Another broken firing pin!

Racer88

Racer88

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I went to the range today to re-test my SCT17 "Ray Gun" build. I also brought my P80 PF940C "Cobalt Celtic" to shoot.

I fired 20 rounds out of the Cobalt Celtic and then CLICK! Hmmmm... light primer strike? Dud round? I waited about 15 seconds with gun pointed downrange. Then I unloaded it. There was a round chambered. But no bang. Inspection of the chambered round revealed no mark at all on the primer. Hmmmm.... Reload and try again. CLICK!

I took the slide off and depressed the firing pin safety while moving the firing pin lug forward. No pin showing through the breech! And I can't push the firing pin lug all the way forward. I think the firing pin tip must be broken and lodged in the striker channel. So, I switched to my PFC9 "EDC" and finished my range session.

Back home I took the slide off again to inspect the firing pin through the breech. It looks like the firing pin tip is in there sideways, eh?

20240927_135900.jpg


So, I took the slide cover plate off and pulled out the firing pin assembly. Yep... tip is missing on the end of the firing pin.

20240927_135957.jpg


I tilted the slide so anything inside the striker channel would fall out. Sure enough... the tip tumbled out.

20240927_135942.jpg


20240927_140114.jpg


This was an aftermarket UPK that came with the slide (generously donated by @Michele).

Untitled-3.jpg


The gun has 800 rounds through it. I guess I'll just replace the whole thing with an OEM Glock firing pin assembly. Though, as some may recall, I had an OEM firing pin break, too!
 
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Think of what could have happened if you were being attacked by zombies!

I have some older high round count Glocks and have never broken a firing pin. In the Glock Armorer training they suggested replacement at 15,000 rounds. I haven't seen that number written down anywhere.

An acquaintance who owned a range I once belonged to told me that after 20,000 rounds most of the rental guns are ready for the landfill. Not worth repairing.
 
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Bongo Lewi said:
I have some older high round count Glocks and have never broken a firing pin. In the Glock Armorer training they suggested replacement at 15,000 rounds. I haven't seen that number written down anywhere.
Click to expand...

Interesting. A while back the OEM factory firing pin on my P80 PFC9 "EDC" broke at 7,400 rounds. I replaced it with an aftermarket milled billet firing pin from Shadow Systems instead of another MIM factory firing pin.

At that time I tried to find out what the expected lifespan of a factory pin was.... to no avail.
 
Racer88 said:
Interesting. A while back the OEM factory firing pin on my P80 PFC9 "EDC" broke at 7,400 rounds. I replaced it with an aftermarket milled billet firing pin from Shadow Systems instead of another MIM factory firing pin.

At that time I tried to find out what the expected lifespan of a factory pin was.... to no avail.
Click to expand...
The instructor never suggested it was about failure - as in metal fatigue. It was an issue of wear. The tip on the striker has (and the spring) has enough wear at 15k rounds to merit replacement.

Glock's position would be if it was all Glock, including the slide, you can expect 15,000 rounds.

It's an interesting subject... is a harder metal better than MIM for this application? Maybe not. I've heard about aftermarket titanium and billet strikers breaking far more often than I've heard OEM Glock owners reporting this failure.

I have bought Shadow frame and slide kits and had good luck with them.
 
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@Racer88 Look at my thread on the patmos 40 slide. In a 9mm barrel, I take a simple 10mm head hex bolt and put it in between the breech lugs and see how the firing pin hole lines up with the point of the hex. Then the same with the Shitmos and it is clearly off center. For it (.40S&W) I used 11mm (7/16"), BTW. That is one way .40 barrels differ from 9mm barrels. Another difference is the OD of the barrel--.40 is larger.

I theorize how it is plausible and possible for the "tip" that got broken off to turn the gun full-auto with no stopping. :eek: I feel it is possible for the tip to lodge itself in the firing pin slot and just going to keep hitting primers until the gun is empty. :unsure: I suppose one could push up on the slide release to lock the slide from going forward. Kind of like letting off an open-bolt gun--lock the bolt/slide back... :unsure:
 
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Bobster said:
Look at my thread on the patmos 40 slide. I take a simple 10mm head hex bolt and put it in between the breech lugs and see how the firing pin hole lines up with the point of the hex.
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I have no clue what this means. Breech lugs? I don't even know what those are. I know what the breech is, of course.

Link to your thread? Or at least a title name? We're at over 5,000 threads now.
 
I just searched "shitmos" and it came right up... ;)

Warning! - JSD Supply--Patmos Arms "Judah" .40 (G23) Slide Kit: Firing Pin Hole Off-Center

Jim Kramer says "BUY!" (ie: DON'T buy ;) ) and I say "BYE!" :mad: Am I being too picky or is this our last JSD purchase? :unsure: I consider myself a "good" consumer. I research, shop around, then I purchase with the intent of getting maximum value for my dollar. I don't buy, use, then return...
www.patriotgunbuilders.com www.patriotgunbuilders.com
 
Bobster said:
I just searched "shitmos" and it came right up... ;)

Warning! - JSD Supply--Patmos Arms "Judah" .40 (G23) Slide Kit: Firing Pin Hole Off-Center

Jim Kramer says "BUY!" (ie: DON'T buy ;) ) and I say "BYE!" :mad: Am I being too picky or is this our last JSD purchase? :unsure: I consider myself a "good" consumer. I research, shop around, then I purchase with the intent of getting maximum value for my dollar. I don't buy, use, then return...
www.patriotgunbuilders.com www.patriotgunbuilders.com
Click to expand...
OK... Now I understand.
1727483753161.jpeg


But given the amount of "latitude" or "play" around the firing pin (space all the way around it in the hole), I don't think that small degree of hole offset is a factor in your case.
 
