[mmb617]

I guess if I experience any issues this will be my first course of action. Or since we are all home and bored these days perhaps I will proactively have a go at it!

I was thinking that as the boredom grows I'll probably end up stripping each of my guns down more than the simple field stripping for a more intense cleaning.

 

[kastengary]

I bought a new Security 9 a few months ago and from day one I had light strike issues with it. Lately it's been 2-3 times per mag which is pretty bad. I was shooting factory Blazer Brass 115's and 124's as well as my reloads and the problem persisted no matter what ammo I used.

I read on a reloading forum that CCI primers were harder than some others so I loaded up some ammo using winchester primers but that didn't help either.

I have 2 Smith & Wesson 9mm's that have no problems with the same ammo that wouldn't run in the Ruger so I was certain the problem was with the gun. I took it to the range yesterday with 4 different combos of primer, charge and bullet weight. None would run without frequent light strikes. And then I noticed something that was the key to solving the riddle.

Every time there was a light strike there was a piece of primer stuck in the firing pin hole. I saved a couple of them:

They are perfect circles like they were punched out by a machine, so that was the clue I needed. When I got home and disassembled the firing pin and spring I could see that the hole the firing pin goes through was completely flat with a sharp edge to it.

I examined both of my Smiths and that same hole on them is chamfered. I think on my Ruger the firing pin ignites a round and when the case is pushed back the sharp edge cuts out that piece of primer which then gets stuck in the hole. Then when the pin tries to fire the next round the debris blocks it and causes the light strike.

I got a small cone shaped stone from my dremel kit and twirled it between my fingers in the hole till I could see a slight chamfer, then polished it up with some 1500 grit sandpaper. If you look close I think you can see the difference in this pic.

I'm happy to say that did the trick! The gun is now working the way it should. I went to the range today and fired 4 different ammos for a total of 103 rounds and didn't have a single problem. It eats factory, it eats reloads, 115 grain, 124 grain, CCI primers, Winchester primers, all of it works. This is how my Smiths have always been. I'm just glad to finally have the Ruger reliable as well.

I would think that the hole should have been chamfered at the factory and a step was missed or something. Anybody examine that hole on their own Ruger, especially if you have a Security 9, as I'm curious?

Mine shoots everything fine except my reloads, when it fails to fire I can put the round in any other 9 and it fires them fine. Think i should do the same?

 

[Mo_reen]

This is the guide rod I bought. I got it in 17 lb which is the stock spring rate.

Assembled Stainless Steel Guide Rod for Ruger® Security 9® Full Size Pistols

HI,
I intend on upgrading my trigger with the short stroke from Galloway (as soon as they have them in stock) and was also considering the SS rod and spring upgrade. I noticed you duplicated the stock 17# spring weight... do you wish you had chosen a different spring? Would a different weight spring have made a marked difference with the muzzle flip? I'm new - be nice to me... LOL

 

[Zokfend]

Hi, since no one else posted a pic I figured I could chime in since my sec9 is brand new. Only 200 rounds through it and the hole for the firing pin definitely has a sharp edge. Here is a pic.

I guess since this thread got bumped, I don't mind asking. What is all that orange stuff around your firing pin hole? I've never noticed that on my pistol before.

 

[PM651]

Had the same issue with Herters, every second or third one light strike. never noticed fragments but i'll try again, my solution was not to run Heters in it. It runs everything else fine. read that Herters is a spin-off of S&B and they use a hard primer. did not run S&B through it. More to come...

 

[kastengary]

My security 9 would misfire with reloads (1) out of (4) rounds, the primers were dinged but no boom. Could take those rounds and put them in my berretta and they went off every time. I chamfered the firing pin hole as I had seen someone else do and now it is 100% with reloads.

 

[MarkB]

I just found this thread. I checked my Sig P365 (original version) and my Springfield 1st generation XDs. The P365 has a round firing pin hole that has a slight chamfer and the XDs has an oval opening that also has a slight chamfer.

 

[eastman]

Had the same issue with Herters, every second or third one light strike. never noticed fragments but i'll try again, my solution was not to run Heters in it. It runs everything else fine. read that Herters is a spin-off of S&B and they use a hard primer. did not run S&B through it. More to come...

