1911 Firing OAL

Getting some failure to fire rounds in my 1911 Ball gun.
What is the minimum length for a 1911 45 firing pin?

Have you made sure that the firing pin channel is clean and free from any lube?

Has the mainspring been replaced lately?

DA/SA wrote:

Have you made sure that the firing pin channel is clean and free from any lube?

Has the mainspring been replaced lately?

Yes I have. I'm thinking the firing pin might be a light weight titanium pin and is too short.
   Hammer spring is a new !SMI

What brand of primers are you using?

I bought a batch of 19# ISMI springs that were actually 17#. Caused some problems until I figured it out/measured them.
Jon

Springfield titanium firing pins are notorious for causing this problem.

Firing pins do not protrude out when the hammer side if pushed flush with the firing pin stop/retainer. It uses inertia to continue into the primer so light titanium firing pin combined with "hard" primers like CCI might cause the problem. "Soft" primers like Federal might help.

Jon Eulette wrote:I bought a batch of 19# ISMI springs that were actually 17#. Caused some problems until I figured it out/measured them.
Jon

How did you measure them? been thinking of getting some wolf springs to replace the ISMI. I have never had a problem wolf no matter the brand of primers. The primers used were Federal GM.

Merick wrote:Springfield titanium firing pins are notorious for causing this problem.

Don't know which brand firing pin since it was in the pistol when I bought it. My problems didn't start till I put a new 19# spring in. I usually get 22# springs and clip a coil or 2 off till I get the desired firing pin dent in the primer, then I close the end of the spring the old school way. 
I guess I'm getting lazy in my old age.

I shoot 19# wolff main springs in all my pistols without issue. I do prefer ismi recoil springs. Go figure

I have an old war horse 1911 purchased through the department of DCM back in the 1960s so I pulled the firing pen to compare with the one in my ball gun that I'm having light hits with. 
They both are fairly close in overall length and diameter, but the weight is 6grs difference.
The pin in question is lighter.
Can 6grs make a difference in light hits on primers?

The firing pin being inertia driven into the primer depends on the weight of the pin and the amount of firing spring weight counter acting so weight does make a difference.

Just curious, other than more expensive what would be the advantage of a titanium firing pin?

troystaten wrote:Just curious, other than more expensive what would be the advantage of a titanium firing pin?

I think it was a way to pass some states' drop saftey testing without a series 80 mechanism.

They’re a thing for run and gun. Some guys shoot heavy (too heavy) loads and they use extra heavy springs.  Titanium firing pins don’t have the mass to get enough energy to pop a primer when a super heavy spring slams the slide home.