How To Remove Firing Pin Frame Mounted S&W Revolver

B

Beretta92

New member
I have this 940 No-Dash S&W that I just aquired & the back side of the Firing pin comes out from the rear with the sideplate removed, In front of the hammer, This revolver has the cross pin which I have removed but still couldn't get the FP holder/recoil plate to remove, I know the FP is broken in two but can't find any info on how to remove this type of firing pin or even a decent diagram that shows what's involved, I looked at the universal diagram available on Numbrich & I assume that it's closer to the rimfire type that the diagram shows..
I have the FP + Spring coming from S&W..
Somebody here has probobly done this repair in the past, If you have HELP a Brother Out!
How Do You Remove That Recoil Plate after removing the cross pin?
Thanks in Advance!!
Gary/Beretta92
S&Ws 442-2, 940, Pre 40 Centennials
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hmmm

I worked on one here while back and I seem to remember that all I had to do was remove the cross pin and then I pulled the firing pin and spring straight back. I would open the cylinder up and take a paperclip or something very a safety pin and see if you can push from the front and get yours to break free, it may just be getting caught somehow.
 
I installed a long thin tape coated brass punch down the barrel & rapped lightly with a shot hammer & it wouldn't move, I will try coming in from the side threw the pins hole with a paperclip, It's possible that the spring is somehow holding it or were the pin broke off it's rough & that's holding things up.. Oh & BTW This is a 9mm Revolver & the endd shake screw was replaced by previose owner witha homemade screw, I assume it fell out while shooting, These need blue loctite..
Thanks
Hope the Parts get here today from Springfield Mass, That'll give me an idea of what it looks like..
Gary/Beretta92
 
If it has a firing pin bushing it is driven out from the back of the pistol to the muzzle with a punch after you drive out the cross pin.With the sideplate off and all the internal parts removed. Select a punch that just fits into the back side of the firing pin hole where the pistols hammer hits the pin. With the right size punch inserted into the hole gently tap punch with a small hammer. The firing pin bushing will come out the front of the recoil shield.
 
Got It Apart!! Yahoo!! Oh Yeah!!

Well I got it apart!!
There was a firing pin bushing in front of the pin. after removing the indexing pin, I put the hammer & it's spring back in & pulled the trigger several times & the bushing started to move, after it bottomed out I made a longer pin out of a stainless taper pin then turned it down to within a few thousands of the original pins diameter, I then installed it to completely remove the bushing with several more dry fires, On a normal exposed hammer revolver this would have been easy but on the Centennial it wasn't.. You can't drive a punch in there. See Pic..
I should have the new Firing Pin & Spring by Saturday or Monday..Waiting..
Glad to have it apart, I won't be sending it to S&W...
Here's a few pics I took of the Frame, Broken Firing Pin & it's Bushing..
Thanks To Everyone!!
Gary
940 S&W Apart
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Broken Firing Pin
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Firing Pin Bushing
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One reason for the confusion here is that S&W has changed the design of that frame mounted firing pin. In the new design, there is no firing pin bushing. The firing pin comes out to the rear and is held by a slip fit pin that is just pulled out when the side plate is removed. A lot simpler and less costly to make.

It is obvious that some folks were thinking of the new design and some of the old. I am glad you got the firing pin out, and good luck with getting the gun fixed.

Jim
 
Jim Keenan . . .

Thanks for the information about the change in firing pin design. Although I've never had to change a frame-mounted firing pin, I've always wanted to know how. Until now I haven't been able to get my mind around the conflicting things I have read on the various forums. You fixed that for me.
 
Thanks Guys!!
I'm hopeing to get the parts from S&W any day, I ordered them Tuesday & should have already had them...
I made up a tool to go down the barrel with a flat brass base to press the bushing back in, I coated the tool with a few layers of blue tape & then wrapped it with some rubber clear tape so it won't/can't damage the rifling, I made it long enough to use it in a 3"-4" barrel just in case I need it again..
Hopefully reassembly won't be a problem, I'll go slowly as the spring & pin could get missconstrewed with the rapping of the hammer.. Also I can see that getting the pin notch level with the top of the gun will be needed to get the pin to go back threw..
I'll take a few pics as I reassemble the Revolver but don't think I'll run into any trouble..
I also forgot that I believe that the broken Pin was caused by the homemade endshake screw that the previous owner had made, The crane would move forward .005"-.010" extra letting the FP bottom out in the bushing,The cylinder would almost rub the forcing cone, But dry firing would let the FP bottom out in the bushing too? This revolver is Buttery smooth so it's probobly been dryfired a few million times as well.. It also had cut springs on the hammer & rebound that I'm gonna replace with factory or Wolff springs I already have from my other J Frames..
I've also read at the S&W forum that some 940s suffer from sticking cases in the cylinders that can usually be cured by polishing the chambers & using Zero lube in the holes, BTW I have a Ruger SP101 9mm that has never had any trouble & gets shot quite alot..
Bonus is the 50+ TK Moonclips I have for my SP101 will work in the 940, It didn't come with any, I have a package of OE Factory clips coming with my parts order as well..
Here's Hopeing this will be the only frame mounted Firing Pin I'll ever change.
Wish Me Luck!!
Jr. Gunsmith Gary/B92
 
Were Are My Parts?

