One of our club match shooters is having Stevens 44 firing pin problems, he’s a ASSRA member not on line, asked me for advice.  Honest I have never owned a 44 and have some ideas, none founded on experience. Told him I would post the question.

It’s a Neidner barreled .22 LR gun, re-worked into a small bore prone rifle many years ago. Accurate and he shoots it very well.  However he is breaking firing pins, 2 or 3 in the last year. All his pins are homemade, some from scratch, some from turned down pin punches.  Different tempers, which I think is a clue to what’s going wrong.  Pin in the gun when he bought it was probably a homemade too.

Seems to me way a 44 block works, rocking back on opening, pin retracting properly is not the issue, even if it’s not retracting like it should  ought to slide out of a .22 RF case indentation. He’s been looking at pin springs, & something dirty in the block holding back retraction etc.   No cure that direction.  He can’t see anything keeping the pin from sliding properly. 

Being a re-work no telling what’s going on with hammer fall, does it rebound  I don’t know.  Is the hammer preventing retraction on opening. I don’t know that either.

Pins are breaking right at the tip were it comes out of the block. My guess and it's only a guess his firing pins are too hard.

Any advice ?

Boats

P/S he's checked with Paul Shuttleworth, who said his source of replacement 44 pins had dried up, can't help with this one. 

+1 

I've never made a firing pin for a 44 in any other way.  Another good pin material is the shank of an old drill.  Music wire also works.

Thanks all

Will pass the advice along.

Boats

Hello; Does the extractor have a small cut in it to clear the firing pin in case it does not retract at the start of opening? cmargs

Good tips both, I don't have the rifle in front of me, am going to phone him this afternoon talk through the remedys posted.

John

Reading  your very good advice ,

"Not all 44s have a return spring", "be a good idea to add one if it's not there". Went back to one of my Stevens Re-print catalogs. Sure enought there is a "old style" 44 action and "new style". Old ones did not have a plunger to push the block back on opening. They also show parts for two different types of extractors one central one side.

Let you guys know how it turns out   


Boats

Boats, I had to make one for the walnut hill,  I used drill rod, or the shank  of a number drill the proper size, machined to fit,  still working,   
but dont dri fire it..

Sometimes a firing pin tip may catch the edge of the chamber as the block moves down.

My Stevens have a slight notch/divot cut into the edge of the chamber so the firing pin will slide down without catching anything.