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Guys I’d like to get your opinion on a slam fire problem I experienced while firing a 1929 Model 94 SRC several weeks ago. While sighting in the gun it immediately fired upon closing the bolt, but without my finger on the trigger. The firing pin is free floating (like it should be) and moves easily back and forth inside the bolt. The firing pin is a replacement as the original firing pin was worn when I bought the gun and not properly hitting a snap cap inside the chamber. I’m wondering if the replacement firing pin is too long or this problem is caused by something else like a worn notch on the hammer sear? I would appreciate your thoughts on troubleshooting this problem. Surely someone else has also experienced this problem. Thanks.
November 7, 2015
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Did the hammer fall when you closed the action?
Mike
The firing pin length issue should be obvious, if the pin is protruding from the bolt face when the pin is fully in the rear position there is an issue, if not it can be dismissed. My money is on the sear-hammer surfaces. The mating surfaces either being damaged, worked on (tuned by Bubba) or filled with crud.
Best of luck with your repair,
Erin
Did you measure and compare the length of the old FP to the new FP? If you open the action and push on the rear end of the firing pin at the back of the bolt, the tip should stick out the front a very small amount, and be nicely rounded looking.
Seems you would have to close that lever quite fast to get a slam fire if the firing pin was protruded. I’m suspecting the hammer fell and struck the firing pin.
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
It’s difficult for the rifle-shotgun to feed a cartridge if it has a firing pin protrusion. I encountered this problem with a model 12 in the Duck blind. About 3/16″ of the tip of the firing pin broke off clean. It was long enough it couldn’t fall back into the bolt and the tapered design kept it from falling out the front. It would protrude forward enough you couldn’t cycle the action without the shell hanging up on the tip of the pin. You could push the tip of the pin back into the bolt with your finger, drop a shell in the chamber, close the action and finish out the morning shoot with a “single shot” pump gun.
Erin
Thanks guys, I greatly appreciate the help with this. The first time it happened, it scared the you know what out of me and I didn’t notice if the hammer fell or not. The second time, I did notice it fall. What’s really interesting is that by slightly tilting the rifle at a 45 degree angle or better I didn’t have this problem. (I was down in a deep stock tank with high banks, so able to do this safely.). I could also see the firing pin move back and forth in the bolt when I tilted the rifle. It was not protruding unless tilted slightly forward. I’ll compare both firing pins and also disassemble the rifle to look at the mating surfaces. The more I think about this, the more I think there must be something going on with the hammer-sear surface, especially given the fact that the hammer fell.
Above posters likely right. Eliminate the obvious and likely a Bubba trigger job!!!
You dont see it as much with 1894 hammers as you do with 1892’s, but it is likely the top of the hammer is worn too much where the hammer engages the bolt when the bolt comes back to cock the hammer, that is why when you close the bolt the hammer falls with it striking the firing pin. The hammer is not being pushed back far enough to engage the trigger sear of the hammer. Watch it when you cycle the gun to see how the bottom side of the bolt pushes back and rides over the top of the hammer.
This happens also sometimes because the rails for the bolt sides or where they engage in the receiver can also get sloppy, but that is on rare occasion, causing the bolt to rise higher and keeping it from pushing the hammer all the way and straight back. Definitely check the hammer sears to see if they may be tinkered with or broken. As in 1892’s, the half cock sear offers no protection when the hammer falls following the bolt. If you have the hammer from another 1894 I would try it to see if that makes a difference. But would likely start looking for a hammer replacement. Id still check the new firing pin to make sure its the right length.
On 1892’s the hammer falling on the cycling is a lot more common and just a tad but concerning. The only fix for the 1892’s is to either weld and build up the top of the hammer where its worn or replace the hammer. I couldnt tell you how many 1892’s Ive tinkered with to try to get them to work. Some hammers are so far gone there is no hope. On some 1892’s incidentally, all it took was tightening the buttstock/tang screw a little tighter and the problem was gone. Even tried using different buttstock wood and one buttstock would allow the hammer to operate fine, the next wouldnt. However, I wouldnt trust this type of short term fix for any amount of time, because in the end your still dealing with a worn out hammer.
Here is a pic of an 1894 rifle with set trigger that I suspect had the same thing going on, the top of the hammer was worn. This one has been repaired by adding metal and reforming the hammer face. 
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
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