firing pin will not retract

[cab32]

Have a handi rifle in 45/70. It is an nef NE series receiver. It worked fine when I bought it and put a box of ammo thru it.  Today while shooting factory ammo, the firing pin began to stick. Now the pin will not retract unless I put direct heavy pressure on its tip with a steel rod. It just sticks fast after firing.  It is as if firing has peened the breech and closed the firing pin hole a little. Has anyone seen this happen before?
CAB

[Yak Angler]

There is only 1 pin in the reciever that needs to be removed to get the firing pin out to inspect it. Could be anything from a bent pin to sludge build-up in the frame. Lets us know what it turns out to be I haven't had any issues with my h&r pins like your describing.

[tacklebury]

Might want to take some pictures of the Breech face, pin hole and pin extended if possible.  Sounds to me like the factory might have put an sb1 firing pin in your sb2 frame.  I'd probably get in touch with Brian56 and get it looked at by them, unless some of the fellows here can help you diagnose something simple.  I've never seen this in any of my H&R's.  8(

[OldSchoolRanger]

If the gun is fairly new, send it back to the factory. 

If it's an older used model, you may want to check the pin like Adam_R stated.  After the firing pin is stuck forward.  Push down on the rear part of the firing pin, and see if there is movement.  If there is.  Then there is the remote possibility that the firing pin broke or snapped.  I had this happen years ago.  When you push the pin back into the receiver, it sits there, until you fire the gun again, then the hammer, and transfer bar allows the energy from the hammer to be transferred to the rear part of the firing pin which flies forward into the broken front part of the firing pin, the rear part of the pin retracts, after you release the trigger, under pressure from the firing pin spring, but the broken forward part stays "stuck" forward.

[Jason F]

Only time i ever had one stick is on huntsman frame from getting blowback from primer carriers

[quickdtoo]

It is as if firing has peened the breech and closed the firing pin hole a little. Has anyone seen this happen before?
CAB

Bent pins are fairly common on older frames, when the pin gets sticky from years of use and gunk/corrosion/weak return spring..... take your pick, the pin protrudes thru the standing breech after the shot and sticks in the primer and opening closing the barrel can bend the pin. If the transfer bar is working properly, you have to at least drop the trigger guard to remove the firing pin.

Tim

[cab32]

Thanks to all for the responses. As I stated before, the rifle worked well for a while, that eliminates an SB2 pin in an SB1 hole. The NEF NE series receiver was made in 1990 according to the faq.  A broken or bent pin or broken return spring or crud in the channel seem most likely.  The frame pins do not appear to have ever been removed as the right side of the pins still has the little nib in the center which is always flattened when pins are driven out.  I will remove the firing pin and see what I find.  I am glad to see that this is not a common problem as  there actually appears to be a primer size dent around the firing pin hole and my theory originally was that these old SB2 receivers are soft and the back force of the primer was over time causing the pin hole diameter to decrease by peening.  This does not seem as likely if no one else is experiencing the problem on their older rifles.

[OldSchoolRanger]

cab32 - Let us know what the problem was and how you made out.  I'm curious what the problem was, and what part had to be replaced.

[cab32]

Took the firing pin out.
Before removing the pin, it would stick in the fully extended position if pushed in with a hammer fall or a tool.
No palpable roughness on the pin.
The retraction spring is not broken.
No crud in the pin channel.
I pushed the tip of the pin into the channel from the breech block surface and it was tight and did not slide freely. rubbed in in and out a few times and that improved. On close examination the small diameter of the pin seemed posibilly bent very slightly up relative to the large diameter.  I changed this by tapping the large diameter lightly while the small diameter was held in the vice. This did seem to solve the problem and the pin would fall completely into the recess and protrude until it bottomed out.  The pin will slide freely only when it is in the proper axial position and will stick if rotated in the hole on its long axis.
It appears to me that the problem is a slight bending of the firing pin.
I polished the large diameter of the firing pin with 1200 grit silicone carbide paper and deburred the firing pin channel with same. will see how it functions when I have time to fire it.
CAB

[44 Man]

Sounds like you got it solved!  I bought an old Handi years ago that the action wouldn't open on.  Finally got it open and discovered the firing pin had bent, sticking in the out position and preventing the action from opening.  A few taps with a hammer has you did and the spinning it in the drill bit to check that it was true and I was in business.  Enjoy that gun!  44 Man