My Start

[donhuff]

The cartridge pushes it back!

[GasGuzzler]

So if the gun is empty, hammer back, lever closed...the FP is supposed to flop fore/aft?

Top to bottom:

Extractor then its pin.
Bolt
FP pin then FP

To left:

Ejector, spring, collar.

ES works with collar to bias FP rearward? See above. Cut ES not putting pressure on FP when hammer back? Ejector bent?

See the cut out in the top of the FP where the pin goes lets it move fore and aft. SOMETHING has to prevent FP from flopping.

Guess the round does as explained.

Why did I have so many FTF then an AD? Maybe I wasn't closing the lever strong enough to set the pin and round? If that's true, I'm really confused how the one time I got an AD, it was when I closed it strongly.

[GasGuzzler]

May have more than one issue. May all be me.

I will keep my index finger in the loop from now on and I will not cycle the lever with the hammer back regardless of if it's empty other than to open it enough to look inside for safety check.

I did nothing to the FP, extractor, hammer/trigger (other than polish their sides), nothing at all to the sear engagement or mainspring.

FTF could be pin forward from weak operator levering into battery and AD from a dumbass with his index finger outside the loop while closing?

I don't wanna be the goat but maybe I am.

[donhuff]

FTFs are kinda rare because of the really simple firing pin setup. study these cutaway pics and you can see more of how the pin works. http://www.rossi-rifleman.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=833 A weak hammer spring would be my first guess for FTFs. A second blow does not hit any harder but rather makes the dent in the cap a little deeper. On the FTs are you getting a light strike? A dent but a noticeably light one?

See how the lever holds the pin retracted while coming into battery. then it hops over the hump on the lever just as the lever is fully closed, and now has room to move forward.

You showed a pic of where you smoothed and polished on the hammer notches. One of those notches, the little one, is the sear. To test it, cock the hammer and push forward on it hard. You should not be able to make it jump the sear no matter what.

[Archer]

Sorry it seems your having problems.

Nothing keeps the firing pin from flopping back and forth.
It is known as a 'floating' firing pin.
Same basic setup as most other Browning designed lever actions if not all and very similar to the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14/M1A and AR-15... Probably half my rifles run with this system without any problems at all.

The pin CAN and does impact the primer very slightly as the bolt closes. With a lever this isn't much if any problem assuming the pin is right.

With the M1 Garand/M14/M1A this can cause what's known as slam fires because the semi auto bolt closure speed is much faster. The design of the receiver bridge is supposed to prevent it in these guns but if it isn't machined correctly may not.

IF the pin is too long and protrudes past the bolt face even when to the rear, if it is sharp instead of rounded, if there's some reason for it to stick forward in the bolt then you can have a problem but those cases are rare.

[Archer]

Closing the lever strongly could put more momentum into the FP than closing slowly.
BUT this STILL should not set off the round.

I've shot these guns as fast as I can work the lever for 25-30 years without any firing on the bolt closing.

In addition to the other places where you might have problems you might check for high primers?

[GasGuzzler]

Good responses. It made sense as soon as I looked at some pics online and the above advice about the shell pushing back on the pin.

No worries about issues. I fix issues all day for others. Your advice is helpful.

I'll address the newest information the best I can with my thought I tripped it myself closing the lever with my index finger not quite in the lever loop. I think this is so after a conversation with a friend and after rethinking it over and over. I believe the hammer was back when I closed the lever and I know for a fact the hammer came forward for a pin strike because it was not back after the AD. That means it was my fault or the sear didn't hold.

I'll address that one first (out of order). When I get it reassembled I'll perform the sear safety test. It will pass. I didn't change any angles on the notches or even level any engagement surfaces. I did polish the sides and the "front" of the notches but in the direction of REARWARD hammer travel. This is accomplished by the direction the part is held to the wheel. Had I turned the hammer around and faced it the other way to the wheel, I would have microscopically taken off the sear edge.

I don't suspect the hammer spring. It's a major PITA to compress and is nearly stacked when the hammer is cocked. IMO the hammer spring guide pin is too small diameter requiring too small a take down hole requiring some sort of unobtainable very thin but super strong pin "tool"...the first time through this, the spring broke my safety pin in half so I had to compress the hammer spring manually with a dinner fork (a la Ruger SA) for reassembly but I digress.

I wasn't smart enough to study for light primer marks. I do now remember noting the back of the pin was not protruding rearward on the FTFs. That tells me it was sticking OR the lever was 1/8" from being closed. I bet it was the latter. Pics show the pin out and it fell out easily.

The pin does not protrude from the bolt face when open unless empty and nose down. The pin is rounded.

I screwed up. These two completely separate issues will not happen again.

[GasGuzzler]

I will look through all my previously built rounds to make sure there are no high primers. Some of the older loads I made were on a Lee turret that's primer seating takes a lot of practice to get used to. I've been hand priming for the last good while which to me is more consistent.

[Missionary]

Greetings
If you tie a leather strip onto the ring where the wear area is that will stop.
Mike in Peru

[Archer]

I also find hand priming to be more consistent than most on press priming systems.
The hammer HAS to be back as you close the lever. That's the action that moves the bolt and the bolt cocks the hammer.
You CAN get the hammer to follow if you hold the trigger back as you work the lever on the Model 92s.
This does not work on the Marlin and I haven't tried it on the Winchester 94s or 95s.