M38

What is the best way to clean the firing pin channel in my 1006? Is there a sight that has disassembly instructions? Can it be flushed out ?

N-Frame Guy

1. Unload, clear insure safe.
2. Remove slide from frame.
3. Remove recoil spring and barrel.
3. Put decocking lever in "safe" position.
4. Using small punch, depress plunger in right side of decock lever and remove right side of lever.
5. Using two small punches depress firing pin and firing pin safety plunger (the steel one on the underside of the slide). Release the safety plunger first. This will keep the firing pin in.
6. I use needle nose pliers to pull the firing pin forward while I rotate and remove the decocking lever from the left side of the slide. Be careful not to mar the firing pin.
7. Point the back of the slide donw to your work bench and again depress the firing pin safety plunger. This will release the firing pin from the back of the slide. Be careful you dont let it fly across the room or into your eye.
8. Clean the firing pin channel with a clean Q-tip and some solvent. You will likely find brass shavings and much carbon. I also run a pipe cleaner through the firing pin hole in the breach face to insure every thing is clean. Blow the channel out with compressed air.
9. Leave the firing pin dry to minimize the future build up of crud.
10. Reassemble in reverse order. ALWAYS remember to depress the firing pin safety plunger before trying to reinstall the barrel. Otherwise it will be sticking out of the breachface and can be damaged.

The plungers in the slide are another thing entirely. To remove and clean them you must remove the rear sight. Smith and Wesson auto sights are always removed from left to right. Never try to force them out to the left. The dove tail is tapered and you will damage the sight and or slide if you do it backwards.

It is best to use a sight pusher to remove the sight, especially if you have night sights. Tapping them out with a brass drift can damage the tritium vials.

I have seen several Smith autos (and other makes) that have unreliable ignition because of filthy firing pin channels. They should be cleaned once a year or more if you shoot alot.

M38

N-Frame Guy you Rule!
Thanks a bunch

N-Frame Guy

No sweat. I'm from the Government, I'm here to help.

sneak

N-Frame Guy, I know this is an old thread, but thank you so much for that information! I've been trying to figure out the failure to fire issue on my 1076. I think I can now finally figure out how to entirely break sown my weapon and give it a true and thorough cleaning.