Doc Moses Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 I have a fairly new Davidson's Pietta 45. Range once, lots of dry fire then...the hammer will not fall all the way! I notice the pin that holds the firing pin in has worked its way loose and is hitting the side of the frame. Actually left a devit in the frame. I push it back in with some blues locktite. Came loose again. I am considering placing a small bend in it but it is really short so that might be difficult. How is this supposed to be fixed? It has been dry fired a lot but only about 12 45acp rounds fired! (I have the 45 colt cylinder but no bullets) This is my 1st non-Ruger and I am quite unimpressed. I would trade it in a heart beat! Look at the pics and I appreciate any advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken George* Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Had the same problem with mine. The pins also wear thinner and get too long. Kept having to grind the ends down. I eventually made new stronger pins. I usually smash one end of the pin so it stays. Also, we had to start putting a piece of leather in for dry firing because we would get a bulge around where the firing pin comes out on the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Never dry fire a colt style SAA action without quality snap caps. The firing pins are designed to float to help align them with the hole in the frame. If the FP doesn't have a primer to hit it slams forward and eventually bends/loosens the retaining pin. Plus, the Pietta has a recoil shield mounted firing pin bushing that can be loosened and lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 PLUS ONE for Nate Kiowa Jones. Your problem is not one of Pietta's making. It's your own fault. You can fix this gun by replacing the pin, then laying the assembled hammer on a flat STEEL surface then use as taper punch to expand the ends of the pin. PS: The new replacement pin may be long enough to allow you to simply to peen the ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"Big Boston" Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 I have a Smoke Wagon, and I noticed that the pin on mine was proud on the right side as well. The pin has a slight taper and took a fair bit of force to get it in a bit more. Just another item to check occasionally or when inspecting a new purchase. Thanks Nate Kiowa Jones for the explanation of what the firing pin can do if it has no primer or snap cap to stop on. I don't know if its a movie thing or if it was based in fact that every town had a least one gunsmith. I know I've had to up my game since getting into shooting cowboy action. Especially seeing as I buy most of my firearms used. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Moses Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 Thanks for the input. I will try those fixes. I will also stop dry fire unless I have an empty in the cylinders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 59 minutes ago, Doc Moses said: Thanks for the input. I will try those fixes. I will also stop dry fire unless I have an empty in the cylinders. Dry firing into a spent cartridge is no better than dry firing on an empty chamber, You need a resilient material in the primer pocket that will adsorb the impact of the firing pin. Some people use silicone but I have found it doesn't last very long. Take 6 cartridges and drill out the primer pocket with a 3/16th inch drill bit. This will leave a tiny lip at the bottom of the pocket. Now go to the auto parts store and buy an O-ring (at lease a 70 hardness 90 is better) a little larger in diameter than the primer pocket. (0.210" or 5.2 mm) It will take a little bit of work but force it into the primer pocket till it sticks past the lip in the bottom of the primer pocket. Now cut it flush with a razor blade. You now have snap caps that will last for thousands of strikes. File off about 1/4th of the rim of one of the cartridges so that the extractor on your rifle cannot extract the case and you have one that will work in your rifle as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Moses Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 Not trying to be argumenative. Really am curious. When dryfiring n2 a fired case the fp hits the old primer. When Dryfiring on empty it hits nothing. When firing on a loaded shell the bullet firers and rams the shell and primer back n2 the firing pin. How is dryfiring on a fired round potentially more harmful than shooting a live round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 The tip of the firing pin really doesn't go any further then that dent in the primer, so once it is dented, especially if hit a few times, it provides no resistance to the firing pin which allows the hammer to fall fully forward with maximum firing pin protrusion through the firing pin hole. As a side story, Evil Roy, noted for espousing lots of dry fire practice, has done many thousands of them with no snap caps. Why? Years ago, Uberti made a run of hammers that had the firing pin hole drilled a little too deep into the hammer. So after a very high cycle count of mostly dry fire, the firing pin hitting the snap cap so many times eventually bent the firing pin's retainer pin as the firing pin pushed deeper into the hammer. And he started getting light strikes. So even after figuring out the problem and fixing it, he just quit using snap caps. And surprisingly, did not have any problems as a result. Obviously a YMMV situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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