Help from those who shoot a French 1873 revolver

[max-power]

Reaching out for some help from anyone who shoots an 1873.

Do any of have have problems with the firing pin piercing primers?
Is it a simple fix of just rounding off the firing pin or is it something more complicated?

Thanks in advance for your help guys.

 

[BrotherRockeye]

back off the hammer spring so it's not hitting so hard

 

[H Wally]

Is the gun in original condition? Does it looks like anyone has altered the firing pin face? I've never encountered it, but they're so old that any number of things could be causing it.

 

[Mezigot]

Unless there is evidence of someone having tampered with the firing poin, leave it alone. Use harder primers and/or slip a thin o-ring on it to limit its forward travel.

 

[Tyockell18]

like stated, if the firing pin looks original, they are a fairly long cone shape, leave it alone.

The issue is either soft primers or the spring is too strong. If the spring is too strong it could wind up peening out the firing pin hole in the frame over time.

Which brings me to that point, if it is peened out from dry firing or abuse or what have you over the century, that may be why the pin is striking so deep.

 

[jethunter]

I wouldn't alter anything just yet, spring or firing pin until you have a better idea what's going on.

Try some CCI primers, they are the hardest. If you have a close up pictures of the firing pin and one of the punctured primers i could maybe tell you what the issue is.

I had a Wevbley RIC that punctured primers because the firing pin had been rubbing on the frame which had in effect sharpened the tip. I adjusted the hammer arc so the pin wouldn't rub on the frame and took off the sharp edge with a mill file and had no more punctured primers. I've also seen a couple where the firing pins had been damamged by dry firing and the firng pin was slightly bent which was causing the same problem described above. These pistols should not be dry fired.