Herter's brass-cased ammo used to be made by S&B, but the current version is loaded by Winchester. Ammo made by S&B will be labeled on the box with S&B as the maker and Czech Republic as the country of origin. I liked the S&B version better than the new Winchester version.

 

[giwatcher]

I bought a new Security 9 a few months ago and from day one I had light strike issues with it. Lately it's been 2-3 times per mag which is pretty bad. I was shooting factory Blazer Brass 115's and 124's as well as my reloads and the problem persisted no matter what ammo I used.

I read on a reloading forum that CCI primers were harder than some others so I loaded up some ammo using winchester primers but that didn't help either.

I have 2 Smith & Wesson 9mm's that have no problems with the same ammo that wouldn't run in the Ruger so I was certain the problem was with the gun. I took it to the range yesterday with 4 different combos of primer, charge and bullet weight. None would run without frequent light strikes. And then I noticed something that was the key to solving the riddle.

Every time there was a light strike there was a piece of primer stuck in the firing pin hole. I saved a couple of them:

They are perfect circles like they were punched out by a machine, so that was the clue I needed. When I got home and disassembled the firing pin and spring I could see that the hole the firing pin goes through was completely flat with a sharp edge to it.

I examined both of my Smiths and that same hole on them is chamfered. I think on my Ruger the firing pin ignites a round and when the case is pushed back the sharp edge cuts out that piece of primer which then gets stuck in the hole. Then when the pin tries to fire the next round the debris blocks it and causes the light strike.

I got a small cone shaped stone from my dremel kit and twirled it between my fingers in the hole till I could see a slight chamfer, then polished it up with some 1500 grit sandpaper. If you look close I think you can see the difference in this pic.

I'm happy to say that did the trick! The gun is now working the way it should. I went to the range today and fired 4 different ammos for a total of 103 rounds and didn't have a single problem. It eats factory, it eats reloads, 115 grain, 124 grain, CCI primers, Winchester primers, all of it works. This is how my Smiths have always been. I'm just glad to finally have the Ruger reliable as well.

I would think that the hole should have been chamfered at the factory and a step was missed or something. Anybody examine that hole on their own Ruger, especially if you have a Security 9, as I'm curious?

 

[giwatcher]

sec 9 failure to fire

Approximately 200 round fired flawlessly, no failures of any type. I used brass case fmj, mostly 124gr X-force, sometimes 115gr CCI, rarely aluminum case, all without issue. I recently purchased Sellier and Bellot (S&B), 124 gr brass fmj. Every other round is a failure to fire, although after...

www.rugerforum.net

 

[Firearms Novice]

I just got back from the range with my security nine and I had two light primer strikes. Both times they were with blazer brass 115 grain. I’ve noticed this has happened in the past with the 115 grain. I have never had a problem with 124 grain which is what I use around 80% of the time. Now I do have the Galloway precision trigger on my security nine. And I’ve also heard different spring rates can affect things when it comes to light primer strikes. Has anyone else had this happen in the past. And honestly it was just two rounds out of 110. And only with the 115 graim. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Geo001]

I've shot over 1,000 rounds of 115g in my Security9. Never had a light strike other than using Federal Syntec (see other thread). I do sometimes shoot Blazer brass 115 and never had an issue. I have the stock Ruger trigger.

 

[PriseDeFer]

Measured the firing pin protrusion? Can that be done easily?

 

[giwatcher]

Below is my post regarding sec9 FTF, light primer strikes. You my find it useful to read that post. sec 9 failure to fire

[Approximately 200 round fired flawlessly, no failures of any type. I used brass case fmj, mostly 124gr X-force, sometimes 115gr CCI, rarely aluminum case, all without issue.
I recently purchased Sellier and Bellot (S&B), 124 gr brass fmj. Every other round is a failure to fire, although after chambering, there is full battery and a cocked hammer that drops. I was so shocked that after removing the round I did not examine the primer center for firing pin indentation. I reloaded the same round, slingshoted or slide dropped to chamber the failed round, and it fired. The next round did the same thing and so on. I used the same box of ammo in a tisas px-9 and an Arex zero compact with no failures. I have cleaned and oiled before I fire again. I examined the tip of the firing pin and adjacent frame for debris, but found none. The gun was not very dirty. I pushed the back of the firing pin forward with a wooden dowel and the tip looks fine with no carbon debris. The spring is very strong, so this is difficult.
Is there anything about S&B primer that is not handled well by ruger sec9, american made, but is well tolerated by tisas and arex, both European made?
Anyone have firing pin issues?
Any suggestions other than contact ruger support? ]

I have had no problems with blazer brass 115, or wth YTR 124, only S&B, and the S&B fires fine in my other pistols. No problem since I stopped using S&B. My firing pin hole looks just like yours, sharp, but no debris in the hole after firing. After each range trip I inspect the hole and find nothing.

