully loaded mags that are only used for practice, and do not cycle a round into the chamber. This gives the feel of a fully loaded gun albeit minus the one round in the chamber. I've dry fired thousands of times with no issues.

It's happened when I have done unloaded start drills.  so I think the one I cycle into the gun is the culprit 

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One thing that can happen is the pin got stuck in the breach hole. Then when you rack it to load a round the round sliding up the breach hits the pin and bends it. 

The best solution as above is take one of your bent pins and cut about 1/4 of it off then round over the end. Make that the dry fire pin. It can protrude through the breach (also great protection in case somehow a live round got in there). 

Just don't forget to change it out before live fire!!!

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It sounds like your firing pin spring is worn out. If you drop the hammer on an empty chamber and the firing pin sticks forward then your firing pin spring is toast. When was the last time you put a fresh firing pin spring in the gun?

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Either stop chambering the dummy rounds or stop pulling the trigger all the way.  I try to just take the pretravel out of the trigger during dry fire if there are dummy round in play.  If you want to fully pull the trigger just simulate racking the slide.  

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Hard a fancy coated 2011 custom gun, the coating came off in a couple places & the tiny bits of coating wedged between firing pin & hole, bending the fp. 

Good luck. I would find a way to fix the problem, else Murphy says it will bend again during "if clear hammer down, holster" .

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I don't get it. I have extended firing pins in all of my 2011's and dry fire the crap out of them without any issues. The only time I had a firing pin stick forward was when the firing pin spring was worn out. Replacing the firing pin spring resolved the issue.

I already asked above but I will ask again, have you replaced the firing pin spring recently?

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Something that should be checked but isn't isn't too often is whether your firing pin can make full travel, that is as far as it can be pushed way passed normal, without binding up in the fp channel. Some combinations of fp and slides will cause the fp to stick if it travels further than it does when there is a primer in front of it to stop the travel. This is often the cause of the firing pin stop falling out, you dry fire the firing pin sticks forward so the back of it doesn't hold the fp stop and it falls off the gun. Also the pin can get bent while sticking out that far. Some firing pins are tapered and more likely to stick some have a step to stop this from happening. Use a punch and move the firing pin forward as far as you can and slowly release to see if it will stick.

A worn out fp spring can do the same thing by not holding the back of the fp against the fp stop allowing it to slip down. A firing pin spring can also have a part of a coil break off and stick between the fp and the spring eventually getting in a position that wedges the firing pin causing it to stick forward. Many times it's very hard to see the little part broken off the spring, if you take it off and stretch it out you may see it or it may fall off before you do. Good idea to check them and change them regularly if you shoot a lot.

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1 hour ago, Ross Carter said:

I could be that the firing pin is entering the flash hole of your dummy round and sticking in there. When you rack the slide the barrel drops down taking the firing pin for a ride that bends it.

This^^^^^

I've had it happen too. The FP gets stuck in the empty primer pocket/flash hole. That isn't what bends it. It's trying to rack the slide after its stuck. I use a plastic dummy in the chamber. Empty chamber would do the same thing too.  

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I had the same thing happen a couple of months ago.  When I asked those wiser than me about it, was told to avoid dropping the hammer on a chambered round with an empty primer pocket.  I now either don't chamber a round in dry fire (which is a bit of a pain but still easier than replacing the pin), or top the mag off with a snap cap (with silicone in the primer hole).  So far both options have been acceptable.

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4 hours ago, EmergencyDad said:

I had the same thing happen a couple of months ago.  When I asked those wiser than me about it, was told to avoid dropping the hammer on a chambered round with an empty primer pocket.  I now either don't chamber a round in dry fire (which is a bit of a pain but still easier than replacing the pin), or top the mag off with a snap cap (with silicone in the primer hole).  So far both options have been acceptable.

This^^^^^^

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