Fitting a firing pin

[schapman43]

I picked up a Ed Brown firing pin for my Springfield WWII Milspec. I bought the one that is made specificly for Springfield 1911's. The Firing pin is a little to big as far as its diameter around the largest portion. What's the best way to go about hand fitting a firing pin? I thought about putting it in a drill chuck and hitting it with some fine emery paper.

[1911Tuner]

Howdy schapman,

You got the standard firing pin for the .45 caliber pistol...and Springfield uses a different pin. If somebody doesn't chime in with the Brownells part number in a bit, I'll look it up and get back to ya. It's another Ed Brown Hardcore pin
that's very close to...but not exactly... .38 Super/9mm diameter.

Luck!

Tuner

[schapman43]

Howdy schapman,

You got the standard firing pin for the .45 caliber pistol...and Springfield uses a different pin. If somebody doesn't chime in with the Brownells part number in a bit, I'll look it up and get back to ya. It's another Ed Brown Hardcore pin
that's very close to...but not exactly... .38 Super/9mm diameter.

Luck!

Tuner

Nope, I got the right one. It says right on it special diameter for Spingfield Armory pistols. It just barely to big for the hole in the back of the gun. If you push it in with a little force the primer striking side of the pin goes through the hole with no problem. Probably only need to remove a couple thousandths. I'm sure if a Springfield dimension problem and not Ed Brown.

[schapman43]

I have Ed Brown part #826 Brownells stock number #087-205-826

[1911Tuner]

Howdy again...

Sounds like another case of the old tolerance stackup thing. Sometimes it happens. The hole is on the low side of tolerance...The butt-end of the pin is on the high side. The cure is a short spin in a lathe and a smooth mill file.
Any machine shop should be able to handle it in about 3 minutes. Take the slide with you. I'll check the specs and clearances on the hole and the pin so the machinist can measure it and get it right for ya. Supper's on, and SWMBO
needs the computer, so it'll be a little while.

Stand by...

[gottripletsNC]

now that I have read this thread and go back and look at mine, I notice that my extractor turns just a little too, can tell its not a very tight fit, so i guess that really resolved any question about the firing pin stop then didn't it(talking for me).

[1911Tuner]

Okayyyyyy...

According to the print specs, the large diameter of the firing pin is .214 with a .004 tolerance...(Plus/Minus .002 inch) The port is nominally .218 inch,
with a .002 inch tolerance. Plus/Minus .001 inch. If you've got a caliper, measure the firing pin's large diameter. We can determine which is out of spec...pin or port. I was thinkin' that the pin was .210, plus/minus .003 and the port was .214 plus/minus .001 inch...

Either way, the pin can be reduced to allow correct clearance. Check your PMs

Gottriplets...check to see if the flat side of the extractor is flush with the slide as installed. It may be the stop slot in the extractor itself. Wilson
Bulletproof extractors have a shallow slot to allow for fitting the stop to it.

[schapman43]

Well 1911 tuner, I have to appologize. When I got home tonight I played with the firing pin a little more. When I originally tried to put the Ed Brown firing pin in I was able to get the tip to stick out of the firing pin hole just a tad. So I assumbed that it was to big at the back. Well I took the firing pin, flipped it over, and put it into the hole. The pin fit with no problem so it is the tip thats the problem. I took some wet dry sandpaper, oiled it up, and went to town. I now have a highly polished firing pin that fits perfect. I actually did all this before measuring with some calipers. It couldnt be that far off because it didnt take long using super fine sand paper.

I also picked up an Ed Brown firing pin stop. The firing pin stop fit so perfect, I couldnt have asked for a better fit.

[gottripletsNC]

Tuner,
It is the slot on the extractor, the FP stop is fairly tight in the groove, it wont just fall out, takes a "lil coaxin". So try the new extractor before I spend money on the FP stop then? I am going to get a XP FP spring and new FP, was going to change all three items at once.

[1911Tuner]

Schapman...Outstanding! It's usually somethin' simple.

Gottriplets...

The critical part is whether the extractor channel is located correctly. If the
extractor locates too far to the right, the side of the stop can't prevent clocking, and the only thing that works against it is the extractor's friction fit
in the channel. That helps, but it'll twist counter clockwies sooner or later,
and cause a last-round ejection problem. Look to see if the flat on the butt of the extractor is flush with the slide. If it is, you're golden. To test for clocking with the new stop installed, lay the slide on its side and use a small punch near the bottom of the flat on the extractor to bump it lightly. If it's
locked in by the stop, it shouldn't rotate.

If it IS flush, and still clocks a little, you can get an oversized stop and file it to a light press-fit, or get the Wilson Bulletproof extractor, which may require light fitting of the stop to press-fit into position.

Best way to keep the edge of the stop square is to lay the file flat on a table
and draw the stop toward you, being careful to keep it flat on the file. Holding the file at an angle and drawing the stop uphill toward you while you eyeball it may work better for you. It does for me.

Remove equal amounts from both edges to fit it to the slide...then install the extractor and remove metal off the right side to fit it to the extractor. You may need to remove a little thickness form an oversized stop. Draw it lengthwise on the file, and cut from the front face of the stop. Chamfer the
hole with a countersink or tapered stone to remove the sharp edge left by the file. Easy does it...Just a light chamfer will do the trick. Use a small file to break the sharp edges on all corners after fitting.

[gottripletsNC]

Tuner,
Thanks for the info. Ya the extractor is flush with the back of the slide, and the FP stop fits snug to the slide, I'm goin to get a new extractor anyways, thinking of the BP from Wilson Combat, and get an oversized FP stop and fit it. Then I'll try the tap thing. And now that you mention it, the 3 jams I have had were on the last round, but I purposefully loaded the last round with ones that the ball had pushed down some. I thought it was the round problem, maybe the combo of the two caused the jam. My problem all three times is the casing is hooked by the extractor, and its a bugger to get it to let go.

[gottripletsNC]

Got the new extractor, and FP stop, the stop had to be fit, and took me a little bit, and it fits tight now, and the Extractor is perfect fit, didn't need to be tuned either. Have to take it out and put some rounds through it to make sure it doesn't need to be tuned. Thanks for the info.
thats why the name is Tuner right? :p

[1911Tuner]

Yep... :cool:
There's a story behind it. That handle was hung on me a long time ago.

My favorite thing is a pistol that's been back to (name your manufacturer warranty station) 2 or 3 times, or to a top gun pistolsmith without solvin'
the problem...and makin' it behave.

Check your PMs. One's gonna be there in 5...