Making a flat firing pin - The Firearms Forum

mogunner · 07-28-2012, 09:09 PM

Picked up an Echasa MAB-GZ .32 pistol, firing pin is a common problem on these, snapped at the thin section on the bottom. Any common household stuff I can use to make a new one out of? It's 3/16" thick, I was thinking that maybe one of the wife's Old Hickory kitchen knives might get lost for the cause...

jack404 · 07-28-2012, 09:15 PM

lawn mower blades , old knife blades when tempered right they will last

mogunner · 07-28-2012, 10:15 PM

I've got a couple of lawn mower blades, have to go through the boxes of kitchen stuff in the basement and look for knives, when the wife and I got together it combined two households so there should be something that I can scrounge. Most of what I work with is aluminum so no help there...

Charles Christensen · 07-29-2012, 01:58 PM

Something that gets banged on should be tough not hard so be careful with any tempering you may do. I would suggest a piece of stainless but any hand work you do would be difficult. On the more expensive side you could find a local job shop that has a laser or wire EDM and could write a program to cut the part. That would minimize any hand work. Once the program is written they could produce those firing pins by the hundreds and you could go into business. Just an odd thought.

mogunner · 07-29-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Christensen

Something that gets banged on should be tough not hard so be careful with any tempering you may do. I would suggest a piece of stainless but any hand work you do would be difficult. On the more expensive side you could find a local job shop that has a laser or wire EDM and could write a program to cut the part. That would minimize any hand work. Once the program is written they could produce those firing pins by the hundreds and you could go into business. Just an odd thought.

Would be a great idea but this one would still require machining after cutout although the laser would certainly cut a LOT of time out of it...I liken this pistol to Spain's "saturday night special", the firing pin is floating in the slide and has a machined smaller area towards the front that is used to 'guide' the pin into the proper position to strike the primer in the center, so that would have to be machined into the blank as well. Still might be worth doing a run of a hundred since used ones seem to be worth $30 from the only supplier that has any!

The last job I had was at a manufacturing plant that has a laser and works pretty much in only aluminum and stainless, I'm presently planning on trying to see about going back to work for them, my shooting buddy works in the machine shop there and I may hand it off to him to fabricate some as well.

ignats · 07-29-2012, 10:21 PM

It might be cheaper and easier to buy one:

http://www.gun-parts.com/mab/

mogunner · 08-01-2012, 12:17 AM

$30 and they come out of tear-downs, so it might work only a few times then bust just like the other one.

Charles Christensen · 08-01-2012, 12:31 PM

Over the years I have programmed just about every industrial machine tool there is. In fact, I still do light programming for a local company for their plasma and oxy-acetylene torches. I always liked programming a laser. It can punch through 1/4 inch steel with a .007 kerf. Imagine, a hair-thin beam of light cutting steel.

Once you have a dimensioned drawing of the part it should take less than an hour to program it. Producing small parts for old guns might be a thought for any company looking for another line to get through the Obama years.

The fact that some hand work might be required should not be a problem. A lot of people into replacing broken parts in old guns would enjoy it and the part could need a bit of fitting anyway.

mogunner · 08-01-2012, 11:52 PM

I seem to run into that more and more Chris, maybe because the "oddball" guns seems to peak my interest. This one wouldn't be all that difficult to make even without a laser, I just hate to tear down my setup for a one-off like that. I've looked at my metal producers websites and may end up making a bunch as the shortest piece of even high carbon steel is 24" which would make about 27 of them if nested. Like I need another project sitting waiting for me to get around to, but they just seem to walk in the door sometimes!

I'm already keeping busy with my current product and trying to add a couple more won't be happening unless I pour a couple grand into better machinery to speed up what I'm doing now or farm it out, something I'd like to avoid at all costs.

jack404 · 08-01-2012, 11:58 PM

beats sending bits to Oz for me to make eh ?

jack404 · 08-02-2012, 12:06 AM

Mogunner

a slim jim, a metal ruler, a industrial hacksaw blade ( heat treated to not be so brittle ) would all work

mogunner · 08-03-2012, 10:03 PM

It's right at 3/16" at the thickest part, then narrows down at the point where both sides have the angle machined into it. Not a very good design at all, this one may be one that I just buy a tear-down pin for and then sell. They usually bring around $150 on ********* from what I've seen, no bit loss but the wife was wanting to run some rounds through it, may hand it off to her after I make sure it functions right.