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Racer88 said:
But given the amount of "latitude" or "play" around the firing pin (space all the way around it in the hole), I don't think that small degree of hole offset is a factor in your case.
Click to expand...

You would have had to have been there... ;)

How do the primers on the spent cases look? (before it broke)
 
Bobster said:
I just searched "shitmos" and it came right up... ;)

Warning! - JSD Supply--Patmos Arms "Judah" .40 (G23) Slide Kit: Firing Pin Hole Off-Center

Jim Kramer says "BUY!" (ie: DON'T buy ;) ) and I say "BYE!" :mad: Am I being too picky or is this our last JSD purchase? :unsure: I consider myself a "good" consumer. I research, shop around, then I purchase with the intent of getting maximum value for my dollar. I don't buy, use, then return...
www.patriotgunbuilders.com www.patriotgunbuilders.com
Click to expand...
Mine looks good using my eyeball-o-meter.

1727484313565.png
 
Just grab a 10mm bolt from your Subie, stick it in there and see how it looks. Any spent cases? Or left them at the range....

PS: that would be a common 6mm-1.00 bolt
 
Bobster said:
Just grab a 10mm bolt from your Subie, stick it in there and see how it looks. Any spent cases? Or left them at the range....

PS: that would be a common 6mm-1.00 bolt
Click to expand...
1727484531465.jpeg


By this photo of yours, I'm inclined to suspect the hole is fine. It's the firing pin assembly not being centered. Maybe aftermarket firing pin spacer sleeve or the spring cups?
 
I've never had an OEM pin break, but have read of plenty people having them break.
Are there any rock solid firing pins?
 
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Racer88 said:
According to their own claims... Shadow Systems. I installed one on my EDC build. I cued up the video to the "good part."


View: https://youtu.be/S2ntF-siXVI?si=9-1STxt4CuGF-iv6&t=181
Click to expand...

Does that video show that OEM is better hardened? Not trying to argue, and I'm no metallurgist, but I do know softer, mild unhardened steel will bend more before breaking than hardened steel, or higher carbon steel.
Maybe I'm just a little pessimistic about companies trying to sell products and doing comparisons vs their competitors.
I do appreciate the link though.
 
Racer88 said:
I went to the range today to re-test my SCT17 "Ray Gun" build. I also brought my P80 PF940C "Cobalt Celtic" to shoot.

I fired 20 rounds out of the Cobalt Celtic and then CLICK! Hmmmm... light primer strike? Dud round? I waited about 15 seconds with gun pointed downrange. Then I unloaded it. There was a round chambered. But no bang. Inspection of the chambered round revealed no mark at all on the primer. Hmmmm.... Reload and try again. CLICK!

I took the slide off and depressed the firing pin safety while moving the firing pin lug forward. No pin showing through the breech! And I can't push the firing pin lug all the way forward. I think the firing pin tip must be broken and lodged in the striker channel. So, I switched to my PFC9 "EDC" and finished my range session.

Back home I took the slide off again to inspect the firing pin through the breech. It looks like the firing pin tip is in there sideways, eh?

View attachment 23995

So, I took the slide cover plate off and pulled out the firing pin assembly. Yep... tip is missing on the end of the firing pin.

View attachment 23997

I tilted the slide so anything inside the striker channel would fall out. Sure enough... the tip tumbled out.

View attachment 23996

View attachment 23998

This was a Heavy Armor Division UPK that came with the slide (generously donated by @Michele).

View attachment 23999

The gun has 800 rounds through it. I guess I'll just replace the whole thing with an OEM Glock firing pin assembly. Though, as some may recall, I had an OEM firing pin break, too!
Click to expand...
UPK not provided by H.A.D. Don’t remember where I purchased it but do know it’s no HAD or lone wolf. I also know it’s not OEM. Could be any number of aftermarket venders listed on our vender list. I always spend around so all the venders get some business.

On a more important note… you been scratching up that spit shine I put on the slide. Square away that bright work up sir 😂
 
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Michele said:
On a more important note… you been scratching up that spit shine I put on the slide. Square away that bright work up sir 😂
Click to expand...
@Racer88
Michele is gonna always be "your daddy" on that gun! :giggle:
It's like giving/selling you her first car! :D

If I could only get her to give me her truck! :cool:
 
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Racer88 said:
View attachment 24007

By this photo of yours, I'm inclined to suspect the hole is fine. It's the firing pin assembly not being centered. Maybe aftermarket firing pin spacer sleeve or the spring cups?
Click to expand...
Well there you go. Henceforth, everyone should use OEM Glock slides :) The OEM striker will always be centered. :) :)

On second thought, just buy a Glock!

(I couldn't resist)
 

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