Bent firing pin?

[konkapot]

A new limited gun has bent two firing pins in less than 5000 rounds. What could be causing this, and is it a sign of a significant problem in the gun itself?

Edited September 14, 2017 by konkapot

[Foxj66]

Are you dry firing with deprimed dummy loads?

[konkapot]

No dummy rounds at all, actually. I thought that dryfiring might be the culprit, but no other 2011/1911 I've owned ever had a problem with dryfiring.

 

I've pinged STI with my question/concern.

[AWLAZS]

Does the fp move freely through the hole? Does it hit the primer centered up?

[perttime]

Where does it break along its length?

Any signs of bending?

Does the firing pin channel look straight and neat?

[konkapot]

Ray when it's bent it does NOT move freely in the channel.

 

The first bent pin got stuck with the tip protruding through the firing pin channel, this one got stuck inside the channel....stuck so hard that it would NOT move forward enough to detonate the rounds.

[Bkreutz]

Where is the FP bent? (at the tip, in the middle?) if it's in the middle, I'd try a different brand of FP. Also, what brand of primer are you using? Another thought is that the FP bore is not bored correctly, allowing the tip to hit the inside of the slide, it would have to be grossly oversized for that to happen as the spring normally keeps the pin centered. Kinda tough to diagnose without seeing it.

[scooterj]

This may be a stupid question, but is your firing pin spring installed properly?  If not, the firing pin could be getting stuck in the forward position and the next round to slide up the breach face could be bending it. 

[konkapot]

It's bent in the middle, roughly.

Primers are usually WSP or Federals.

 

I thought about the FP channel not being "true" as that's the only thing I can think of. Not sure if there's a cure

 

This firing pin issue only occurs after about 2k rds or so; the sticking appears to only happen AFTER it's bent.

[Tripod]

Is your slide flat topped.   Possible elevation screw on sight was not shortened and contacting firing pin spring/pin.   

[Bkreutz]

2 hours ago, konkapot said:

It's bent in the middle, roughly.

Primers are usually WSP or Federals.

 

I thought about the FP channel not being "true" as that's the only thing I can think of. Not sure if there's a cure

 

This firing pin issue only occurs after about 2k rds or so; the sticking appears to only happen AFTER it's bent.

Do you ever have "non firing" events while shooting. If so do you pick up the offending round to look at it? What I'm thinking is a piece of grit (or powder residue) on the sear letting the hammer fall milliseconds before the pistol is in full battery. I realize a lot of different things would have to stack up for this to happen, but if the pin hits the case instead of the primer, a bent pin could be the result. I'd still try a different pin manufacturer, maybe that batch didn't get heat treated right.

[konkapot]

Rear sight is a fixed sight.

 

Kreutz that's a thought for sure; it would sure have to be a squillionith of a second out of timing.

 

 

[Bkreutz]

1 hour ago, konkapot said:

Rear sight is a fixed sight.

 

Kreutz that's a thought for sure; it would sure have to be a squillionith of a second out of timing.

 

 

In my mind, it has to hit something hard to bend in the middle, even if the pin was incorrectly hardened. Maybe an occasional hard primer??, I know the S&B SR primers are harder than a CCI #41 (I have a round with 3 hits on the S&B SR and it didn't ignite, I keep it as a souvenir) I sold the rest of the primers to a friend who used them for his AK. But I never bent the firing pin on them.

[konkapot]

Just got off the phone with STI. They say that when the slide is lightened (like mine is) the increased cycling speed of the slide causes timing to change, and that the firing pin is probably sticking out just a little bit and, like kreutz suggested, is hitting the back of the round.

 

He strongly recommended a 16 lb recoil spring. I run a 14lb normally.

 

I mentioned that many folks with lightened slides actually run lighter spring than mine...10-12 usually. STI rep said that is the primary cause of out-of-warranty repairs.

 

They are sending me a new firing pin with an extra power firing pin spring

[IsaacB]

When you order Wolff recoil springs, they send an extra power fp spring for free. If you are not already running an extra power fp spring, I'd try that before increasing the recoil spring. Changing one thing at a time.