Bauer Mystery goes on and on and on . . .

[Prof Young]

Well, for those of you following my Bauer adventure, the guy who owns the range I go to pointed out that the pin holding the extractor in was not seated all the way down. Pictures of my gun and others confirmed that observation. I seated it and . . . no change. Gun dry fires, but won't fire with a round in the chamber. So I'm at a complete loss. (Recall that my first time out with the gun it ran fine. Two jams out of 90 shots.)

Anyone know an gunsmith/FFL I can sent this thing too?

Life is good.

Prof Young

[Bill DeShivs]

Send me your slide.

[SGW Gunsmith]

Have you checked the firing pin length? With the slide off the grip frame, use a punch to push the firing pin forward to see if the tip will poke out from the firing pin hole in the slide.
Just maybe the firing pin tip has walked off the job. The firing pin is a one piece straight round part so, getting one made, if you can't find a replacement, will be really cheap and simple to make in just a few minutes.

[Bill DeShivs]

The Bauer firing pin has a sear that projects from the round part. Not very simple to make. It's a much better design than Raven .25s.
Replacement factory firing pins are easily found, if you know where to look.

[Prof Young]

Bill:
If I was sure it was just the slide I'd send it. What makes you think it's just the slide. Please educate me.

Gunsmith:
The firing pin sticks our well beyond the hole it comes out of and does not appear to be broken. It's like a little "barrel shape" that has the pin protruding from one end. Long spring pushes it down a channel and through the firing pin hole.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Bill DeShivs]

I'm not entirely sure it's the slide- but I have Bauer, Browning, and PSP frames here. We can find out if it's NOT the slide.

You're saying the gun will dry-fire when unloaded, but doesn't fire when loaded?
If that is the case, then your new extractor is interfering with the firing pin falling when it's holding a case head. If you have the old extractor, and there is any difference in the profile of the two-that's your problem.
It really can't logically be anything else.

[Prof Young]

Bill: That all makes sense. I did a quick comparison of the old extractor, which is without the "hook," before I installed the new one and it looked pretty much the same. I'll look again and get back to you.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Bill DeShivs]

Her's another way to check-
It's better if you do this with a fired case, but pretty safe even with a live round.

Take the slide off the gun. Ascertain that the firing pin moves freely all the way down the slot.

Then, take the barrel out of the slide and put the case in the chamber. Put the barrel into the slide and push it all the way back-until the extractor lip pops over the cartridge rim. Hold the barrel in this position, and see if the firing pin travels freely.

[amd6547]

Is the cocking indicator assembly present? I only ask, because it hasn’t been mentioned.
On my Bauer, it was causing failure to feed. Mine would shoot, but not feed, the firing pin wasn’t resetting. Since the firing pin acts as ejector, the nose of the firing pin kept the new round from rising up to the chamber.

[Bill DeShivs]

Good thought!

[Jim Watson]

Store here had a 1922 that wouldn't even dryfire.
Two problems
1. It was put together wrong.
2. The point of the firing pin was broken off anyhow.

[Prof Young]

Thanks for all this new info and the ideas.

Watch this space for further developments.

Life is good.

Prof Young