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I need some advice. I installed a new titanium firing pin 6 months ago in my Ruger Mk III target pistol (VQ trigger). I shot 60 round Bullseye matches each week, plus a few practice rounds, and a month ago the firing pin strike became lighter and lighter until I was having several misfires each match.

On disassembly, I found a broken rebound spring, which I replaced and the strikes improved until two weeks ago, when they became progressively too light again.

I installed a second titanium firing pin, but the same thing is happening within a week.

The new firing pin seems to be OK; the firing pin stop pin is OK.

The strikes on the cartridges make it appear that the firing pin is riding up in the slot and not hitting far enough in from the rim of the cartridge.

I'm stumped and my knowledgable friends are stumped.

Any insight?

Did you see this thread?
http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2414

Yes, but I've checked the things covered there, and none of the conditions or solutions suggested there seem to apply.

The gun has a VQ extractor, which looks pristine.

The rebound spring was broken previously, but was replaced.

The bolt face looks OK and is not missing an metal.

The two replacement firing pins have been high-quality titanium pins. They both have good faces, square to the bolt and chamber. One was VQ and the current one is Power Custom. The light strikes happen with both pins, although the VQ has a different profile than the Power Custom.

I'm shooting Centurion, which although not premium ammo is better than any bulk and has not had a high rate of misfires in other guns.

And the profile of the firing pin impact is the same on both the rounds that fire or the rounds that FTF--a slow "movement" from a strong impact indentation fully crimping the rim back toward the outside edge of the rim with less and less impact and a smaller and smaller profile. Eventually the guns starts to misfire as the impact covers a smaller and smaller area of the rim.

This has been a fairly common symptom with the titanium firing pins, they're highly susceptible to dirt and grit because of their lightweight construction. I'd go back with the standard Ruger HSS steel firing pin.

R,
Bullseye

I'll try it Bullseye. I thought the titanium pins would be an improvement, since the original steel Ruger pin broke.

Thanks!

There have been a few of the steel pins that have broken but that number is relatively small compared to the volume of Ruger pistols sold. The Titanium pins have had a far higher failure to fire rate for their volume sold. The few Ruger steel pins that failed I have examined had questionable heat treatment issues.

Rebound springs do tend to break but they are small parts and easy to replace.

R,
Bullseye

I'll do as you say. I'm very fortunate to live only a few miles from Montezuma, Iowa, so Brownell's is my local gun parts "store." I can order from their huge inventory and pick up at the front desk.

purchawk wrote:I'll do as you say. I'm very fortunate to live only a few miles from Montezuma, Iowa, so Brownell's is my local gun parts "store." I can order from their huge inventory and pick up at the front desk.

and you still have money to buy a firing pin?! Srsly if I lived any closer to Brownells I'd be in a world of hurt - They'd have to hire me to take care of my trade deficit

Seriously, it gets worse. Brownell's bought Sinclair a few years ago and this summer they moved that operation with all the shooting and reloading equipment here. The warehouse and offices are ON MY WAY TO THE RANGE! (I'm headed there in an hour). I'm doomed.

There is a fine line between "doomed" and "hog heaven" isn't there?

Headed to the range or Brownells? ... focus Focus! Best Luck Purch!!

Sounds like you are really in a horrible location. I'd consider moving to a more distant locale - either that or open up direct deposit accounts at both companies. Both get plenty of business from me, I cannot imagine living within driving distance of them.

R,
Bullseye

Sometimes we just have to bear the burdens life forces on us.

A totally selfless response. Oh well, someone has to live near them.

R,
Bullseye

My friends and fellow shooting-club members often remark on the nobility of my character when it comes to such things, although my wife occasionally questions my habit of spending all of our Social Security checks on guns and ammo. But the value of such a policy seems self-evident, does it not?

The values increase over time, much better than any other commodity investment and far better than the CPI. Firearms I purchased over twenty years ago have easily doubled in value over their initial costs some have tripled and quadrupled in value. No other investments have increased in worth on that scale and retained their value in these economic times.

R,
Bullseye