Help with FTF

[Ohio Shootist]

Hi All-

I recently had a failure to fire problem with two revolvers that I inherited from my late father. The first is a Colt Detective Special, circa 1969. The other is a Smith & Wesson Model 60, exact age unknown, but likely 30-35 years old.

I had never fired either of these revolvers. The Colt had some fouling on the barrel end of the cylinder, so I know that it had previously been fired, but I believe it was very lightly used. The S&W was so immaculate that it may never have been fired; it was still in the factory box.

I bought the only .38 Special ammunition that was in stock, PMC Bronze. Both revolvers fired fine when shot in single action. However, when I switched to double action, the Colt had several failures to fire, and the S&W, at least one. All unfired rounds were then successfully fired in single action.

What is the likely problem here? I haven't yet tried different ammo, but I have since bought a box of Armscor, which I haven't had a chance to test. Should that be my next step? Or is it possible that the springs in these revolvers have lost tension over the years, and will require replacement?

I want to be able to trust either of these guns for carry, but right now I can't. Thanks for any advice!

 

[Sarge]

Carefully clean the frame on each revolver, in the area around the firing pin, and install new factory mainsprings in each. If they will fire reliably in single action, but not in double action, the mainspring is the prime suspect.

You could try another brand of ammunition but they should run with any factory load. If I was going to carry them, I wouldn't settle for anything less.

 

[carguychris]

Is the Smith marked .38 Special or .357 Magnum?

 

[g.willikers]

The S&W has a main spring tension screw on the front of the grip frame.
Depending on the type of grips that are on it, they might have to be removed to see it.
Tightening the tension screw up a bit and then trying the gun, would tell if the main spring is, indeed, weak, without having to buy one.

 

[jglsprings]

Odd that both would have the same problem. It is possible that the ammo is the problem. That would be my first suspect - unless your father was a bit of a home gunsmith. Is it possible that he or someone he knew tried to lighten the trigger?

A good cleaning would always be a great place to start. If possible, run the ammo through some other gun.

You seem to be new to guns, if you don't think you would want to take them apart (I don't recommend it if you have never done it) see if a local gunsmith would look at them.

If they are heirlooms from your father and you don't feel up to the task - don't try to fix them your self.

 

[MrBorland]

A good cleaning would always be a great place to start.

+1. Lube as well. After 35+ years, it'll very possible the innards are gunked up and the guns simply need a cleaning and lubing.

Doing a proper clean & lube job involves opening the gun up, and there's most definitely a right and a wrong way to do it. Do some research first, or take them to a gunsmith.

 

[Webologist]

Agreed on a thorough cleaning. Both FTFs have one more thing in common, other than a lack of maintenance. Since your issue is DA only, are you completely releasing the trigger after firing before pulling it again?

What did the primers look like on the rounds that didn't fire?

I suspect they were clean and un-indented. After you fire, keep the trigger pulled back. If an FTF, is the cylinder locked in place? Release completely and repeat. When done look at the unfired primers for dents.

 

[carguychris]

The S&W has a main spring tension screw on the front of the grip frame.

No, it doesn't.

The strain screw, as the tension screw is described in factory parts manuals, is used to tension the leaf mainsprings used in K, L, N, X, and pre-1950's I frames. J frames like the Model 60 have always used coil mainsprings, which do not use strain screws.

The only way to "adjust" a J frame mainspring to yield a lighter DA trigger pull is to replace it with a lighter aftermarket spring, or to cut it. Experienced S&W enthusiasts typically regard both of these changes as inadvisable, as they usually increase the frequency of light strikes.

1996 and later Model 60's, which are generally marked .357 Magnum (see my prior post), use an easily replaceable floating firing pin. Some folks have attempted to reshape the firing pin or use a longer aftermarket pin to reduce light strikes after "adjusting" the mainspring. IMHO neither of these modifications is advisable, particularly on a defensive firearm, as they increase the odds of a pierced primer without really solving the root cause of the problem- the mainspring is too light.

If cleaning doesn't do the trick, installing a new factory mainspring will probably do it. If the gun has a floating firing pin, replacing the pin may also be advisable; the part is really cheap, although you'll need to remove the sideplate to get to it. (The mainspring can be changed without removing the sideplate.)