S&W R8, Light Primer Strikes, help please.

[Frost Cracked]

I've owned a S&W R8 for a few years now, and I really like this gun. The problem however is that I'm continued to be plagued by light primer-strikes. It's happened in Reloads, and in several brands of new-manufacture ammunition.

Examining the mechanism, the hammer, when fully depressed with a pulled trigger, seems to only push the firing pin travel bar out only a small amount (It's a flat hammer with a firing pin on a piston/bar thing), but pressing on the pin bar itself causes it to extend far beyond what the hammer can push it.

Has anyone else had this problem, and come up with a solution? I understand using the clips can help push the rounds slightly back in the cylinders, but I don't want to have to use them all the time as a necessity when I shoot this gun.

 

[Craig0ry]

Check the screw on the front of your grip frame, It may have worked itself out, Screwing it all the way in could help, Also have you done any spring swapping/trigger work?

 

[Trinimon]

^^ That would be my guess as well ie mainspring tension screw backed out.

 

[Frost Cracked]

Check the screw on the front of your grip frame, It may have worked itself out, Screwing it all the way in could help, Also have you done any spring swapping/trigger work?

I'll have a look today. Also no, I have done nothing to the pistol other than swap the front sight.

 

[Trinimon]

Worse case, switch to Federal primers if you reload.

 

[MET]

^ x2

 

[Dsiwy]

Could be headspace or try an extended length firing pin

 

[gmartinqc]

Check the screw on the front of your grip frame, It may have worked itself out, Screwing it all the way in could help, Also have you done any spring swapping/trigger work?

I bought a few recent S&W and they all had this screw come loose causing ignition issues. Any new smith of mine gets a drop of blue locktite on that screw now.
My prelock 686 never had an issue with that.