44 cal duds

[fasteddie]

Got back from the Gun Club a little while ago . I had a few 44 cal rounds that my son had shot with his Smith & Wesson and they didn't fire . The primer was struck but no ignition . I took my Ruger Super Red Hawk over to the range and they all fired in my pistol .

I am thinking that either his pistol needs a good cleaning or the firing pin is defective .

Any thoughts ?

[Early]

Yep...good cleaning with Gun Scrubber

[jusputtn]

Sometimes if you turn the round a little and try again they'll fire.

Also could be a week spring.

Are they factory or hand loads? Check that primers are getting seated fully if hand loads.

[fasteddie]

They were regular loads ( 14 ) except for 2 reloads . I believe he said that he had tried to fire them a 2nd time but he didn't move them in the cylinder . The primers were indented and looked like regular fired rounds .

I suggested he give the pistol a good cleaning .

[jusputtn]

Sounds like good advice. The only time I've had that happen was when I installed an aftermarket spring kit in my Redhawk to lighten the trigger pull. The kit came with 3 springs. The lightest did what your buddies pistol is doing. The medium has always worked well. That's where the weak spring thought comes from if a good scrubbing doesn't clear up the problem.

[Setters4life]

S&W? Check to see if the strain screw in the bottom of the frame has backed out a bit. Some do over time. (It's at the bottom front of the grip frame when you remove the grips.) Loosen the screw (L) to lighten the hammer fall, tighten the screw ® to increase how hard the hammer strikes the firing pin.

[bubba]

If they were reloads, I would suggest primers not seated deep enough. But that is a useless piece of information since most were factory

[fasteddie]

The primers were indented so I am thinking good cleaning plus Setters4life suggestion about adjusting the hammer strike . Thanks for the suggestions .

I left a message for my son to cal and let me know what model his S&M 44 mag is ...........

[Setters4life]

The strain screw maintains tension on the flat mainspring. It should be screwed all the way in. Some like to fiddle with the screw by backing it out a half-turn or full turn or maybe even two in an effort to lighten the DA trigger pull. Only problem is it will result in light primer strikes. On heavy recoiling revolvers like the S&W .44 Mag., that screw and others have a tendency to back out from recoil.

Put a dab of blue Loctite on it and screw it in all the way. I also use Loctite on the frame's sideplate screws and rear sight screws (older models) as well.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Setters4life

[fasteddie]

I am waiting for my son to get back to me on the model S&W he has . I believe it's model 29 . I looked at an exploded view of that model and see the strain screw at the bottom of the frame . thanks

[Culvercreek hunt club]

A guy I know just had to send a Smith in for the same thing. his was a .357. He was actually shooting reloads and I thought maybe the guy that loaded them had used rifle primers rather than pistol primers. I couldn't tell but the ones that didn't fire in his Smith DID fire in my Taurus.

[Pistol Pete]

I use only federal primers, they seem to be more consistent if you have lighten the hammer spring,( my smith has a screw in the grip ) factory ammo does fail to go off sometimes try federal primers.