# Can a firing pin be too sharp? (PICTURES)



## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

I bought a new walther SP22 and a gun show here in my area and ive shot about 200-300 rounds threw it now. Last time i shot it i started getting FTF's i sat them aside then loaded them again all of them fired the second time.

I tore it down last night and inspected the firing pin and im wondering if ill have more consistant firing if i file it a little more to a point. It has some what of an edge on it but im wondering can it be too sharp?

If i sharpen it a little i could make it worse and cant go back.

What would be better? a sharper firing pin or one that goes further into the rim?

If i file a little off in the yellow area the pin will travel out further, the red area firing pin will cut into the rim easier.










I like how it shoots i just want it a little more reliable then it has been latley.


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## Overkill0084 (Nov 28, 2010)

What kind of ammo? Sometimes the really cheap stuff is kind of spotty. Are the firing pin strikes solid looking on your ammo? Are they all the same or are some "lighter looking" than others? How many other types/brands of ammo have you tried in it? When you tore it apart, how grungy was it? Could that have been a contributing factor?
IMHO, (I'm not a gunsmith) I wouldn't sharpen the firing pin. 

I would give Ruger a call before you get to "improving things." YMMV of course.


If all else failed I didn't wish for Ruger's CS to save the day, I would probably CAREFULLY, A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME, file away some of the yellow marked section. 
NOTE: Too much is bad too. You don't want it hitting the breech face. 
But I would at the same time, have a new firing pin on it's way, just in case things went awry.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

I didnt look very close at the ammo that did and didnt fire. Ill remember to do that this next time i go. They were marked i did notice that they had marks on them so i know the pin was hitting it just not enough to fire them the first go round.

It is cheap ammo but the first half of the box shot fine with no issues at all. The second half is hit and miss.

The second type did the same thing thats why i figured something was starting to act up already on the gun.

Bulk federal the first i tried, second bulk remington, and i have a bulk box of winchester also.

The sad thing is i have an older Ruger MK1 that thing will chew up anything you put in it without any issues. I just wanted another plinker that shot the cheap .22 ammo.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

The difference is in the firing pin.The older Rugers will pop the round but if you dry fire it the pin will ding the edge of the chamber,causing damage.That appears to be of the newer thought of limiting the pin's travel to prevent that.Make a call and if it is an issue they will (or should) honor it,don't dink with it yet.As mantioned,ammo is a big consideration,especially with 22s.I've found in handguns Rem is touichy,Win is better,and if it isn't set up for target ammo CCI is the best.Call and get a response before going any farther.

BTW,a sharp pin head is generally not good,the chance of piercing the case and venting gas goes up then.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

Well now i know why cheap ammo is cheap.

Ide bet the few i had issues with i could put in the ruger MK1 and it wouldnt skip a beat.

for every 10 rounds i had atleast 2 failure to fire. CCI 1 out of 100, reloaded it and it fired.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

_I suggest that the yellow-marked area of the firing pin is the wrong place on which to file._
The real limiter of strike depth is the rectangular area seen immediately to the left of the red "L," in the right-hand magnification. That rectangular area keeps the smaller wedge, the actual firing-pin, from impacting the chamber's edge. If you _slightly_ reduce the firing pin's length at the rectangular area, you will cause the blunt-ended wedge of the firing pin to drive _slightly_ deeper into the cartridge rim. _However, this still may not solve your problem._
Nowadays, people have reported uneven distribution of priming material, in the rims of rimfire cartridges. That is, the first firing-pin strike does not set the charge off, but if the cartridge is rotated slightly, a second strike finally works. That may be your real problem.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

The first 4 didnt fire of the super X whinchester its a 333 bulk ammo pack from walmart.










Second set all fired CCI mini mags 100 round box.










