Smith & Wesson 22a Firing Pin Removal, Cleaning & Reassembly

 

Smith & Wesson 22a Firing Pin Assembly Components

S&W 22a Accessories Smith & Wesson 22A Pistol Sights, Scopes, and Mounts

  

Removing The Smith & Wesson 22a Firing Pin

Removing the firing pin from a Smith & Wesson 22A Pistol is easy and requires no special tools or equipment. I would recommend cleaning the firing pin after each 3,000 rounds fired through the gun. My Smith & Wesson 22a went through 5,800 rounds before I had a failure due to the firing pin being dirty.

 
 

	Smith & Wesson 22a Firing Pin Removal STEP 1 Remove the slide from the pistol per field stripping instructions.
	STEP 2 Turn the slide upside down and place over the edge of a table or counter top such that the black plastic insert that holds the firing pin assembly will fall free when pushed out.  Take a punch or screwdriver and gently push/tap the bottom of the black plastic insert to push it out the top of the slide. There is nothing holding it in but friction. Be careful not to damage the the insert by hitting it too hard.
	STEP 3 This the the black plastic insert that holds the firing pin and firing pin spring. It is shown her protruding out of the slide after being pushed up from the bottom.
	STEP 4 Remove the black plastic insert from the slide. Wiggle it back and forth until it comes out or push from the bottom. I used an old dull edged screwdriver to push it out from the bottom of the slide.
	STEP 5 Firing Pin Failure after 5800 rounds. Zoom in to see the crude and dirt on the firing pin after have shot 5,800 rounds without being cleaned.
	STEP 6 This is the retainer pin for the firing pin. To remove it slightly depress the firing pin and hold the assembly side-wards. The pin should fall out by itself. If it doesn't push it out from the side with a small punch.
	STEP 7 This picture shows the orientation of the firing pin with respect to the black plastic insert. It also shows the firing pin retainer pin.
	STEP 8 Disassembled view of the firing pin assembly showing the firing pin spring in it's channel.
	Disassembled view showing all parts removed. Clean all parts. Do not lubricate. Reassembly - Slide spring into slot of plastic insert. - Insert firing pin into firing pin slot. - Depress end of fining pin to slightly compress spring so that retaining pin hole in the firing pin lines up with retainer hole in plastic insert, then insert retainer pin. - Keep the assembly upright and test that it functions properly by depressing the back of the firing pin a few times. Be careful not to tip it or the retainer pin may come out when you are depressing the firing pin.
	Orientation of the cleaned firing pin assembly with the slide.
	Reinstall assembly into the slide by gently pushing it into the top of the slide as shown. Make sure it is pushed all the way down. You may have to tap it gently with a small hammer to get it down all the way. Refer to picture #1 to see how far down it goes.

 

Comments & Questions

-------------------------

Broken Smith & Wesson 22a Firing Pin; Smith & Wesson 22a Firing Pin Replacement

March 11, 2012
Hello, I really like your helpful tutorial. My firing pin actually just broke the other day and I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction of where to purchase another firing pin? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your help.
Sincerely
Chris


Response - Chris,

The firing pin on my Smith & Wesson 22a broke last year too. It was easy to get a replacement.

Broken Pin	Broken Pin	Broken Pin Replaced With New Firing Pin

I emailed Smith & Wesson and they sent me a new one (along with some other spare parts that I wanted) to me for free. I'm sure they can help you. They responded very quickly.

Smith & Wesson Customer Service:
Tel 800-3310852 or 413-781-8300 ext 2905
E-mail: qa@smith-wesson.com

Copy of email that I sent.
Dear Sir/Madam,
The firing pin of my Smith & Wesson Model 22a, 22LR Pistol, 5 1/2” Barrel pistol broke last Thursday (see picture).
Could you please send me a new one? I would also like to replace my recoil spring and the recoil spacer (spare parts detail #33). I would also like spare recoils spacers if possible.
Thank you.
Best regards,

Tanner

Reply - Hey Tanner,
Thank you for the great information. I called Smith and Wesson yesterday and they also told me they would send me a new firing pin. Great advice and thank you for the quick response. Happy shooting with your 22A! Thanks again.
Chris

-------------------------

Need A Slide Insert For A Smith & Wesson 22a

November 24, 2011
Hi all, where can I buy this part (Slide Insert)? I am from Germany and have no chance to find it here. Best to all
Al

Response - Al,

When I needed parts for my 22a I emailed Smith & Wesson and they sent them to me free.

Smith & Wesson Customer Service:
Tel 800-3310852 or 413-781-8300 ext 2905
E-mail: qa@smith-wesson.com

Maybe they can help you.

Tanner

Follow-up Message
Hi Tanner, thank you for the quick answer. I will try to come in contact with S&W. Best wishes to you.
Al

-------------------------

Where Can I Get A S&W 22a Firing Pin Spring?

July 22, 2011
This is an email that I sent to Smith & Wesson Support requesting where to find a S&W 22a firing pin spring.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I need a replacement firing pin spring for my Smith & Wesson Model 22a, 22LR Pistol, 5 1/2” Barrel.
Could you please tell me where to get one?
Thank you. Best regards,
Tanner Smith
(Name & Address)

 

Response- Tanner

I put one in the mail to you. It will go out Monday. Have a great weekend.
Kenn; Smith & Wesson Customer Service

Re: S&W 22a Firing Pin Spring

Kenn,
Thanks. I appreciate it. Best regards,
Tanner

 

Follow-Up: I received the firing pin a few days later (very quick response from the Smith & Wesson Customer Service department). I took a picture comparing the old firing pin spring with the new one.

 

Comparison of a used Smith & Wesson firing pin spring with a brand new one. The used one is noticably shorter.

-------------------------

Smith & Wesson 22a Extractor

February 07, 2011
In the first picture it appears that the shell extractor has been removed.
Do I need to remove the extractor first before trying to remove the firing
pin assembly?
Rob

Response - Rob,

No. If you zoom in on the picture you will see it's still there. I never removed it.
Best regards,
Tanner

-------------------------

 

Comments & Questions
Name:
Email address:
All comments are reviewed and posted manually. Your last name and email address will not be published. Submitting URLs & SPAM through this form is not permitted.