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May 13, 2008
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Greetings,
I'll try to make this as easy to understand as I can. First, I have a small frame 715 .357 Dam Wesson.
When I use factory ammo, I can fire in double-action or single action (with the hammer cocked back) and never have a dry fire or light hit (when the firing pin dent is very light on the primer). Every round goes off just fine.
When I use reloaded ammo, I will get many (roughly 50%) of rounds that do not fire in double action mode. But if I re-fire the same rounds again using single action, then all of the reloaded ammo fires fine the second time.
Question: Is the hammer striking the firing pin harder when cocked back (single action). Is that why I'm able to have 100% success with reloads. I notice that the hammer does not go as far back when pulling the trigger as it does when cocking the hammer back manually.
Anyone have any input regarding this weird problem?
By the way, my Dan Wesson just had the small frame rebuild kit from
thanks,
Hairfarm
May 13, 2008
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I forgot to add that my Dan Wesson has just had the EWK Arms small frame rebuild spring kit and the hand spring installed and this is still happening?
Can someone with a similar gun like mine please test with reloads and tell me if they are experiencing the same problem with light hits and dry fires.
thanks,
Hairfarm
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Range Officer
Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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Sounds like your reload primers are not seated all the way--the firing pin finishes seating them for you on the first hit... When you hit them again they are seated and go off.
SHOOT
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Moderators
January 24, 2009
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SHOOTIST357 said:
Sounds like your reload primers are not seated all the way--the firing pin finishes seating them for you on the first hit... When you hit them again they are seated and go off.
SHOOT
Yeah, or maybe they are rifle primers...(i.e. harder primers)? I currently use CCI #500 small pistol, on all my .357 reloads & haven't had a FTF issues with any of them, in any gun.
If that doesn't do the trick, then it might not hurt to clean the firing pin & frame hole. Gunk can build up in there over time & cause a drag on the firing pin.
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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Also make sure Grip screw is not to tight, to tight will hamper proper firing! Loosen it up a turn or two and see if this cures the woes!
May 13, 2008
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Ok, I'll try loosening the grip screw and see how that affects my light hits. I think I'll clean the firing pin and frame hole too.
Btw, how does the grip screw affect the firing?
thanks!
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Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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hairfarm said:
Ok, I'll try loosening the grip screw and see how that affects my light hits. I think I'll clean the firing pin and frame hole too.
Btw, how does the grip screw affect the firing?
thanks!
If your DW will stay cocked on Single action, it is not a grip screw issue.
SHOOT
January 26, 2009
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Check to see if the hits on the primers are off center. If they are you may have a situation where the gun is slightly out of time. If this is the case, fitting a new hand should help that. The softest part of the primer is in the center. Federal primers are generally considered the softest. I have had trouble with Wolf primers being hard to ignite. I've read CCI primers are hard also but I have never used them so I can't say from experience. I hope this helps. Good luck. John
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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hairfarm said:
Ok, I'll try loosening the grip screw and see how that affects my light hits. I think I'll clean the firing pin and frame hole too.
Btw, how does the grip screw affect the firing?
thanks!
it is possible for the grip screw to interfere with the proper seating of the mainspring guide/mainspring in the mainspring seat, and not allow the mainspring to fully compress, therefore not producing the full force of the spring tension. Take a look at the relationship of parts #10, 11, and 49 in the parts diagram in the Small frame Owners manual.
https://www.danwessonforum.com/wp-content/uploads/small-frame-manual.pdf
page 10
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
May 13, 2008
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Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.
Since all of my factory ammo is shooting fine in both double and single action modes, I think I'll have to attribute the dry firing to the reloaded rounds. The primers are being hit in the center so timing seems to be ok.
I've already replaced the handspring and main with the two EWK Arms spring kits so everything should be correct.
I'm beginning to think the reloads I bought are the issue, not the gun.
The reloads I'm using are a mish-mash of different makes: Speer .38 SPL+P, Winchester .38 SPL+p, RP .357 Magnum, Federal .38, WCC.
Now that I'm starting to notice the reloads that I shoot, I see that some of the primers have a smaller "surface" area and are more rounded than others. I'm going to pay much closer attention to the reloads that I'm firing.
I'll try to test and repost with the results, as best I can anyway. I don't make my own reload so I never really paid them nay heed until recently.
I think Shoots theory sounds logical (primers not seating correctly) so I'll be paying a lot more attention to the primers, post fire, from now on.
Thanks all!
Hairfarm
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