Les Baer

[RiggerJJ]

My Les Baer is doing slightly light strikes and has me slightly concerned. Replaced the mainspring with a 19#, still not to my satisfaction. My firing pin dimentions are 2.290 long and the pin end is .065. I know the diameter at the business end (even thou it is a .45) is the same as most 40/9 firing pins, but not sure if the length is...

Does anyone know the dimentions of the Dawson Hyper Drive Extended pin? (or have any other suggestions?)

TIA!

jj

[redwoods]

Have you switched primers? What primers are you using?

I guess you have already cleaned out the firing pin channel and cleaned the spring.

Randy

[SA Friday]

I know Glenn does something to the rear of the firing pin and FP block to resolve this problem while using a 16 or 17 lb spring when he does trigger jobs on 2011's. I've seen the work first hand as he did both of Todd's open guns. Talk to him about the problem, and see what he can do for you.

[CSEMARTIN]

RiggerJJ,

One of my Les Baers had problems with breechface erosion. At a recent match, I met with a guy that starting having the same problem with his Les Baer 9mm. I don't know if Les is still building his Premier II .45 ACP's with 9mm firing pins, but the fix was to remachine the slide for a 45 firing pin. I use CCI's primarily now and I haven't had any problems with a 19# mainspring. I was having problems with light strikes using a 17# mainspring.

Is the firing pin hole in the breech face ok (i.e., is it round)? I'm wondering if you're starting to have some damage to your breechface. Are you using federal primers? How many rounds do you have through the gun? Did you buy the gun new? Is this a recent problem? Is the channel clean? How are you lubricating your firing pin and spring? Has the chamber of your barrel been reamed? I know some gunsmiths will ream out the chamber and make it a little deeper because they feel the chamber of a Les Baer is too tight.

I looked up the dimension in the Kuhnhausen manual, and I believe you have a 9mm firing pin. The length is fine.

With a 19# mainspirng, you should not have any trouble igniting primers.

[Phil G]

If it is any help, the firing pin length on my Les Baer (45ACP) is 2.294.

Phil G

[RiggerJJ]

Just looking for a longer firing pin. if anyone has the dimentions of the Dawson, that would be great.

This is an older gun, I am the 2nd owner. Breachface is fine. firing pin hole is fine. everything looks fine to me, other than the primers on the brass I fire, and the strikes look light. Makes no difference the brand of primer. Before I replaced the worn shortened 17# mainspring with a new 19#, had a couple of no-fires. the strikes now look light, but haven't had any no-fires...yet. I just was looking to install a extended firing pin. for some reason the Les Baer firing pin in this 45 cal gun is the same diameter at the pin end as a 9/40 cal pin. (yes, the pin hole is .001 larger than the pin, even thou it is a 45cal breech)

jj

[pjb45]

you can cut a coil or two off the firing pin spring. you can order a longer firing pin from matt mclearn. i have put three of them in my various guns. could not be happier.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: The Dawson Hyper drive firing pin is 2.329" OAL and from the firing pin stop to the end it is 2.173". They work great in my Open 9mm. Hope this helps. Thanks, Eric

[hovbuild]

I reload and have to Cull my short .45 brass out at or below .885 for my premier II to have no light strikes.