I can only presume that this is from dry firing. THis is a new gun. Manufacture date is 11-19-2012. It has had approximately 600 rounds of 115 grain American Eagle through it.
I first noticed this problem when cleaning after the last range trip. The Firing Pin plunger did not hold the firing pin from moving forward so I took the pin out to see what was going on.
This is what I found. You can see the bent retaining pin, but its a bit hard to see that the firing pin is peened at the back of the slot. The slot is misshapen at the back and there are stress fractures on the surface of the pin along both sides of the slot. Very strange, but I am immediately adopting a policy of not dry firing the gun.
I first noticed this problem when cleaning after the last range trip. The Firing Pin plunger did not hold the firing pin from moving forward so I took the pin out to see what was going on.
This is what I found. You can see the bent retaining pin, but its a bit hard to see that the firing pin is peened at the back of the slot. The slot is misshapen at the back and there are stress fractures on the surface of the pin along both sides of the slot. Very strange, but I am immediately adopting a policy of not dry firing the gun.