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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Firing  pin  steel (Read 17045 times)
notlwonk
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #15 - Jan 19th, 2009 at 4:44pm
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The pin in my Hiwall broke, it had been reduced in dia. when it was converted to a small dia. I first used a gage pin which didn't last too long. A friend suggested a dowel pin, so I chucked an 1/8" dowel in the drill press and went at it with a Dumore. I silver soldered it in but based on the previous posts it sounds like that is over kill.
  
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38_Cal
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #16 - Jan 19th, 2009 at 6:19pm
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Quote:
I silver soldered it in but based on the previous posts it sounds like that is over kill.


Much better to go for overkill than to use bubble gum to hold in a piece of finishing nail!   Grin  As long as it holds up for the job you want it to handle, and you're comfortable with the workmanship, go for it.  I do firing pins my way because that's  what has evolved on my workbench in finding a more efficient way FOR ME to do the work, based on gunsmithing school plus 30 years experience...  If you get six experienced gunsmiths together and ask them how to do a particular job, you're likely to get about ten different ways to do it...all of them "right"!

David Kaiser
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David Kaiser
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Mike_Hunter
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #17 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:32am
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"When possible, I prefer to make the pin body out of annealed O-1 drill rod and the tip out of 1095 spring stock, soft soldered together with at least 1/4" of tip in the body.  I use the same procedure when re-tipping broken firing pins. "   
 
David 
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Ummm I thought O-1 and SAE 1095 "Spring Stock" were the same steel,
  

Mike Hunter
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singleshot
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #18 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:11pm
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Not really close to the same, Mike:

O1
Element /
Weight % 
C 0.85-1.00 
Mn 1.00-1.40 
Si 0.50 
Cr 0.40-0.60 
Ni 0.30 
W 0.40-0.60 
V 0.30 
C 0.25 
P 0.03 
S 0.03 


SAE 1095
Element /
Weight % 
C 0.90-1.03 
Mn 0.30-0.50 
P 0.04 (max) 
S 0.05 (max) 
  

Willis Gregory, aka singleshot
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #19 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 10:15pm
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Thanks, Willis, you saved me a trip out to my shop for my reference books!   Smiley

David
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16F right now in central Iowa   Cry
  

David Kaiser
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singleshot
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #20 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 10:38pm
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David- bookmark this!

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Willis Gregory, aka singleshot
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #21 - Jan 20th, 2009 at 10:59pm
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Thanks!

David
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Mike_Hunter
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #22 - Jan 21st, 2009 at 10:16am
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38 Cal:

Ok, I stand corrected, I’ve been using O-1 and SAE 1095 interchangeably for years, O-1 makes beautiful springs. So please educate me.  Why purposely make firing pins in two pieces?  Both pieces out of med/high carbon steel. 
I want to learn: 


Singleshot: 

Thanks for the composition breakdowns of 1095 v. O-1   

Yes O-1 has some Cr and Ni added, I suppose for corrosion resistance, but both 1095 and O-1 rate the same (Poor) for corrosion resistance. W and V are added to aid heat treatment, but since he’s using O-1 in it’s annealed state, I would think the addition of W and V is  kind of  moot. Adding P to steel makes it machine a little better, but I’ve never seen a difference between machining O-1 and 1095.   

Ok gentlemen, I am willing to learn

Mike Hunter



  

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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #23 - Jan 21st, 2009 at 1:46pm
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Making two piece firing pins for shotguns, ss rifles, etc., was a suggestion from gunsmithing school over thirty years ago, with the explanation at the time that O-1 by itself might not last as long in a heavy use environment.  As I was told, O-1 annealed would be fine for the body, but spring steel or music wire would be better for the tip, especially since it could be bought in the correct diameter, with only drilling, soldering (or Loctiting) and tip shaping required.  Since it worked well for me, I haven't seen any reason to change my methods.   

David
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #24 - Jan 21st, 2009 at 2:46pm
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David 

Thanks for the reply. 

I remember one of my mentors, when he did a firing pin, he would heat treat them so that it had a hard tip and a tough body. His reasoning was that if the firing pain was going to fail, he wanted the tip to fail first, potentially preventing slam fires. 

Mike
  

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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #25 - Jan 21st, 2009 at 3:46pm
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Mike,  Your comment makes some sense.  I have always done the opposite. Tougher for the slender tip and harder where the hammer strikes. If annealed drill rod is adequate for the hammer strike, then maybe I am overworking the problem.  Not sure I will change but certainly something to think about on any firearm that the block moves in line with the barrel (i.e. Trapdoor and others). Learned something today. Thank you.   Chuck
  
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Re: Firing  pin  steel
Reply #26 - Jan 21st, 2009 at 4:33pm
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Chuck 

Pleas don't change the way you make firing pins on my account,  as I stated earlier, I'm in the learning mode as to why 2 piece firing pins. 
Heck, I've made firing pins out of O-1, 1095 and even case hardened 1018 and 12L14, so far no returns.

Mike
  

Mike Hunter
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