I almost think the CCI has a slightly softer brass. Look how much deeper the pin strike appears to be compaired to the whinchester. The pin strikes even appear to be more consistant.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Call them,you're getting inconsistant hits.Could be a burr in the channel,improper firing pin block timing (if it has one),or more.Let them fix it,and send them those pics,you can see the inconsistancy in the first pics.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

rex said:


> Call them,you're getting inconsistant hits.Could be a burr in the channel,improper firing pin block timing (if it has one),or more.Let them fix it,and send them those pics,you can see the inconsistancy in the first pics.


You dont think its the cheap ammo? The CCI i feel is pretty consistant. The cheaper ammo shot ok as far as i wasnt all over the target its just half the time it wouldnt fire at all.

It did slow me down so i didnt shoot threw as much ammo in the 2 hours i was at the range. lol


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I second *rex*'s suggestion. Something else is going on, rather than it merely being the firing pin not hitting deeply enough.
If it were exclusively a firing-pin problem, all of the cases would look similarly indented. The fact that some manufacturers' cases are slightly harder would not normally be an issue in any properly-regulated gun.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Yes,ammo varies,but cases aren't like primers.CCI is known to be the hardest primers to ignite with "trigger jobs",but when it comes to the cases they aren't that far off.As Steve said,look at the first row and the rest of your first post of pics,it's inconsistant on even the same case.Let them cure the problem,they made it happen.If it was a 1911 I could tell you where and how to diagnose it but I don't now these things.My first thought is a FPB safetyy being marginal on timing,but you never know.It's new and they made it,at the moment it's on their dime.It sucks sending it off and being without it for .... time,but it'll cost you nothing.It is a S&W build right?They've always been pretty good on making things righ for the most part.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

I think i figured it out! tell me what you think about this.

I was at my friends tonight he had a spent 223 shell. He had some blazer brand .22 i noticed his new .22 ammo slipped right into the spent 223 shell so my plan is to use this with my calipers and measure out some cheap bulk ammo. I was thinking of measuring the rim.

I get home and start checking the white box 333 winchester i have im starting to notice some slip right down into the 223 shell and some hang up right as the lead presses into the brass. I go threw the whole box and sort out all the good ones that just slip right in without hanging. Seperate the bad ones that hang up

I check the good CCI ammo the whole box all 100 rounds slip right in smooth as butter. Half the 333 whinchester hangs some are so tight i have to push and pull them out.

Ive had this happen before with a revolver! my sister wanted to go shoot my guns with me so i bought some 38 and 38+P for my wesson 357 magnum. We shot a full box of each then i put in a few magnums. didnt fire.

The 38s put a ring of powder burn at the end of the cylinder and that caused the magnum round to hang so when the pin fired it just pushed the magnum round further into the cylinder insted of firing it. I rotated the round back hit it again and THEN it fired. I also noticed a light primer strike on that magnum round when it didnt go off.

So im thinking some of these winchester rounds are hanging in the neck of the barrel and when the pin hits the rim its just pushing it into the barrel insted of firing it. The CCI dont have any issues because they are more to spec and slip right into the barrel fully and seat properly.

This is why im getting inconsistant pin strikes on the rim. JUNK AMMO!




























I wonder though, after some time this might get better. Maybe over time and the gun breaks in so to speak i wont have as many issues with the ammo not seating in. It will wear in enough not to matter?


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

That very well could be the problem,and hopefully that is it.I've never shot those 333s but the few bricks of Win I have are older grey box and Wildcats.I've never had a problem with those but I quit buying the bulk boxes of ammo a long time ago.There was an old saying when I was younger,the bulk ammo is made up of the floor scraps they sweep up at the end of the day.To make a product with a discount price,something has to give somewhere in the process.It could be the gun has a tighter chamber than the norm also for target accuracy,but I don't know how Walther's quality changed since S&W got involved with them.

Good deal though,hopefully this solves the problem.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

yes, ill find out today after i sorted threw them all. The ones that are tight im sure i can shoot in the ruger MK1 or the old JC higgins rifle.


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