Hammer gun -new pins ?

[ascast]

if wrong section please move

I am thinking of picking up an old combination gun. It is a breach loader with exposed hammers. I have heard that these are notorious for throwing the firing pins back through the shooters head. Hammers only slow it down a tad. If this is true, is there any cure? Make new pins of better material? stronger hammers and springs?

What are your thoughts?

thanks in advance

[pietro]

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In my playing with guns for over 60 years, I've never before heard of that issue - except for the odd person who shot modern ammo and/or heavy loads in one.

My hammer double has never experienced a hammer being driven back off the FP.

IME, if the gun is "on face", w/o any other barrel/action issues (like rust, cracks, etc), it may be shootable with special low-pressure loads.

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[schutzen-jager]

never heard of such an occurrence in my 78 years - in the hammer doubles i have owned i believe the hammers will deflect the pin away from shooters face if that could ever happen -

[waksupi]

I think you have been led astray.

[hoodat]

Urban myth -- from the twenties??

[John Taylor]

The loads would need to be high enough to pierce the primer, probably around 60,000psi. At that pressure on an old black powder gun the barrels would be history. I have heard stories of old rolling blocks pushing the hammer back and opening the action, but again I have never seen one do that. A pierced primer can cause you to get powder burns. Most modern rifles have a vent to deflect the gas from following the firing pin. Some of the stories going around about firing pins hitting someone in the head are more fairy tails than not. I did see a gun blow up from using to light a load of slow burning powder, called detonation. A very very rare thing. I have seen many pierced primers, usually cause by to large of a firing pin on a high pressure cartridge. Can happen when converting an old shotgun to a centerfire cartridge. If the firing pin diameter is not reduced in diameter the primer can pierce. Strange but often happens most when going to 22 Hornet.

[stubshaft]

Someone is pulling your leg.

[Rapier]

Sounds like a gun store "counter" story you can hear some strange and outrageous stuff in a LGS.

[pietro]

Sounds like a gun store "counter" story you can hear some strange and outrageous stuff in a LGS.

Yep - some gunshop counter employee's experience comes from selling pencils......

[405grain]

I just Googled "Firing Pin Through Head". 165,000,000 results in 0.31 seconds. Not one of them about someone actually being struck in the head by a firing pin. It is possible to blow up a rifle and get hit in the head with a chunk of breech block or a rifle bolt, but you'd really have to work hard to get one of those Darwin awards.

[Rapidrob]

What a load of you-know-what. In 1974 I had a Bernadelli Itallia shotgun gun made for me, fitted at their factory and it took 11 months to make.
It was one of the lightest side-by-side shotguns ever made in their day. And very strong.
The firing pins are captured by retaining bushings in such a manner, they could never be "blown" out of the shotgun, the shotgun would have blown apart long before that.
https://picturearchive.gunauction.co...thumbnail1.jpg

[elmacgyver0]

I have an old double barrel with hammers that I converted to .45-70, I'm not too worried about the firing pins shooting out the back side.

[Bmi48219]

I recently watched a YouTube video by “tinkertalksguns”. He related how he converted a single shot top break, hammer fired shotgun to 22 Hornet. He had video footage (and a nice red divot on his forehead) showing him firing the rifle and the firing pin blow out and wack him. He postulates the firing pin was held in the breech by a small set screw. The higher pressure of the Hornet cartridge was too much for the set screw to hold. Seeing the video footage, I have no reason to doubt him.

Here’s a link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lC7WEFK3U

[John Taylor]

I recently watched a YouTube video by “tinkertalksguns”. He related how he converted a single shot top break, hammer fired shotgun to 22 Hornet. He had video footage (and a nice red divot on his forehead) showing him firing the rifle and the firing pin blow out and wack him. He postulates the firing pin was held in the breech by a small set screw. The higher pressure of the Hornet cartridge was too much for the set screw to hold. Seeing the video footage, I have no reason to doubt him.

Here’s a link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lC7WEFK3U

I mentioned that in my post. You need to bush the firing pin when going to a higher pressure cartridge, especially to 22 Hornet. Many of the old shotguns have a firing pin that is 1/8" diameter, most high pressure rifles have a firing pin closer to 1/16" diameter.

[K43]

OP, Did the guy who told you this fable also say the source was some guy his cousin's girlfriend's granpa knew?
I've shot a Husqvarna double, underlever, 16 gauge, external hammer in weekly CAS events for 20 years without a problem. And if a firing pin did somehow force it's way past the retaining ring that holds them captive, and then managed to force the hammer back out of it's way against some pretty strong spring tension, it would go up, not back at my head.
Reloading is dangerous, you're going to blow yourself up.
Edit: Big difference in Shotgun pressures and rifle pressures, yes. BTW, my Trapdoors were designed for the pressures of BP 45-70 loads, and 150 years of use hasn't posed any problem that one hears about.

[elmacgyver0]

I haven't noticed any issues with my old double barrel after shooting quite a few rounds of .45-70 at trapdoor levels.
The firing pins are held in by set screws.
After watching that video, I think I will be tapping the firing pin channels and adding bushings.