M1 Carbine Failure to Fire

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  • Sanford
    • May 2013
    • 123

    M1 Carbine Failure to Fire

    Okay, having problems with my Winchester.

    1) Load magazine, chamber round, pulling trigger fires round.
    2) Round ejects, next round chambers, bolt closes.
    3) Pulling trigger goes "click"
    4) Pull bolt back just far enough to reset the hammer and release.
    5) Trigger pull fires round. Go to #2 and repeat.

    Doesn't appear to be related to any specific ammunition or magazine.

    In case it might be related, on *one* occasion while testing and repeating this over three or four magazines I think I may have gotten a double fire - although this carbine has no record of ever doing that before so it's possible I just quick triggered.

    Any suggestions or thoughts on the cause of this failure? Where to look, what to check?
    Last edited by Sanford; 01-20-2018, 04:08 PM.
  • painter777
    • Apr 2012
    • 416

    #2
    Step 3- Pulling trigger goes "click"

    I assume you wait after the FT Fire.
    At this point how does the primer strike look?

    CH-P777
    Living Free because of those that serve.....

    Comment

    • 6 Ring
      • Apr 2010
      • 4109

      #3
      Check head space before anymore testing.

      Comment

      • painter777
        • Apr 2012
        • 416

        #4
        Originally posted by 6 Ring View Post
        Check head space before anymore testing.
        Thx 6ring,
        I should have added that...... very important at this time.
        I'd also clean the complete dis assembled bolt.

        Thx Again
        Charlie
        Living Free because of those that serve.....

        Comment

        • horticattleman
          • Nov 2009
          • 2383

          #5
          Originally posted by 6 Ring View Post
          Check head space before anymore testing.
          YES, YES, and YES!
          Devil Dog until the end
          NRA Life Member
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          Participating in a gun buyback program because you think criminals have too many guns is like having yourself castrated because you think your neighbor has too many kids.

          Comment

          • ibm1jh
            • Dec 2011
            • 294

            #6
            Be Careful

            Check the headspace - YES! Do NOT proceed without doing so.

            At Step 2, when you say the bolt closes - Check (each time) that it is COMPLETELY in battery (rotated and locked). If only slightly rotated, it is not in battery. See advice #1 (check headspace).

            At Step #3 - after waiting 30 sec. (muzzle pointed downrange) for the FTF, pull the cartridge and inspect the primer - any indents or is it still smooth? Dimples but no fire may mean a worn / broken firing pin, or the hammer is not engaging the bolt / firing pin properly. Check the back of the bolt for unusual wear marks.

            Frankly, my first thought was a weak operating slide spring, so that might be worth checking / replacing, just to see.

            But ABOVE ALL - Be Careful! Failure To Fires are my worst nightmare because you never know IF it might go off later. Like after the cartridge is ejected. Just be careful and take it slowly.
            John H
            Opinions are free. Answers are cheap. Correct answers are expensive.

            Comment

            • meplat
              • Jan 2010
              • 3843

              #7
              You say

              Doesn't appear to be related to any specific ammunition
              Definitely seems you have a "length issue" which corrects itself after the first hammer strike. Hmmm .... What "specific ammunition" gives your symptoms? OAL? Reloads? Are your primers seated below flush?

              Last edited by meplat; 01-21-2018, 10:59 AM.

              Comment

              • Gunner945
                • Oct 2009
                • 585

                #8
                If you checked out all of the above and still have the FTF try replacing the hammer spring. I had a similar problem with a CMP Rockola years ago. It would fire on occasion but I had light primer srtikes sometimes, replaced the hammer spring and it ran great.
                Bill

                Comment

                • Tired Retired
                  • Oct 2009
                  • 1503

                  #9
                  DO the following:

                  1) Check headspace of carbine
                  2) Check the gas pistol area for cracks and leaks (robbing the pistol of energy in operating the slide)
                  3) CHeck recoil spring for proper length (a weak spring may not be forcing the case lip over the extractor, thereby not allowing the firing pin to contact primer)
                  4) Check extractor (The case lip may not be be riding over the case lip (see above))
                  5) Disassemble the bolt, clean interior and do NOT place any lube in the interior section where the firing pin rides)
                  6) Check the interior rail on left side and the area under the bolt for rough obstructions that may be causing resistance to the bolt riding forward.
                  7) Replace the sear. if you are getting doubles, the sear of warn or someone has filed it


                  If it goes bang when YOU operate the slide and pull the bolt back and it does not operate when the weapon recoils, then you are providing more energy to move the bolt forward than the recoil is providing to the bolt. Is there resistance? Is their a lack of gas operating the pistol? Look for the differences in the operation of the bolt when you manually move it vs the recoil of the carbine moves it.

                  Just my two cents...

                  Comment

                  • 309Carbine
                    • Feb 2017
                    • 672

                    #10
                    Everybody seems to be suggesting the right things to do and I can't add to it. I can only add that I had the same issue and it boiled-down to short brass. Some would fire and some would not. It probably depended on just where the loose round was at the time it was struck by the firing-pin. This is sort-of saying the same thing....short brass renders the same result as long head-space.

                    I don't think anyone has mentioned a worn firing-pin? It dosen't take much wear off the nose to make a big difference. I cleaned-up the nose of a pin once, because it was perforating primers. Just a couple of passes with a file to smooth it down was all it took to render the pin useless.

                    Comment

                    • Smal
                      Banned
                      • Jan 2011
                      • 918

                      #11
                      I had a Rockola doing the same thing exactly, Had bad headspaceing replaced barrel with a new one,also replaced all the springs in it works now just fine

                      Comment

                      • Sanford
                        • May 2013
                        • 123

                        #12
                        Thanks for all the suggestions. To follow up:

                        Headspace checks good on this rifle - was one of the first things I did. Ejection is consistent around 4:00 a couple of yards away, which sort of leads me to think the gas system is okay (?).

                        The spring tube appears to be loose and not binding, lightly lubricated, but perhaps a different spring and/or tube may be in order to test.

                        Will pass on whatever I find out when I get it fixed.

                        Comment

                        • TLB
                          • Jul 2010
                          • 2616

                          #13
                          Had same symptoms with my carbine. My problem was gunk in the firing pin channel such that the firing pin would not move freely. Cleaned well and all is well.
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