07-28-2012, 09:09 PM	#1
mogunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Eastern Missouri Posts: 1,029	Making a flat firing pin Picked up an Echasa MAB-GZ .32 pistol, firing pin is a common problem on these, snapped at the thin section on the bottom. Any common household stuff I can use to make a new one out of? It's 3/16" thick, I was thinking that maybe one of the wife's Old Hickory kitchen knives might get lost for the cause... -->

07-28-2012, 09:15 PM	#2
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: Making a flat firing pin lawn mower blades , old knife blades when tempered right they will last

07-28-2012, 10:15 PM	#3
mogunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Eastern Missouri Posts: 1,029	Re: Making a flat firing pin I've got a couple of lawn mower blades, have to go through the boxes of kitchen stuff in the basement and look for knives, when the wife and I got together it combined two households so there should be something that I can scrounge. Most of what I work with is aluminum so no help there...

07-29-2012, 01:58 PM	#4
Charles Christensen V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 208	Re: Making a flat firing pin Something that gets banged on should be tough not hard so be careful with any tempering you may do. I would suggest a piece of stainless but any hand work you do would be difficult. On the more expensive side you could find a local job shop that has a laser or wire EDM and could write a program to cut the part. That would minimize any hand work. Once the program is written they could produce those firing pins by the hundreds and you could go into business. Just an odd thought.

07-29-2012, 10:21 PM	#6
ignats V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 93	Re: Making a flat firing pin It might be cheaper and easier to buy one: http://www.gun-parts.com/mab/

08-01-2012, 12:17 AM	#7
mogunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Eastern Missouri Posts: 1,029	Re: Making a flat firing pin $30 and they come out of tear-downs, so it might work only a few times then bust just like the other one.

08-01-2012, 12:31 PM	#8
Charles Christensen V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 208	Re: Making a flat firing pin Over the years I have programmed just about every industrial machine tool there is. In fact, I still do light programming for a local company for their plasma and oxy-acetylene torches. I always liked programming a laser. It can punch through 1/4 inch steel with a .007 kerf. Imagine, a hair-thin beam of light cutting steel. Once you have a dimensioned drawing of the part it should take less than an hour to program it. Producing small parts for old guns might be a thought for any company looking for another line to get through the Obama years. The fact that some hand work might be required should not be a problem. A lot of people into replacing broken parts in old guns would enjoy it and the part could need a bit of fitting anyway.

08-01-2012, 11:52 PM	#9
mogunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Eastern Missouri Posts: 1,029	Re: Making a flat firing pin I seem to run into that more and more Chris, maybe because the "oddball" guns seems to peak my interest. This one wouldn't be all that difficult to make even without a laser, I just hate to tear down my setup for a one-off like that. I've looked at my metal producers websites and may end up making a bunch as the shortest piece of even high carbon steel is 24" which would make about 27 of them if nested. Like I need another project sitting waiting for me to get around to, but they just seem to walk in the door sometimes! I'm already keeping busy with my current product and trying to add a couple more won't be happening unless I pour a couple grand into better machinery to speed up what I'm doing now or farm it out, something I'd like to avoid at all costs.

08-01-2012, 11:58 PM	#10
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: Making a flat firing pin beats sending bits to Oz for me to make eh ?

08-02-2012, 12:06 AM	#11
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: Making a flat firing pin Mogunner a slim jim, a metal ruler, a industrial hacksaw blade ( heat treated to not be so brittle ) would all work

08-03-2012, 10:03 PM	#12
mogunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Eastern Missouri Posts: 1,029	Re: Making a flat firing pin It's right at 3/16" at the thickest part, then narrows down at the point where both sides have the angle machined into it. Not a very good design at all, this one may be one that I just buy a tear-down pin for and then sell. They usually bring around $150 on ********* from what I've seen, no bit loss but the wife was wanting to run some rounds through it, may hand it off to her after I make sure it functions right.