S&W has yet to deliver my parts
Tried calling all day yesterday without success
STILL WAITING
 
I called S&W This morning @ 9:00am & got right threw
I asked the Rep were my parts were & he replied those were allowcated & should be pulled today, If you don't get them by Friday Call us back..
Allowcated? Does this mean your gonna send them to me?
8 Days & they haven't even pulled the parts yet to see if there in stock
Man this is starting to turn me against them & I love my S&Ws
Had To Rant!!!! :barf:
STILL WAITING!!
Here's a Pic of the 940 with a set of Factory S&W Ajax Grips
9409mmpb7.jpg
 
Lol

Hey man slow down a little. They most likely gave yours to someone else and they aren't in a big rush like you are because their guns ain't broke. These folks are not the usual parts houses that get it right out to you if you know what I mean. It sucks for sure, but give em til next week by Weds, before you get too worried.

The guy that taught me a lot about 45's used to have a saying, " you brought that to me when, oh man I am still working on last years guns, it will get done when I get to it." Most of the time he was picking, but there were times he was more than 6 months behind on his delivery because he took in so many guns.
 
I would tried Brownells factory gun parts first. If they didn't have it I would have tried another source I have for S&W parts. The factory being the last resort. A gunsmith friend of mine has had parts on order from Remington for three months. I asked him if he had checked with Brownells and he said no. He called them and had the parts in the time it took them to ship. The parts cost more than from the factory in most cases which is why he doesn't buy parts from Brownells.
 
Yep, there are parts places that take a couple of weeks to ship, and gunsmiths working on last year's stuff, but there are also guys like the customer who brought in his rifle the day before opening day and wanted it fixed RIGHT NOW!! We asked him when it broke. You guessed it - the last day of deer season last year.

Jim
 
Lol

Those come in al the time. The best one I have had was a guy was going on a trip. He brought his gun to me to sight it in for him because he didn;t have time. He had planned the trip for a year, was going elk hunting and had no time to get in shape much less make sure his gun was sighted in. I told him I charged $75 to do the job, believe it or not he paid me to do it. Man o'man Just goes to show that some guys have more money than they need and some need a lot more patience.
 
Thanks Guys!!
I am still waiting for the parts, Todays Columbus Day so I know there not going to come today!! Maybe if they used UPS?
I may try to Call S&W but I assume there not open either..
I will finish this post with a few pics of me reinstalling the NEW Firing Pin & spring plus a shot of the tool I made to press/hammer the bushing back in..
I'm hopeing I'll get it back together by this weekend..
The Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot & Worlds Largest Military Gun Show is this Fri, Sat & Sun, Will Probobly be too busy to get around to shooting it anyway.. This Gun Show Rules!! The Best Ever! & Right in my Back Yard, A few miles away.. Sore Feet Beware!! :D
 
Well I final got my parts package from S&W Today!!
They sent the wrong firing pin..
I have contacted them and they believe they sent the wrong part # but aren't sure..
They sent me the newer style of Firing Pin
I emailed them this pic of my broken bushing next to the one they sent #21297
Hope to get the right one soon
Gary
brokenfiringpin94021297ui9.jpg
 
Well I called S&W Customer Service again & got another Rep, The Other must have been to lunch as I asked for him by name, And told him of my delima, He said that the armourer next to him stated that the firing pin hasn't changed in 30 years on a J frame, I know this is bologna because there's been a change & that I have three different Centennials & they all have different firing pins.. The one they sent me the stainless one in the pics would fit my newer 442-2 with MIM parts..
The operator also told me he couldn't physicaly go get a firing pin & compair it to my pics??, Then put me on hold, when he returned he said that his found another part # and would send me both part #s FREE of charge 2nd Day Air..Being that maybe the other was mismarked/mislabeled
I sure hope I get the right one soon..
STILL WAITING!!
Come On S&W Help A Guy Out!!
There's a gunshow this Weekend!!
I want to test it & start carryin it!!
My Airweight & Lemon Sqeezer are gonna get Jelouse if Everything works out,It's Gotta Be 100% For It To Become a carry piece..
Range Report Due a few hundred rounds should tell, Wonder if the 940 No Dash can handle +P & +P+ 9mms??
 
Well Here we are Three Weeks later
After geting a new end shake screw, Firing Pin Return Spring & WRONG FIRING PIN from S&W, I had to reorder the FP again..
This time I talked to two different Customer Service Reps, One of them found the right diagram & sent me FREE of charge a Firing Pin, firing Pin Bushing & Retaining Pin + another of the other type of FP,Just in case one was missmarked, I now have two of them If I ever need one..
BTW the new firing pin was stainless, were the original was carbon Steel, I also note that the new pin had a small amount of rust on it, I cleaned it off with a small stainless brush..
Installation was straight forward dropped in the FP & spring then sat the old bushing in place, I used the old bushing because the new one was .003" shorter than the original, So I had to align the roll pin slot ot the top perfectly, Just thumb pressed it in place, See pic..
Then I installed the handy dandy bushing press fixture I made with it's brass base & hammered it in to place watching the side hole for aligment, when it bottomed out it was lined up perfect, I then pressed the New Pin into place padding the revolver with leather scraps & used a Brass punch/drift, when centered it was done.
I still need to measure the Firing pin protrution & give it a range test, I need to aquire some plated case 9mms just in case this 940 has sticky extraction trouble like some I've read about..
Range Report Due!!
Gary/HEADKNOCKER
Closeup Bushing Side
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Bushing Press
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Closeup Bushing Installed
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940 Done
940donenz1.jpg

940 Ready For The range
940readyfortherangewq3.jpg
 
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