[IrishCop]

Back before Christmas, when I traded a Kimber and a Pro Series J frame for my grandsons' Henry Big Boy, I also picked up Colt Detective Special 2nd Generation as part of the deal. It was in great shape, very little wear, finish was gorgeous and the double action pull was unbelievably smooth. Not light, but silky smooth. Much more so than the Dick Special 2nd Gen I gave my youngest daughter a couple of years ago. I have put maybe 75 rounds of standard pressure ammo through it.

Had it out of the gun safe last night and was playing around with it, when I noticed something that just about broke my heart.

The firing pin, mounted on the hammer, was broken! mg::grumble:

A started looking for a replacement firing pin, first at Numrich (no luck) then Google searched for ANYBODY that stacks/sells them. No joy.

2 Questions:

1.) Anybody know where I might find the parts I need?

2.) Failing that, I have a Colt Police Positive dating back to the sixties. Anyone know if the hammer assembly is interchangeable
between these two?

 

[Charlie Petty]

ask for a hammer nose
try Jack First distributors (Rapid City SD)

 

[t-star]

pure conjecture on my part, but it may be that FABRICATION may be your only alternative- firing pins are relatively simple to make for a machine shop or even a shade tree gunsmith- I know you want oem, but that may be not feasible- I would caution AGAINST just welding a new tip on as that might bugger the steel in the hammer and then you have to replace the hammer as well as the pin- better to drive out the rivet and replace the pin if it's the kind i'm thinking of- you're welcome for nothing

 

[Diamondback]

No information to offer, but I can and do wish you luck.

 

[IrishCop]

Thanks for the lead Charlie! And thanks to T-Star and Diamondback for reaching out.

I will probably let a local gunsmith do the work. I'd just like to get the part and provide it to him.

 

[IrishCop]

ask for a hammer nose
try Jack First distributors (Rapid City SD)

Got one hammer nose and one rivet on the way. Very nice lady at Jack First (not a bad pun for a business in South Dakota) said it will ship this afternoon.

I owe you another one, Charlie. Thank you, sir. :bow::bow::thumbsup:

 

[dfariswheel]

Some help:

The rivet that retains the firing pin is polished flush and can be hard to see.
After carefully drifting out the old rivet and removing the broken firing pin, use a small Dremel carbide ball cutter to make small countersinks on both sides of the hole in the hammer.

These countersinks will give the retaining pin room for the new rivet or "mushroom" to flow down under the surface.
That way, when the excess is polished off enough rivet will be left to prevent the retainer pin from coming loose.
No countersinks, when you polish off the excess rivet you polish off all of it and the retainer will not stay in place.

Use a small ball peen hammer to "mushroom" or rivet one side of the retainer pin, then flip the hammer over and rivet the other.
Continue until you have full riveting on both sides.

After riveting, very carefully grind off the retainer pin until it's almost flush, then put some wet or dry sand cloth on a piece of thick plat glass and polish the pin all the way flush.
Switch to a finer cloth to give the sides of the hammer the original grained smooth finish.

Make sure you get the new firing in the right way up, which is not all that apparent.

Last, the firing pin MUST have free and easy up and down movement but minimal side to side movement.
The free up and down movement is to allow the firing pin to self-align with the firing pin bushing in the frame.
When riveting the retainer pin take care not to compress the sides of the hammer and bind the firing pin.

 

[IrishCop]

Thank you, sir! Sure appreciate the instructions. But I'm gonna wuss out and let a local gunsmith handle this.

I have seen his work, and used him myself on a couple of other things, so I have confidence in him.

And since I've been known to break rocks...

 

[Charlie Petty]

You're welcome Terry. They are nice folks and right across the street from Black Hills ammo.

Very nice gun shop too.

It is going to be hard to make the replacement look like the original because the rivet is put in before final polish.

 

[IrishCop]

You're welcome Terry. They are nice folks and right across the street from Black Hills ammo.

Very nice gun shop too.

It is going to be hard to make the replacement look like the original because the rivet is put in before final polish.

One of the reasons I'm using a gunsmith is because I can't see where the rivet is. It's blended and polished so well that there isn't even the faintest hint of outline visible.

So I'll be happy if Mr. Anders can just get it replaced and functioning. Not so worried about cosmetics.

 

[Charlie Petty]

Truly... a wise man knows his limitations.

Don't know why this made me think of it, but maybe should start a thread about worst butcher jobs by a "last week I couldn't spell gunsmith... and now I are one."

Many years ago a local cop found that the hammer pin on his S&W was loose. He took it to a guy who had a store and everything and was alleged to give cops a good price.

He got it back some time later and the problem was solved... the guy just drilled a hole through the frame, found a bolt that would fit the hole in the hammer and then put a jam nut on the outside.. hammer was loose no more.

 

[IrishCop]

So did the Grand Jury rule it Justifiable Homicide?

I picked up a Remington 522 Speedmaster that was basically in parts about a year ago for a sawbuck. Figured it would give me something to do an a rainy Alabama afternoon. Got it cleaned up and basically back together, but there was one screw missing - the one that secured the feed tube to the little ring mounted to the barrel. Ordered a couple (I've been known to drop and lose small parts ), figured I just screw it in and I'd be good to go.

But Noooo...I attached the screw, and the spring guide or tube or whatever it's called, wouldn't slide into the feed tube or magazine tube or whatever you call that.

I looked and looked and saw that there was a good part of the end of the screw that wasn't threaded. Finally realized that I had to actually fit the screw - file excess off the unthreaded end of the screw to allow it to secure the magazine tube without interfering with the spring guide when you put it in.

I either figured right or stumbled on a jury rigged solution that worked. Rifle works fine.

Did I ever tell you about the Colt 1908 .380 I found when we were cleaning out our evidence room? Had been there for 20 years or so. It was in beautiful condition, not a mark on it...except some criminal genius had attached a cheap laser to the trigger guard. I took the laser off and sure as hell it had marred the trigger guard pretty badly. It was being destroyed anyway, but just the idea made my stomach hurt.