Firing Pin Safety

[giuseppe]

I had 3 fail to fires the other day on my newest Hi-Power, a 94 Practical, so I figured I'd change the firing pin and spring. There was plenty of swearing because the firing pin would not depress far enough to allow the removal of the firing pin retailer, UNTIL I realized I needed to depress the chamber end of the firing pin safety bar, which allowed the firing pin to depress fully.  After that, it was an easy swap, until reinstallation time.

A third hand would be nice to depress the front of the firing pin safety while pushing the firing pin forward and sliding the retain plate up and in.

Note the safety (left hand slide) compared to a non-firing pin safety version.

BTW, it was a different brand of ammo than I usually use, but better safe than sorry.  I'm not sure of the round count on the old spring/firing pin, but I'm sure I'll find out if it was ammo or spring tomorrow.

[Bob Reed]

For a third hand, fold a small plastic rewards card and wedge it into the sear lever channel.

As for the light strikes, a new firing pin spring will be stronger than the old spring - so if anything, you'll now even have lighter strikes than before. A new (stronger) firing pin spring will cure light strikes in "striker fired" guns, but not hammer fired guns.

[giuseppe]

Thanks for that info, now that mention the new spring, being stronger would make it strike softer. That's just logical, which sometimes I'm not. The overall length appeared to be the same between the 2 firing pins, and I've never had a problem before, so maybe it is a bad batch of ammo (Fiocchi). I'll find out tomorrow.

Good idea on the folded plastic card.

Thanks for the tip and explanation.

[craig]

I have an allergy to firing pin safeties & don't own anything equipped with them.