I could use some advice.
My Taurus PT-945 (.45 ACP) seems to be working perfectly. So far I've tried it with 230 grain hardball, then Remington 230 grain JHPs. Finally, today, I tried it with some handloads I made up for my S&W 625 revolver; 185 gr. hard cast semi-wadcutters over what should be a standard-velocity charge of Unique. To my astonishment, it even fed those without a hitch.
I'm concerned by firing pin drag, though. Or primer smear, or whatever you want to call it. The firing pin indentations in the primers are teardrop-shaped, not round. This would indicate that the firing pin is not retracted at the moment the fired shell ejects, so that the primer gets dragged across the tip of the firing pin.
I've never seen this in any autopistol I've had. It's happened with all ammo I've tried so far.
I understand there are two common causes for this; the action opens too early, or the firing pin retracts too late. In addition I suppose you could get this from bad lockup, but I'd probably see that; the PT-945 is another of these pistols where lockup is by a block on the breech filling the ejection port, so bad lockup would be visible from the outside. It looks fine. I suppose it could also be caused by the firing pin jamming somehow.
Another hint toward early opening is that on one shot my cheek got stung with some particles- powder grit, I presume, as the primer wasn't pierced and the case didn't rupture.
What do you guys think? I could send it to Taurus, take advantage of their lifetime repair policy. But that would take a long time, and I'd feel pretty silly doing it if this is either a problem that would clear up after a while-- I have maybe 100 rounds through the pistol so far, so it's not broken in yet-- or if the solution is to replace the recoil spring. Why send it to Taurus if it's the recoil spring? I could replace that in ten seconds during a standard field strip.
If the firing pin spring needs replacing, though, I don't know how. Or if it's something else going wrong, I know neither WHAT nor how to fix it.
Guesses, suggestions, opinions gratefully received! Thanks.
My Taurus PT-945 (.45 ACP) seems to be working perfectly. So far I've tried it with 230 grain hardball, then Remington 230 grain JHPs. Finally, today, I tried it with some handloads I made up for my S&W 625 revolver; 185 gr. hard cast semi-wadcutters over what should be a standard-velocity charge of Unique. To my astonishment, it even fed those without a hitch.
I'm concerned by firing pin drag, though. Or primer smear, or whatever you want to call it. The firing pin indentations in the primers are teardrop-shaped, not round. This would indicate that the firing pin is not retracted at the moment the fired shell ejects, so that the primer gets dragged across the tip of the firing pin.
I've never seen this in any autopistol I've had. It's happened with all ammo I've tried so far.
I understand there are two common causes for this; the action opens too early, or the firing pin retracts too late. In addition I suppose you could get this from bad lockup, but I'd probably see that; the PT-945 is another of these pistols where lockup is by a block on the breech filling the ejection port, so bad lockup would be visible from the outside. It looks fine. I suppose it could also be caused by the firing pin jamming somehow.
Another hint toward early opening is that on one shot my cheek got stung with some particles- powder grit, I presume, as the primer wasn't pierced and the case didn't rupture.
What do you guys think? I could send it to Taurus, take advantage of their lifetime repair policy. But that would take a long time, and I'd feel pretty silly doing it if this is either a problem that would clear up after a while-- I have maybe 100 rounds through the pistol so far, so it's not broken in yet-- or if the solution is to replace the recoil spring. Why send it to Taurus if it's the recoil spring? I could replace that in ten seconds during a standard field strip.
If the firing pin spring needs replacing, though, I don't know how. Or if it's something else going wrong, I know neither WHAT nor how to fix it.
Guesses, suggestions, opinions gratefully received! Thanks.