 

[Firearms Novice]

Below is my post regarding sec9 FTF, light primer strikes. You my find it useful to read that post. sec 9 failure to fire

[Approximately 200 round fired flawlessly, no failures of any type. I used brass case fmj, mostly 124gr X-force, sometimes 115gr CCI, rarely aluminum case, all without issue.
I recently purchased Sellier and Bellot (S&B), 124 gr brass fmj. Every other round is a failure to fire, although after chambering, there is full battery and a cocked hammer that drops. I was so shocked that after removing the round I did not examine the primer center for firing pin indentation. I reloaded the same round, slingshoted or slide dropped to chamber the failed round, and it fired. The next round did the same thing and so on. I used the same box of ammo in a tisas px-9 and an Arex zero compact with no failures. I have cleaned and oiled before I fire again. I examined the tip of the firing pin and adjacent frame for debris, but found none. The gun was not very dirty. I pushed the back of the firing pin forward with a wooden dowel and the tip looks fine with no carbon debris. The spring is very strong, so this is difficult.
Is there anything about S&B primer that is not handled well by ruger sec9, american made, but is well tolerated by tisas and arex, both European made?
Anyone have firing pin issues?
Any suggestions other than contact ruger support? ]

I have had no problems with blazer brass 115, or wth YTR 124, only S&B, and the S&B fires fine in my other pistols. No problem since I stopped using S&B. My firing pin hole looks just like yours, sharp, but no debris in the hole after firing. After each range trip I inspect the hole and find nothing.

Thank you I appreciate the feedback.

 

[airhead83]

I recently purchased a Security 9 compact. I like the size and capacity, and it fits my hands well.
My first trip to the range was a real disappointment with 5 misfires out of 100 rounds caused by light firing pin strikes.
Afterwards I cleaned the gun, and I manually moved the firing pin inside its assembly for a few minutes, using a plastic toothbrush handle to prevent any damage. I couldn't see anything strange in the firing pin assembly.
During my 2nd trip to the range, I had no misfires of 100 rounds using a combination of the previous and a different brand 115 grain range ammo. The spent casings showed a much better firing pin indention on the primer than before.
I'm not suggesting anything I did helped. But the firing pin is striking harder than it was the first outing. I'm satisfied the pistol is reliable for use as my EDC gun.

 

[Firearms Novice]

I recently purchased a Security 9 compact. I like the size and capacity, and it fits my hands well.
My first trip to the range was a real disappointment with 5 misfires out of 100 rounds caused by light firing pin strikes.
Afterwards I cleaned the gun, and I manually moved the firing pin inside its assembly for a few minutes, using a plastic toothbrush handle to prevent any damage. I couldn't see anything strange in the firing pin assembly.
During my 2nd trip to the range, I had no misfires of 100 rounds using a combination of the previous and a different brand 115 grain range ammo. The spent casings showed a much better firing pin indention on the primer than before.
I'm not suggesting anything I did helped. But the firing pin is striking harder than it was the first outing. I'm satisfied the pistol is reliable for use as my EDC gun.

I’m glad you got your situation resolved. It’s funny, some people have issues, and others have 100% reliability right out of the box. I guess variability is all part of the game with this.

 

[airhead83]

I’m glad you got your situation resolved. It’s funny, some people have issues, and others have 100% reliability right out of the box. I guess variability is all part of the game with this.

Thanks. Ruger makes a LOT of guns and provides a quality product at an affordable price. It's hard to get upset over an occasional problem gun when Ruger is renowned for having such accommodating and helpful customer service.

 

[Firearms Novice]

 

[Firearms Novice]

How long do snap caps usually last? Do they wear out with time, and need to be replaced after a few thousand dry fires? Just curious. Thanks!