Vintage K22 with light hammerstrikes

[SnWnMe]

Will FTF abt once every cylinderful. Changed mainspring. Range tested, still the same. Compared brass with another K22. The other gun had solid hits on the brass.

I noted that the firing pin does not protrude into the chambers as far as the other K22 I have does. Viewed from the rear of the frame with the hammer cocked back, it is also protruding less. The spring for it is also weaker. The gun is with the shop where I got it from. They're going to fix it of course. I was wondering though if the things I observed about the firing pin are actually the problem?

 

[dfariswheel]

Possibly.

Although the firing pin usually malfunctions due to breakage, it's possible the pin is just impacted with dirt or rust.

As a first check, I checked to see that the mainspring tensioning screw in the front of the grip frame was tight. Many people don't know that this isn't a "trigger pull adjusting screw", but must be tightened down snug for good ignition.


Next, I'd look for an amateur-done "trigger job" in which the spring or screw was altered.

Other causes could be just an age-weakened mainspring, or even a cylinder assembly problem.

 

[C.R.Sam]

If pin looks unbroken,
My next step would be to flush the crud out of the pin channel.

Assuming strain screw is snug.

Usually just cleanin em does the trick.

Sam

 

[mnrivrat]

And after that , if it fails to fire , I would check the headspace . ( or maybe check it now anyway )

 

[Old Fuff]

As this is an older revolver it should be checked for end-shake (back & forth movement of the cylinder as opposed to rotational play). When end-shake is present the cylinder can move toward the face of the barrel as much as .010". In effect this moves the cylinder away from the firing pin, causing light hits. Other possibilities have already been posted.

 

[Standing Wolf]

My old K-22 had the same problem until I tightened the main spring strain screw. The firing pin doesn't protrude quite as far as I'd like it to, but as long as it's firing every round, I'm not going to worry about it.

Amazingly accurate gun!

 

[Jim K]

Warning! The following happened some years ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Oh, that is another story, but I want to make clear that what I am about to relate just might not happen today.

I bought a K-22 in 1955, and shot the heck out of it. Around 1989 it started to misfire. By that time I was no longer working as a gunsmith, so I had the local dealer ship it back to S&W, along with my note to repair as needed and restore to factory specs. About a week later, he got a letter saying they would do as requested and if I also wanted the gun reblued it would cost $17 (yup, seventeen dollars). Since that was a huge bargain even then, I promptly wrote a check and sent it off.

About two weeks later, I got a call that the gun was back. They had done a beautiful blue job. They had also replaced the barrel, cylinder, crane, and all internal parts. Only the frame and grips were original. It was a total rebuild. The additional cost? Nothing. The $17 for rebluing was the only cost.

Like I said, in a galaxy far, far away...

Jim