Does anyone have P9 Striker Length?

[TennSCN]

Can anyone check the length of a P9 Striker for me?

I picked up a P9 a short time ago. At initial cleaning and inspection, I noted some roughness on the striker and in the channel as well as an obviously short pin protrusion from the breach face. I smoothed out the worst area on the striker body, cleaned and swabbed the channel along with the rest of the piece. I thought I would see how it runs before making any adjustments. It ran like a champ through a box each of WWB 115's and 124's. When I fed it the Win. Ranger 124's, I had 3 FTF (light strikes) in the box. Each bad round showed a well centered but light, primer hit and worked the second time through.

My first thought is to replace the striker but the more I examine it, I can see the striker channel is clean, clear and striker is bottoming out at the front of the channel. Before I take any material off the bottom of the channel, I want to check the dimension from the tip of the striker to the FRONT of the striker lug.

KP9_Striker_d.jpg

This one is 1.448" and the tip looks like it may have been worked on previously.

Does anyone have a P9 striker in your parts box?

[muggsy]

Try the pencil test. Light strikes can come from a slide that isn't into full battery when you pulled the trigger. If the majority of the fired rounds had good primer indentation that's an indication that the striker is just fine. Remember, too, that the gun isn't fully broken in until you have fired at least 200 rounds.

[TennSCN]

Thanks for reading, Muggsy. The pencil test can be an indicator of the striker spring condition but the malfunction here is the short protrusion beyond the breach face (damm, they warned me this could happen when I got old..., just not like THIS!). As I said, I noticed it immediately at initial inspection and cleaning which prompted the detail strip on the slide. The channel is clear and clean, the striker is bearing on metal at the front of the channel. Have a look:

Slides-P45-P9_b.jpg
left: P45 right: P9 (min. protrusion)

I am hoping one of the Gun Gurus here may have a striker in their parts box or have some old notes and can check the dimension. If not, I'll order a striker in another week and see if that is the problem. If that don't fix it, I'll go into the channel and let the 'chips' fall where they may...

[gb6491]

Hey TennSCN,
I pulled the striker from my CW9 and it measures (1.449") close to what you have:

On the chance it might help, I also measured this (.452"):

Regards,
Greg

[cobrasjp]

I'm at the hospital with my wife. She gets out today, so I should be able to measure my P9 when I get home. That should give you an additional measurement in addition to the one Greg provided.

[muggsy]

Greg, if your gun is still apart, check the depth of the striker channel and subtract that from the OAL of the bolt. That should give us the thickness of the web of the bolt face.

[TennSCN]

Gentlemen, wow, I really appreciate the help coming here.

Greg, thank you, I'm gonna have to owe ya one for stripping that slide; didn't mean to be a PITA. I don't see the .001" difference 'tip to lug front', as significant, I think I'm looking for .011-.016 (it seems short 1/3 to 1/2 the expected .032" protrusion). Oddly, my 'shoulder to tip' is measuring 0.447", there is .005" of it... but you see what is happening at the breach face. (I'm trying to think but nothin's happening...)

Cobra, thank you but PLEASE, take care of your lady. I can imagine you have more important things to do than taking your toys apart right now. I sure hope everything is better for her.

Muggsy, brilliant, just F'g brilliant (but now you're gonna make me do that high level math, aren't you?); 2.181" - 1.982" = 0.199" well..., maybe... I am not sure I am down at the back side of the breach face. My caliper has a shorter notch on the probe than Greg's and it could be hanging the probe on the step at the bottom of the channel. I'll find a way to verify the number.

It might be time for one of them new fangled battery operated caliper things with a pin probe... I could also measure the length of the channel step down there which could tell me what need to be shaved. Can I call 'time' on this one and do a little shopping?

Thank you, all, very much. You have confirmed the striker length is good and given me a new perspective as to how to continue. Now let's see, 1) new digital caliper with pin probe, 2) machine shop, 3) go bang 100%.

-John T.

[muggsy]

Yer welcome John T. Were glad to have been of service. Good luck with the fix.

[Exiledviking]

Is this a new P9? If not, my first inclination would be to replace the striker spring and the recoil spring (might as well do both since you are paying for shipping). I'm curious to see what you find out.

[TennSCN]

eViking, no, this one is a late 2006 assembly. Read the OP and supplement, the malfunction is not with the springs. I bought it used fully expecting it had problems for the price paid. As I said above, I noticed the minimal striker protrusion immediately as it is hard to miss if you have been inside these guns much. Surprisingly, it fed and extracted very smoothly through 100+ rounds. It didn't start acting up until I ran something with a harder primer (Ranger).

It is a project; keeps me out of (more) trouble with the little woman. I'll take a bit of metal off it somewhere and/or order a part; I can easily make this one go bang every time...

[Exiledviking]

OK. I must have missed the part about the spring(s). Hmmm... Have you measured how far the firing pin sticks out thru the breech face when fully forward? If need be I can measure the same on my P9 to compare. Also, what stops the forward travel on the striker - is it the breech face or is it something else?

[muggsy]

It's the primer if the gun is loaded. I can see that I have a lot of splainin to do.