I saw the previous post on firing pin flash on a S&W 442 and it reminded me of my experiences with a brand new 2005 S&W 640-3 that the firing pin broke after a grand total of 100 rounds of AE 38 special 158 gr. LRN and 40 rounds of Remington 357 magnum 125 JHP. I sent it off to S&W where they replaced the firing pin and gave the frame a nice pinch mark from placing the gun in a vise and an odd assortment of scratches on the sideplate and topstrap. Back to S&W who refinished the gun and polished down the ridges from the vise. After finally getting the gun back I too noticed the sparks coming from the firing pin hole when dryfiring. I called S&W and was told that it was from the type of metal from the firing pin sparking of of the SS of the frame. 450 rounds later the firing pin broke a 2nd time. This time it jammed the cylinder in place with 3 live rounds still in the cylinder. I could not rotate the cylinder or open it either. Apparently the firing pin was still caught in the primer indent of the fired round. The firing pin finally fell back int the frame allowing the cylinder to be opened. The gun was sent back to S&W a third time with a letter questioning the quality of their defensive weapons as this was my daily carry piece and they said they went through a many point inspection of the revolver but found no cause for the failure. So far this 3rd firing pin has seemed to be made of better stuff. I know of one fatality locally a few years ago linked to a S&W firing pin breaking and locking up the cylinder with live ammo. A 357 mag. S&W was bought at a local gun shop, the purchaser went to the firing range and had the firing pin break and lock the cylinder up so that it could not be opened. The purchaser went back to the gun shop where it was purchased, opened the gun case and demonstrated to the shop owner how the cylinder would not turn when you pulled the trigger and promptly killed the shop owner with a single shot to center chest. It was a huge shameful and totally preventable screw up by both parties. The 75 year old shop owner' wife and adult son were both there when it happened. A total waste of human life. So i guess my point is be careful out there and never forget that we are enjoying deadly weapons when punch paper at the range. And revolvers are just machines that can still break and that there is no such thing as 5 or 6 for sure. Oh yeah, both times my firing pin broke it would drop a quarter inch through the firing pin hole but a little curved piece at the base of the slender part of the pin kept it from falling out of the gun completely.
S&W revolver firing pin flash and "5 for sure" malarky
- Thread starter Rem40Xb
- Start date
You seem to be saying that the "sparking" causes firing pin breakage, which in at least one case, along with human carelessness, caused a fatality. I am not sure that "sparking" is related to firing pin breakage, but the loss of life was due to the negligence of the gun owner. No matter what may cause a gun to malfunction, one does not demonstrate the problem by pointing the gun at another person and pulling the trigger.
Many people have reported that "sparking", but I have not seen any evidence that metal is removed or chipped off the firing pin or that breakage has resulted. I have seen it in my own 642 and microscopic examination of the firing pin shows no chipping or breakage. I do know that several theories have been advanced as to the cause of the "sparking"; I am not sure any have been absolutely confirmed.
Jim
Many people have reported that "sparking", but I have not seen any evidence that metal is removed or chipped off the firing pin or that breakage has resulted. I have seen it in my own 642 and microscopic examination of the firing pin shows no chipping or breakage. I do know that several theories have been advanced as to the cause of the "sparking"; I am not sure any have been absolutely confirmed.
Jim
I don't know if the sparking and firing pin breaking are related. I have several old Smiths and none of them spark both with hammer mounted pins and frame mounted pins. Obviously there was gross safety violations with the gun store death. I found it mind boggling that it happened, but it did. The gun shop owner had been selling stuff for over 40 years, but a flash of stupidity ended that without regard of any previous safety record. Back to the firing pins i have heard MIM being blamed for small parts failure with the grain structure of the metal being blamed. It was not very confidence inspiring. That is for sure.
There were real problems with some early use of MIM in guns, but those seem to have been worked out and today MIM seems to be as good as any other way of making parts, and better than some. It is very efficient and cost effective, since the part comes out fully finished with no further machining needed, which is not the case with cast or forged parts. MIM also allows intricately shaped parts that would be almost impossible with conventional machining techniques.
All of which means that it is almost impossible today to find any gun that doesn't have some MIM parts, and "death before MIM" folks are running out of options.
Jim
All of which means that it is almost impossible today to find any gun that doesn't have some MIM parts, and "death before MIM" folks are running out of options.
Jim
buck460XVR
New member
I'm still trying to figure out how a gun with a broken firing pin miraculously fired off a shot and killed someone. Hangfire perhaps?
While newer S&W hammers and triggers are MIM, I didn't know they ever made firing pins with MIM.
While newer S&W hammers and triggers are MIM, I didn't know they ever made firing pins with MIM.