I was getting some light primer strikes on my .357 so I replaced all the springs with the kit from EWK and put in a new firing pin. I went to the range today to try it out. First load only two out of six fired on double action second try three out of six on single action. So out of frustration I fired about 80 rds of .38 special only two misfires, I then took the two miss fires and put them in my detective special and both fired. The .357 are new starline brass with 125 grn rnfp over 5.5 grs hp-38 with CCi magnum sm primers. the 80 rds were a mix of every thing i had with me 158's 125's 130's all with CCI small pistol primers.
So do I have a bad batch of primers or should I try a heavier main spring or continue to beat my head against the wall HELP Please.
Tom
May 3, 2011
This might be your culprit. Read this thread on the light hammer strike. It might be the grip screw. Sometimes the problem is too simple. Good luck!
https://www.danwessonforum.com/forum/reloading/grips-screws-light-primer-strikes-hammer-issues-etc/
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February 22, 2009
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March 2, 2008
Everyone makes the mistake of thinking that grip screw needs to really be cranked down tight. Firm is good enough, remember the grip tang carries the load.
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George Carlin
February 21, 2011
"CCI magnum sm primers"
There's your problem right there! I had exactly the same experience & when I bought some different loads the problem went away. There is a thread on the whole saga somewhere in here.
Matthew Quigley on handguns:
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I didn't know how to use it.”
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November 17, 2008
Just my thoughts on this, most already mentioned.
No particular order.
1. CCI primers have a rep for being hard. (they should still work though)
2. Check the grip screw for interference with the hammer spring.
3. Check the firing pin for condition and be sure the firing pin channel is not full of crud causing interference.
4. Check your primmer seating to be sure you are getting the primers seated fully in the brass.
5. It may be a combination of a little of all things listed causing a culimative effect.
Good luck and keep us informed.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
To update. After all the advice I tried putting a couple of washers on the grip screw. I still got some light strikes. so I backed off the screw until the grip was loose but still attached. I then fired 86 rounds with 10 light strikes. I noticed that all of them were starline brass once fired. I know they were once fired as I bought the brass new, all had cci 550 primers. I then fired 30 rds of the same load with Win. regular small pistol primers, all fired. I checked the rounds from my previous light fires and they were all starline from the same batch with the same primers. I had noticed that the starlines were hard to seat with the cci's much harder than any other brass i have. They also seem to sit deeper than my other brass.
I will see if I can pick up a shorter screw in the morning so I dont feel a loose grip when I shoot but I may have figured it out. Any one want to trade for some starline brass?
I should add all were fired single action.
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